PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF COGNITIVE LOAD IN ENGINEERING DESIGN TASKS

Abstract

Cognitive load is an important factor in impacting performance when dealing with complex problem-solving tasks, especially in engineering design contexts that require sustained mental effort and limited decision-making space. Although theoretically relevant, empirical research has been limited in its measurement of cognitive load in a domain-specific design context. This study evaluated a measurement scale of cognitive load designed for engineering design tasks from a psychometric perspective. One hundred twenty undergraduate engineering students performed, in order, three design scenarios of increasing complexity, and completed a modified cognitive load questionnaire derived from Cognitive Load Theory. The reliability analysis indicated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .87); exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure that distinguished between intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Moderately significant correlations between task performance and perceived task complexity established some construct validity. The findings from this study confirm that this adapted instrument is effective in capturing cognitive load within a domain-specific context such as engineering. The results also indicate that there is a need for task-specific cognitive load instruments to help inform instructional design and the development of curricular material in engineering contexts. This study provides a reasonable scope for measuring mental effort and identifying the cognitive load required to engage in a specific problem-solving task in undergraduate engineering education, thereby contributing to both educational psychology and design pedagogy. Moreover, this study provides a psychometric basis for developing a framework to measure mental effort and cognitive load, which can be scaled up depending on the size and complexity of the learning context.