In Academe, What Is Learned, and How Is It Learned?
Abstract
Academic learning is different from much of the learning engaged in by humans functioning in the natural world. It differs in terms of the cognitive systems that have evolved to assimilate new information. Academic learning requires specific teaching and learning procedures that occur only occasionally outside of academic contexts. The manner in which humans process the categories of information used in academic learning mirrors the processes by which biological evolution processes genetic information. Based on knowledge of human cognition, cognitive load theory was devised to facilitate academic learning by developing appropriate instructional procedures.
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- Authors
- Sweller, J.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Sweller, John
- ORCID
- Sweller, John
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-06
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 190-194
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2209611802
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 12.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Keywords
- academic learning, cognitive load theory, human cognition, information processing, instructional design, knowledge acquisition
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