eLearning Instructional Design: Advanced
and Breakthrough Techniques
May 17 & 18, 2012
502
Beyond Clicks: Instructional
Strategies that Facilitate
Cognitive Processes
Gina Richter, First Data, Inc.
GINA ANN RICHTER, PH.D. - “BEYOND ENGAGEMENT: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT
FACILITATE LEARNERS’ COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND PRODUCE EFFECTIVE AND
INSTRUCTIONALLY EFFICIENT E-LEARNING”
COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Applying
CLT
Instructional Strategies
Application
Managing
intrinsic
cognitive
load
Design
interactions
for content
and
modality
experience.
Create chunks
of content
through the use
of modules.
Include
learner
objectives,
intros,
summaries
and
transitions.
--
Completed content and
audience analysis, used
modules, learner objectives,
intros, summaries, and
transitions.
Decreasing
extraneous
cognitive
load
Convey
information
concisely.
Include graphics
in intros and
summaries
explained by
audio in context
of each module,
course, and how
the concepts
will be applied
once the learner
is back on the
job.
Eliminate
unnecessary
information.
Worked and
completion
examples
were used
in order to
eliminate
poor
problemsolving
skills.
Information was conveyed
concisely with graphics and
narration in context of each
module, the course and how
the concepts will be applied.
Worked examples were used
in module one where the
learning agent modeled
customer interactions.
Completion examples were
used in the final module
through the three workplace
scenarios.
Increasing
germane
cognitive
load
Use “signals
and cues” to
direct
learners’
attention to
the critical
concepts of
the course
(Clark,
2003, p.
74).
Integrate words
within graphics
preventing split
attention (Clark,
2003).
Facilitate
dual
modality
presentation
of content
through the
narration of
images.
Use
diagrams to
facilitate
deeper
understandi
ng (Clark et
al., 2006).
Signals and cues were used
through the application of
the SLEEK GREEEN
RECAP acronym. Words
were integrated into
diagrams to prevent split
attention throughout the
course. All graphics were
explained using the learning
agent.
Copr. 2012 Gina Ann Richter, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Page1
GINA ANN RICHTER, PH.D. - “BEYOND ENGAGEMENT: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT
FACILITATE LEARNERS’ COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND PRODUCE EFFECTIVE AND
INSTRUCTIONALLY EFFICIENT E-LEARNING”
APPENDIX E
COGNITIVE PROCESSES: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Facilitating Cognitive
Processes
Enabling retrieval
(organization)
Instructional Strategies
Create manageable
chunks (modules).
Provide“signals and
cues” (Clark, 2003, p.
74) as to what was
important, through
transitions, headings,
sub-headings,
summaries,
introductions, and
learner objectives.
Enabling retrieval
(integration)
Provide narrative
storytelling in context of
learners’ existing
experience and
knowledge through realworld scenarios that
replicate real-world
challenges to facilitate
links and internal cues to
existing schema.
Ask questions that enable
learners to recall
concepts, allow learners
to demonstrate what they
have just learned. Provide
feedback to reinforce or
remediate the new
concepts learners just
constructed, and use
similar verbiage to
provide cues while
learners are applying new
information for the first
time (Gagné, 1985).
Questions and
feedback were
provided within the
SB Quiz interaction,
Sales Process
interaction, and
Component Game
interaction.
Headings, subheadings, summaries,
intros and learning
objectives were
provided throughout
the course.
Use a learning agent to
deliver content. Bring
current knowledge into
working memory and
allow the new
information to be
integrated into an existing
schema, increasing the
likelihood of retrieval as
learners move through
the course and when
necessary once they
complete the course
(Jonassen, 1988; Hooper
& Hannafin, 1991; Clark,
2003; Kennedy, 2004).
Current customers
were used to place
information in
context of learners’
existing knowledge
throughout the
course. The learning
agent used narrative
storytelling in
context of current
knowledge in both
the worked and
completion
examples, as well as
the intros, and
summaries.
