Understanding instructions.

The understanding of instructions was explored within the context of cognitive load theory.Instructional material may be difficult to understand if it consists of many elements that must be held in working memory simultaneously.If the number of elements that must be processed exceeds working-memory capacity, then some elements must be combined into schemas before the material can be understood.Some diagrams may reduce cognitive load by providing such a schema.In Experiments 1 to 4, three different electrical resistor problems were given to students to complete, with instructions presented using diagrams (which cue pre-existing schemas) or text.In Experiment 5, four different angle construction tasks were given to students to complete.Instructions were presented using either diagrams which cue pre-existing schemas, diagrams which were unlikely to cue pre-existing schemas, or text.Results, including measures of cognitive load, suggested that understanding depends on the degree of interaction among elements of information.However, if interacting elements can be incorporated into a diagrammatic schema by modifying the instructional presentation mode, cognitive load will be reduced and understanding enhanced.