In neuroscience, there are three fundamental assumptions about how the human mind works:

• Dual Channel Assumption: Humans possess separate information processing channels for verbal/auditory and visual/pictorial material.
• Limited Capacity Assumption: There is only a limited amount of processing capacity available in the verbal and visual channels.
• Active Processing Assumption: Learning requires substantial cognitive processing in the verbal and visual channels.

These assumptions describe the way that humans take in multimedia information, how much information they can take in at once and what inputs must be present for learning actually to occur. The way that this information is processed is also threefold:

• Essential Processing occurs when a person is making sense of presented information and includes the actions of selecting, organizing and integrating words and images.
• Incidental Processing occurs when a person is processing information that is not essential for making sense of the presented information, like background music.
• Representational Processing occurs when a person is holding verbal or visual representations in his or her working memory to make sense of presented information.

Cognitive overload occurs when the processing demands required in a learning task are greater than the processing capabilities of the individual’s cognitive system. When cognitive overload occurs, learning is likely to be negatively impacted. Learning systems like online sales training programs must be designed in ways that avoid inadvertent cognitive overload.

Avoiding Cognitive Overload in Online Sales Training Design

Fortunately, neuroscience provides answers about how to avoid cognitive overload through learning program design, and technology makes it possible to do it more effectively than ever before.

Avoid cognitive overload by limiting the number of essential processing demands on the user. Designing bite-sized learning modules helps ensure better transfer and retention of knowledge, because the users are not overwhelmed with content and can take breaks between lessons, giving them time to absorb one lesson before moving on to the next.

Creating a user-friendly experience helps avoid cognitive overload by eliminating non-essential inputs that require incidental processing. Providing clear cues for how to process the information and use the online sales training platform reduces stress and allows learners to focus on the important content.

Synchronizing content by presenting narration concurrently with video minimizes the need to rely on representational processing of essential information. This experience is known as the temporal continuity effect, and studies have shown that knowledge is transferred better when narration and animation are presented simultaneously. Video-based sales coaching tips effectively communicate the right way to sell in a format that is optimized for effective learning.

In addition to these content design and delivery optimizations, online sales training solutions integrate social elements that mimic practices known to enhance the classroom learning experience. Sales professionals can learn from their peers on discussion boards, and gamification helps them apply their knowledge in fun gaming scenarios where leaderboards encourage them to keep learning to challenge their peers. Finally, these platforms adapt to the learners. Daily learning goals adjust to help sellers stay on task and complete learning modules in a manageable time frame.

There is a science to the way that humans learn. Using technology to enhance the learning experience is the next generation of sales training program design.

Mark Bashrum is the senior vice president of marketing at Richardson Sales Training.