John Sweller
Encyclopedia
John Sweller is an Australia
n educational psychologist
who is best known for formulating an influential theory of cognitive load
.
He has a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide
's Department of Psychology — his thesis was titled "Effects of initial discrimination training on subsequent shift learning in animals and humans" — and also has a B.A. (Hons.) from the same institution.
He has authored over 80 academic publications, mainly reporting research on cognitive factors in instructional design
, with specific emphasis on the instructional implications of working memory
limitations (e.g., Sweller, Merrienboer & Pass, 1998) and their consequences for instructional procedures.
Sweller is a Fellow of the ASSA (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
), and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales
.http://education.arts.unsw.edu.au/staff/staff.php?first=John&last=Sweller
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n educational psychologist
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
who is best known for formulating an influential theory of cognitive load
Cognitive load
The term cognitive load is used in cognitive psychology to illustrate the load related to the executive control of working memory . Theories contend that during complex learning activities the amount of information and interactions that must be processed simultaneously can either under-load, or...
.
He has a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
's Department of Psychology — his thesis was titled "Effects of initial discrimination training on subsequent shift learning in animals and humans" — and also has a B.A. (Hons.) from the same institution.
He has authored over 80 academic publications, mainly reporting research on cognitive factors in instructional design
Instructional design
Instructional Design is the practice of creating "instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient, effective, and appealing." The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and...
, with specific emphasis on the instructional implications of working memory
Working memory
Working memory has been defined as the system which actively holds information in the mind to do verbal and nonverbal tasks such as reasoning and comprehension, and to make it available for further information processing...
limitations (e.g., Sweller, Merrienboer & Pass, 1998) and their consequences for instructional procedures.
Sweller is a Fellow of the ASSA (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It was established in 1971...
), and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.http://education.arts.unsw.edu.au/staff/staff.php?first=John&last=Sweller