Mayer Chapter 2

Front 1

Biologically primary knowledge

Back 1

Knowledge that we have evolved toacquire .

Front 2

Biologically secondary knowledge

Back 2

Knowledge that we need to acquire forcultural reasons but that we have not specii cally evolved to acquire .

Front 3

Borrowing and reorganizing principle

Back 3

Explains how natural informationprocessing systems can acquire very large information stores .

Front 4

Cognitive architecture

Back 4

The manner in which the cognitive structures usedto learn, think and solve problems are organized

Front 5

Cognitive load

Back 5

The load imposed on working memory by informationbeing presented.

Front 6

Cognitive load theory

Back 6

An instructional theory based on our knowledge ofhuman cognitive architecture which specii cally addresses the limitationsof working memory.

Front 7

Direct instructional guidance

Back 7

Instruction in which procedures are directlydemonstrated to learners. Can be contrasted with inquiry-basedlearning.

Front 8

Element interactivity

Back 8

The extent to which elements of information thatmust be processed interact. If material that must be learned has highelement interactivity, elements cannot be processed individually inworking memory, and that material will then be seen as complex anddifi cult to understand and learn .

Front 9

Environmental organizing and linking principle

Back 9

Explains how naturalinformation processing systems link information held in the informationstore to appropriate action in the external environment.

Front 10

Extraneous cognitive load

Back 10

The cognitive load that is imposed bynonessential, interacting elements (see element interactivity) that canbe eliminated by altering the instructional design .

Front 11

Germane cognitive load

Back 11

Working memory resources devoted to dealingwith intrinsic rather than extraneous interacting elements.

Front 12

Information store principle

Back 12

Deals with the need for natural informationprocessing systems to store very large amounts of information; longtermmemory in humans.

Front 13

Inquiry-based learning

Back 13

Instruction in which learners, rather than having aprocedure demonstrated, are required to discover it themselves. Can becontrasted with direct instructional guidance .

Front 14

Intrinsic cognitive load

Back 14

The cognitive load that is imposed by essential,interacting elements ( see element interactivity) that, because theyinteract, must be processed simultaneously rather than successively inworking memory, resulting in a heavy load .

Front 15

Learning

Back 15

Any change in long-term memory involving an accumulation ofinformation.

Front 16

Long-term memory

Back 16

The cognitive structure that stores our knowledgebase. We are conscious only of those contents of long-term memorythat are transferred to working memory

Front 17

Narrow limits of change principle

Back 17

Explains why natural informationprocessing systems can make only small changes to their information stores.In humans, working memory when dealing with novel information.

Front 18

Natural information processing systems

Back 18

Information processing systemsthat can be found in nature, such as biological evolution and humancognition.

Front 19

Randomness as genesis principle

Back 19

Explains how natural informationprocessing systems generate novel information.

Front 20

Sensory memory

Back 20

The cognitive structure that permits us to perceive newinformation.

Front 21

Working memory

Back 21

The cognitive structure in which we consciously processinformation. Notable for its severe capacity and duration limits whendealing with new information .