## Key Ideas > [!abstract] Core Concepts > > - **Temporary information burdens working memory**: Information that disappears quickly must be held in working memory, creating extraneous cognitive load > - **Permanent reference materials needed**: Information should be written down rather than presented only verbally or temporarily > - **Slideshows create transience problems**: Information disappears when slides advance, forcing students to remember whilst learning new content ## Definition **Transient Information Effect**: Increased cognitive load when information presented to learners is temporary and quickly disappears, requiring working memory to hold information that should be externally available (Leahy & Sweller, 2011). ## Connected To [[Cognitive Load Theory]] | [[Split-Attention Effect]] | [[Modality Effect]] | [[Use Booklets]] | [[Fluency]] --- The transient information effect occurs when information presented to learners is temporary and quickly disappears (Leahy & Sweller, 2011). This temporary information must be held in working memory, creating extraneous [[Cognitive Load Theory|cognitive load]] (Cowan, 2001). When learners cannot retain transient information long enough to process it, they understand and integrate new knowledge less effectively (Leahy & Sweller, 2011). Slideshow presentations create transient information problems because information disappears when slides advance (Leahy & Sweller, 2011; Sweller, van Merriënboer, & Paas, 2019). ## Slideshows and transient information Slideshows allow teachers to direct student attention and control pacing, but they create transient information problems. Information presented on earlier slides disappears when new slides appear, forcing students to remember whilst simultaneously learning. > [!example] Slideshows > ![[TransientInformation.png|500]] > > The full stop and comma are introduced in early slides, but in the fourth 'you try' slide, all reference to full stops and commas has disappeared. Students must hold the definitions in working memory whilst applying this knowledge to the 'you try' question. This imposes cognitive load for students who are not yet [[Fluency|fluent]] in using full stops or commas. > > ![[TransientInformation2.png|500]] ## Reducing transient information Three strategies reduce the transient information effect (Leahy & Sweller, 2011; Sweller et al., 2019). First, provide permanent reference materials. Information should be written down or recorded by students, not just spoken with verbal emphasis, because verbal emphasis does not create permanent access (Leahy & Sweller, 2011). Second, avoid using slides to teach new concepts. Information displayed on previous slides disappears when replaced by new slides, forcing students to remember whilst simultaneously learning (Leahy & Sweller, 2011). Third, use [[Use Booklets|booklets]] where key information remains accessible throughout the lesson. External storage frees working memory for processing rather than remembering (Sweller et al., 2019). ## Implications for teaching When information matters for learning, ensure it remains accessible. Written materials provide more reliable access than spoken instructions. Before using slides for new concepts, consider whether information will remain available when students need it. Booklets provide better support when information needs to persist. Design materials that store information externally so working memory can process rather than remember. Working memory's limited capacity should not hold information that could be externally available. ## References Cowan, N. (2001). The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity. *Behavioral and Brain Sciences*, 24(1), 87-114. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922 Leahy, W., & Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory, modality of presentation and the transient information effect. *Applied Cognitive Psychology*, 25(6), 943-951. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1787 Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. *Educational Psychology Review*, 31(2), 261-292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5