What are some strategies to reduce extraneous cognitive load in online training?

Zoom fatigue is real. With employees increasingly working remotely we have to all be conscious about reducing cognitive load during online training. Here are some tips: -Simplify the interface to avoid overwhelming learners. Depending on the content I don’t insist on cameras being on as that can be a distraction. -Break content into smaller, manageable chunks (encourage regular breaks ensuring people are refreshed) -Use clear, concise language to prevent confusion. -Integrate multimedia carefully—videos and visuals should support, not distract from, the core content. -Interact where possible - break the monotony of just watching a video and enables employees to feel more engaged as well as reflect on what they’re learning in real time.

To reduce extraneous cognitive load in my 30 or 90-minute online LinkedIn training sessions, I employ several strategies: Chunk Information: Break down content into manageable segments, presenting one idea at a time to avoid overwhelming participants. Use Clear and Concise Language Incorporate Visual Aids: Use diagrams, infographics, and videos to illustrate key points, aiding comprehension and retention. Interactive Elements: Include polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions to engage participants and reinforce learning. Consistent Structure: Follow a clear and predictable format throughout the session, helping participants to stay focused and follow along easily.

> Keep presentations clean and avoid cramming slides with text and visuals. > Use visuals that directly support the content and ditch anything that distracts learners from the key message. > Don't present information in both audio narration and on-screen text at the same time. > Learners struggle to process information from both channels simultaneously. > Present information in a clear and unified way. > Avoid scattering key points across different resources like slides, handouts, and audio narration.

Simplify content and avoid unnecessary information Use clear, concise language and instructions Break information into smaller, manageable chunks Incorporate visual aids like diagrams and infographics Minimize distractions and clutter in the learning environment Implement interactive elements to reinforce learning Provide summaries and key takeaways for quick review Use consistent formatting and design across materials Offer practice exercises and immediate feedback Ensure user-friendly navigation and interface design

Reducing extraneous cognitive load in online training involves simplifying complex information through clear organization and chunking content into manageable segments. Use multimedia judiciously, ensuring visuals and text align to avoid cognitive overload. Employ interactive elements like quizzes and simulations to engage learners actively, promoting deeper understanding and retention. Minimize distractions by maintaining a clean interface with intuitive navigation. Lastly, provide adequate breaks between modules to allow processing and reflection. These strategies enhance learning efficiency by optimizing how information is presented and processed, fostering a more engaging and effective online training experience.

Keep the "need to know" information in your online training sessions. Save the value-adding "nice to knows" for later to prevent overwhelming learners, especially when tackling a new subject. Many companies overlook the importance of reinforcing learned material, so this is the perfect opportunity to split up the necessary vs. the supplemental content, once your learners have had a chance to sit with the core concepts.

Break learning into 3-minute concepts. Anything more results in cognitive overload. Some points to have in mind: ? Each concept should be self-contained ? It should be easy to understand – explained visually and through data (not through text) ? It should be quickly accessible on the job

When too much information is present in front of an individual, the subconscious causes brain fatigue. This can be reduced by giving only that much information as much as required. Learners with the base idea can then dive in as per their interest. A specific flow of thought or a series of relevant information allows the mind to create a chain of thoughts. This allows the learners to automatically follow what the speaker is trying to convey without much difficulty.

Here are 5 Practical Strategies I use: - Be clear about the purpose: Explain why the topic is essential and what learners will achieve. Provide a meaningful context for learning. - Break down information into smaller, manageable parts. Use slides to reinforce key points visually. - Engage learners with interactive activities: Use purposeful, small group tasks and fun digital tools for collaboration. - Schedule 10-minute breaks for long sessions. Use background music or a countdown timer with an alarm to notify the audience when it’s time to return. - Ensure easy access to materials and seamless interaction with content for learners. These strategies boost engagement and enhance learning outcomes! I hope it is helpful to your next session!

Also, take the help of AI to create bite sized videos from the already available source material. Imagine – what if you can upload all your company documents, training videos or SCORMs on a platform, just click one button, and it automatically gets converted to new-age formats like short videos, podcasts? This will make it engaging for the employees, let them upskill themselves faster, and become more productive on the job. (We are pretty close to achieving this with GenerativeAI and hope it solves for the multiple adoption / cognitive load challenges of today’s L&D.)