Cognitive Load Theory

Jan L. Plass is an Associate Professor of Educational Communication and Technology in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, where he co-directs the NYU Games for Learning Institute. He is also the founding director of the Consortium for Research and Evaluation of Advanced Technology in Education (CREATE). His research is at the intersection of cognitive science, learning sciences, and design and seeks to enhance the educational effectiveness of visual environments. Dr Plass's current focus is on the cognitive and emotional aspects of information design and the interaction design of simulations and educational games for science education and second language acquisition. He has received funding for his research from the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and, most recently, from Microsoft Research and the Motorola Foundation.

Roxana Moreno is an Educational Psychology Professor at the University of New Mexico. Her research interests are in applying cognitive-affective theories of learning to derive principles of instructional design for a diversity of learners. Her investigations involve undergraduate students as well as K-12 students who are culturally and linguistically diverse. Dr Moreno's most recent projects include an engineering education grant aimed at applying empirically based technology tools to foster problem solving and cognitive flexibility in pre-college students and the 'Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice in Teacher Education: Guided Interactive Virtual Environments for Case-Based Learning' grant, for which she received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering. Other awards and honors include the American Psychological Association Richard E. Snow Award, being a Fulbright Senior Specialist in the areas of education and instructional media design, and an appointment as a veteran social scientist for the Department of Education.

Roland Brünken is Full Professor in Education and Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Empirical Human Sciences at Saarland University, Germany. He is also Speaker of the special interest group Educational Psychology of the German Psychological Association (DGPs). His main research interests are concerned with using new technology for education, direct measurement of cognitive load by behavioral measures, and applying cognitive psychology to the instructional design of multimedia learning environments.