Short Article: Application of cognitive load theory in echocardiography training

With the extension of cognitive load theory from classrooms to clinical education and professional medical skills, cardiologists who are involved in echocardiography education need to get familiar with this theory in order to provide better education.  The cognitive load theory is based on the structural and functional model of human memory. It considers the learning process as coding and interrelating of working memory input data to knowledge that is previously stored in the long-term memory, and finally expansion and automation of cognitive schemata stored in the long-term memory.  The cognitive load theory emphasizes the limited capacity of working memory, points to the presence of internal, external and germane load during learning process, and presents some strategies for optimization of the learning process. These strategies include external cognitive load reduction, optimization of internal and germane cognitive load, and consideration of expertise reversal effect. Here, we explained cognitive load theory and aforementioned strategies along with examples from echocardiography education.