Brain Friendly Teaching-Reducing Learner's Cognitive Load

Many didactic lectures induce a cognitive load in learners out of proportion to the content that they need to learn (or can learn) during that teaching session. This is due in part to the content, and in part to the way it is displayed or presented. By reducing the cognitive load on our audience, we can increase long-term retention of information. This article briefly summarizes some of the science behind cognitive load as it relates to presentations, and identifies simple steps to reduce it, while maximizing learning.