Research School Network: Lightening the Load The role of cognitive offloading in reducing working memory demands

Our working memory capacity is finite, which means that we can only hold and process a limited amount of information at once, and we can only hold on to that information for a short period of time. As a result, we need to find strategies to cope.

One such strategy is cognitive offloading. This is ​‘the use of physical action to alter the information processing requirements of a task so as to reduce cognitive demand.‘¹

You use cognitive offloading as a strategy when you write a shopping list, count on your fingers, or set a reminder in your calendar.

Out of the head and into the world

One of the ways cognitive offloading is commonly used is by making external representations of internal ones. Writing down your shopping list is an example. Sketching out a map instead of memorising directions is another.

Let’s consider some examples from a pupil in the maths classroom. They use a number line for placeholding. They use a calculator to keep a running total. They use manipulatives to represent multiplication. They use tally marks to keep count. They count on their fingers.

In all of these cases, they are ​‘offloading’ some of the cognitive demands on to an external representation. They are bringing things out of their heads and into the world.

Intention offloading

Another way we use cognitive offloading is with ​‘prospective memory’. This is when we remember delayed intentions. Most commonly, this is when we set an alarm or a reminder. We need to set up a prompt or cue where one might not otherwise exist, such as leaving items at the bottom of the stairs to remember to take them up when you next go upstairs.

Supporting pupils

Our pupils need to know when and how to ​‘offload’, and this is not always easy, particularly for those who have working memory challenges. They may not necessarily know when is an appropriate time to offload some of the working memory demands.

And even if they can identify that they are struggling with the working memory demands of a task, they may not have the strategies to ​‘lighten the load’, so teachers need to teach them a range of strategies. As well as this, they need to model their use, including when it is appropriate to use the particular approach. It might feel straightforward to say that a pupil struggling with reading comprehension to make annotations or notes, but these can bring their own complexity if the strategies have not been taught.

Another challenge is that we have to lighten the right loads. A knowledge organiser containing quotations could be really helpful when teaching pupils to write effective analytical paragraphs in English, when we want the cognitive capacity to be directed into the mechanics of the paragraph. but it would need to be taken away if we want the pupils to retrieve the knowledge from long-term memory.

If you would like to learn more about working memory, why not read our guide to the research and practical implications.

You can join us on Wednesday 15 November for the first in our series of webinars on Working Memory and Writing. click the link below.

¹Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive Offloading. Trends in cognitive sciences, 20(9), 676 – 688. 

Mark Miller is Director of Bradford Research School