Difficulty as a Proxy for Measuring Intrinsic Cognitive Load Item (Poster 37)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Learning Processes: Reasoning, Memory, and Executive Functioning

Abstract

Cognitive load is key to ensuring an optimal learning experience. However, measuring the cognitive load of educational tasks typically relies on self-report measures which has been criticized by researchers for being subjective. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using item difficulty parameters as a proxy for measuring cognitive load in an online learning platform. Difficulty values that were derived using item-response theory were consistent with theories of how intrinsic and extraneous load contribute to cognitive load. This finding suggests that we can use item difficulty to represent intrinsic load when modeling cognitive load in learning games.

Authors

• Minghao Cai, University of Alberta

• Guher Gorgun, IPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Carrie Demmans Epp, University of Alberta