The Implications on Course Design When Rethinking Time and Space During the Pandemic to Decrease Student Cognitive Load in a Graduate-Level Course

• In Event: AERA Virtual Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Examining Motivation and Cognition in Context

Abstract

This case study explores the impact of conscious changes made to the design of an online course on students’ learning experiences. The changes to course design were made to accommodate the unprecedented scenarios caused by COVID-19 pandemic with the aim to decrease the extraneous cognitive load (ECL). We compare the key features of the course design pre-pandemic and after the start of the pandemic. Additionally, we look at instructor narratives describing the rationale for changes. Finally, thematic analysis of student learning journals is explored to understand the impact of decreased ECL. This case study suggests that consciously decreasing the ECL created an online learning experience that provided students with more time to engage in creative problem-solving and knowledge creation.

Authors

• Nidhi Sachdeva, University of Toronto

• Alexandra Makos, University of Toronto - OISE