Emeritus Professor John Sweller
BA PhD Adel, FASSA
John Sweller is an Emeritus Professor who is best known for formulating cognitive load theory which uses our knowledge of evolutionary psychology and human cognitive architecture as a base for instructional design. The theory is one of the most highly cited educational psychology theories. John Sweller received a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide’s Department of Psychology in 1972 and a B.A. (Hons.) from the same institution in 1969. He has authored over 180 academic publications and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
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- Teaching and Supervision
Development of cognitive load theory and testing the instructional consequences of the theory using randomised, controlled trials.
There are several user friendly guides to cognitive load theory available. The New South Wales Department of Education provides two very useful guides:
https://www.cese.nsw.gov.au/publications-filter/cognitive-load-theory-research-that-teachers-really-need-to-understand
In addition, St. Andrews Cathedral School in Sydney has a video interview that outlines central aspects of the theory:
https://youtu.be/srkgXMHdaUs