Cognitive Load Explained: Why Some Students Struggle More Than Others And How Brain Insights Help

Ever wonder why some students grasp new concepts quickly while others seem overwhelmed by the same lesson?

​In every classroom- physical or digital, you will find students who excel while some struggle to keep up, even when they are equally bright and motivated. The reason behind this doesn't require questioning their intelligence or efforts, but it could be something deeply psychological, known as Cognitive Load.

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Cognitive load plays a crucial role in how the brain perceives the information. And today, with advancements in neuroscience and personalised learning, tools like EEG-based brain assessments are helping educators understand this mental pressure more effectively.

​What Is Cognitive Load?

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to learn, understand, or process new information. Since our brain's working memory has limited capacity, too much information can overwhelm the individual.

Psychologists categorise cognitive load into three main types:

1. Intrinsic Cognitive load: Refers to the natural difficulty of a task.

For example: A Class 2 student learning 2 + 2 = 4

This has a low intrinsic load because it’s simple. Whereas, a Class 9 student learning Algebra equations (2x + 5 = 15)

This has a high intrinsic load because the concept itself is harder.

2. Extraneous Cognitive Load (Unnecessary Confusion): This type of load refers to the quality of instructions given or the way a task is presented. This could include complicated terminology or irrelevant tasks. This can lead to a distraction in the students' attention level,

For example, A teacher in a math class explains fractions using:

• Small handwriting
• Speaking fast
• No clear explanation of the concept and steps.

The students understand math, but still feel confused. Here, the topic isn't hard, but the way it is taught makes it heavy on the students' brains.

3. Germane Load (good mental effort): Is necessary for effective information processing. An employee learning new knowledge that builds on existing information stored in their working memory will experience a higher germane load.

For example, you're writing your first blog on “Cognitive Load”.

• At first, the topic may feel unfamiliar to you.
• You read and research about the topic.
• Watch a video to understand the concept better.
• Take notes in your own words.
• Structure into a clear and simple blog.

At this stage, your brain is comparing ideas, creating meaning. This mental effort is Germane Cognitive Load.

Why Do Some Students Struggle More

Imagine a student trying to juggle too many balls at once. Each ball represents a piece of information they need to process, understand, and remember. Working memory, the brain's temporary storage space for conscious thoughts, acts like a student's hands. When the teacher throws too many balls (information) at once, the students' working memory becomes overloaded.

That leads to negative outcomes:

• The student may get demoralised.
• Frustration
• Mental fatigue
• Lose interest or disengagement.

Several factors affect this:

1. Complexity vs. Prior Knowledge: One of the main principles of Cognitive Load Theory. If any topic is complicated and the learner has minimal or no prior knowledge, their Cognitive Load will be high.

2. Classroom distraction: For a brain to process information, it requires a better external environment. Classroom distraction, background noise require cognitive effort to filter out these distractions.

3. Learning style mismatch: Each student has their own style of learning. While some learn better through pictures and images, others learn through discussion, which makes them remember the information for a longer period of time.

4. Attention and Stress Level: Stress, anxiety may reduce the attention span of a student, which leads to an increase in cognitive load. The internal state of mind is often invisible, but it can be measured using brain-based tools.

This is where platforms like NEMA AI bring a breakthrough:

EEG-based brain assessment can reveal how many students are experiencing a higher cognitive load during learning or doing any task. This will help teachers adapt teaching strategies accordingly.

How Understanding Cognitive Load Helps

• Personalised learning plans: By reducing extraneous load and matching instruction according to students' learning ability level. Learning for students becomes smooth and helps teachers to customise/personalise students' learning plans.
• Targeted Support: Identifying students at risk of cognitive load early.
• Improve focus and memory retention: Brain insights help optimise learning pace, break the schedule, and plan better content strategy for students.
• Data-Driven Feedback For Educators: Instead of relying only on academic performance or observation, Teachers have objective insight into student engagement in the classroom and his/her mental effort.

By using portable EEG scans, platforms like NEMA AI can evaluate cognitive load in minutes, making personalised learning practical and accessible for every student.

Conclusion

Cognitive load is a natural part of learning. If left unmanaged, it can block the progress of students' learning journey. Understanding how the brain processes information allows educators to design smarter lessons, reduce stress, and unlock each student’s true potential.

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