What Does Psychology Include, and How Does It Relate to eLearning?
When we talk about eLearning, we don’t just mean text-based online courses. In reality, creating an effective online learning experience is more complicated than that. And that’s where psychology comes in. To keep students from losing interest or becoming frustrated, you need to know how they process information. Psychology does just that; it gives us an inside view of how our brain works when we think, learn, and remember things. In traditional classrooms, teachers can get real-time feedback on how students are processing information, thus adjusting their pace or activities. But in eLearning, you need to rely on the principles of cognitive science for guidance.
Applying cognitive principles to eLearning helps you design courses that respect how the brain works. After all, the brain can’t do as many things as we’d like it to. Too much information, or poorly presented information, leads to mental stress, which leads to students dropping out. By understanding cognitive load theory, dual coding theory, and how memory works, you can make better decisions about what to cover, how to present it, and whether to give students time to rest. So, without further ado, let’s explore all the important principles of psychology and how you can apply them to eLearning.
How Do Psychology Principles Apply to eLearning?
Theory of Mental Load
The cognitive load theory explains that our brains have limited cognitive bandwidth. This means that you cannot present endless amounts of information and expect students to remember it, especially if it is delivered in the form of confusing eLearning courses. Cognitive load theory revolves around three types of cognitive load: internal, extraneous, and germane. Each plays a role in how well your brain processes information.
Internal mental load is the mental effort that comes with learning something new. Some ideas are more difficult to understand, but since you can’t change the complexity of the content, you can make it easier to understand by breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks. Now, the external mental load is what makes learning harder than it needs to be. For example, if you are creating a course but it is full of bright colors, banners, sound effects, and other distractions. To minimize this, design clean, simple user interfaces with clear instructions. Finally, germane mental load is when our brain works for the good and focuses on learning. To promote germane load in eLearning, you must be designed for deep learning. That means using things like reflective questions, real-world examples, and active problem solving.
Dual Code Theory
The dual coding theory developed by psychologist Allan Paivio states that people learn best when they receive information in two ways: verbal (words) and visual (pictures). For example, it is easier to remember something important if you can associate it with an image and other keywords. This is because our brains love images. If you give it more ways to process information, it can remember it better. When you combine spoken and visual materials in your lessons, you help students retain more information and understand it better.
But why do we need both words and pictures? Forcing students to consume large amounts of text without any visual resource is frustrating and ineffective. By adding a visual—whether it’s a chart, infographic, or video—it makes it easier for their brains. In eLearning, this can be a game changer. When introducing an idea, try to pair it with a picture or illustration that reinforces the idea. However, just because the visuals are great doesn’t mean you have to overdo it. Remember that balance is key; The two codes work best when the visual supports the text directly. A course designed with dual coding in mind can include slides with one main idea in the text and visuals next to it, instructional videos with captions or captions, and, of course, infographics.
Working Memory
The brain can handle a lot at once before it shuts down. This is where working memory comes in. Our working memory can only handle four to seven pieces of information at a time. If we overload it, our brain gets mental overload, which leads to forgetting everything it learns. This is a major challenge in eLearning because students have to keep up with the content, read on the screen, and avoid distractions around them. So, the solution here is to manage the working memory.
How can an Instructional Designer do that? If you are trying to teach a complex subject, make it small. Breaking down content into smaller chunks helps students process information without exhausting their brains. For example, if you are designing a course about coding, don’t present all the programming languages ​​at once. Break them up into lessons, giving students a chance to process one thing before moving on to the next. In addition, you can strengthen the repetition with gaps. It is the idea that reviewing information over increasing intervals helps establish it in long-term memory. Therefore, you add general revision instead of asking students to memorize everything at that time. This includes reminding them of important concepts during the lesson and again afterwards so they stay fresh in their minds.
Constructivism
In simple terms, constructivism maintains that learning is not just about receiving information but about active participation. This is because students build their own understanding of the world based on their experiences, not just memorizing facts. Now, in the world of online learning, active learning encourages students to do something with the information they receive instead of clicking on courses. You want them to engage with the learning material, think, and apply everything they’ve learned in real life.
The best way to do that is to do problem solving activities. For example, students are given a real-world situation where they need to solve a problem instead of just learning a concept. If you teach project management, give students a simulation project and ask them to make decisions and face challenges instead of writing project management steps. Discussion boards and group work can also work wonders. eLearning platforms have collaborative tools where students can discuss ideas with peers, exchange ideas, and share knowledge together. Don’t forget about the fully interactive modules. This includes doing activities where students do something other than reading or browsing, such as dragging and dropping, answering open-ended questions, and making decisions that lead to different outcomes. These events engage students with the material and apply their knowledge, not just memorizing facts.
Inspiration
Whether you’re designing an eLearning course for a group of seasoned professionals or young learners with short attention spans, motivation is key to engagement and retention. Have you heard of self-determination theory? According to it, people are driven by two types of motivation: internal (internal) and external (external). Intrinsic motivation is what students do because they care or want to know. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is about rewards and recognition, such as learning not because you want to but because you are chasing a promotion. In eLearning, both types are important, and a well-designed course should use both.
To spark intrinsic motivation, you must design lessons that matter to your students. For example, set realistic goals for them, and instead of giving them generic content, challenge them with activities that are relevant to their world. Show them how this knowledge will make them smarter, more efficient, or better at work or school. Next, give students autonomy. If they can navigate the course at their own pace, choosing which courses to take first, they are more likely to stay engaged. In terms of extrinsic motivation, you need to add rewards. Even if readers don’t like the content, they’ll stay if there’s some kind of reward at the end. This is where gamification comes to save the day. Badges, leaderboards, and scores can help students feel like they’re making progress, which boosts their motivation to keep going.
The conclusion
Cognitive science principles help us understand how people process, store, and access information, which is critical to designing effective online learning experiences. As technology advances, we will see more personalized experiences that adapt to individual needs and cognitive abilities, making learning more efficient and enjoyable. In the future, increasing technological trends will likely be developed by cognitive systems and applied to eLearning. Overall, the more we embrace psychology in eLearning, the better the results will be for students, helping them acquire information more efficiently while staying motivated and focused.
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