Cognitive Load Scale (Leppink et al.)
EducationReliability: alpha 0.80–0.92 across three facets3 sample items
About this scale
A 10-item measure of three types of cognitive load posited by Cognitive Load Theory: intrinsic (inherent task complexity), extraneous (poor instructional design), and germane (effort that contributes to schema construction).
Sample item(s)
“The topic covered in the activity was very complex. (intrinsic)”
“The instructions and explanations during the activity were very unclear. (extraneous)”
“The activity really enhanced my understanding of the topic. (germane)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.80–0.92 across three facets. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Leppink, J., Paas, F., Van der Vleuten, C. P. M., Van Gog, T., & Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2013): Development of an instrument for measuring different types of cognitive load. Behavior Research Methods, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 1058–1072.
Leppink et al. (2013): Cognitive load instrument. BRM, 45(4), 1058–1072.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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