Copr. 2012 Gina Ann Richter, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Page2
Application
GINA ANN RICHTER, PH.D. - “BEYOND ENGAGEMENT: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT
FACILITATE LEARNERS’ COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND PRODUCE EFFECTIVE AND
INSTRUCTIONALLY EFFICIENT E-LEARNING”
Facilitating Cognitive
Processes
Enabling retrieval (near
and far transfer)
Instructional Strategies
Drill and practice for
near transfer, replicates
exact process or
procedure that the
learner will need to be
successful.
Application
Far transfer requires an
understanding of rules, or
concepts that need to be
applied to several
different possible
challenges.
To facilitate far transfer
practice applying rules,
asking questions to make
connections to the
process, provide
scaffolding, and feedback
throughout the module.
Enabling retrieval
(retrieval plan)
Set plan which completely replicates
the exact process for near transfer
(Hooper & Hannafin 1991).
--
Abstract organizers for far transfer
(Hooper & Hannafin, 1991).
Copr. 2012 Gina Ann Richter, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Page3
Sales process presented
through the diagram of the
steps necessary for each
sale utilized drill and
practice. Workplace
scenarios required far
transfer and the application
of concepts applied to
several different possible
customers. Prior to that
challenge learners were
provided with questions,
feedback and scaffolding
on specific concepts that
needed to be applied.
Sales process diagram
represented an exact
process. Where the
SLEEK GREEN RECAP
represented an abstract
organizer for far transfer.
GINA ANN RICHTER, PH.D. - “BEYOND ENGAGEMENT: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT
FACILITATE LEARNERS’ COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND PRODUCE EFFECTIVE AND
INSTRUCTIONALLY EFFICIENT E-LEARNING”
Facilitating Cognitive
Processes
Instructional Strategies
Application
Orienting
Games and Simulations enable a learner
to be oriented to the new knowledge in
many different ways facilitating the
encoding and later retrieval when
necessary in similar contexts for near
transfer or different contexts for far
transfer within a real scenario (Hooper
& Hannafin, 1991).
Match games, SB quiz
show game, component
game, sales process
interaction, and
workplace scenarios.
Presenting (dual
encoding)
Apply dual encoding by providing
information visually and through
narration (Clark, 2003).
Use color
and images
to
highlight
key
concepts
(Hooper &
Hannafin,
1991).
All intros, summaries,
worked examples, and
completion examples.
Component game, sales
process game, intros,
and summaries also
used images to
highlight key concepts.
Enabling encoding
(cognitive practice)
Apply cognitive practice, allow learners to apply rules
or underlying concepts and practice making crucial
decisions within the learning environment (Hooper &
Hannafin, 1991, Gagné).
All of the interactions
throughout the course
allow learners to apply
the underlying concepts
and practice making
crucial decisions within
the learning
environment.
Copr. 2012 Gina Ann Richter, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Page4
GINA ANN RICHTER, PH.D. - “BEYOND ENGAGEMENT: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT
FACILITATE LEARNERS’ COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND PRODUCE EFFECTIVE AND
INSTRUCTIONALLY EFFICIENT E-LEARNING”
Facilitating Cognitive
Processes
Instructional Strategies
Application
Enabling encoding
(metacognition)
Enable learners to check their progress
through activities where they are
challenged by questions or possibly
the application of skills, or maybe the
application of the newly acquired
knowledge and skills (Gagné, 1985).
All of the interactions challenge the
learners with questions and allow
learners to check their progress as
they apply their newly acquired
knowledge and skills.
Enabling encoding
(self-explanations)
Enable learners to reflect and form
self-explanations.
The learning agent models selfexplanations through the completion
examples and then learners are given
an opportunity to generate selfexplanations through the completion
examples (workplace scenarios).
Copr. 2012 Gina Ann Richter, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
Page5