John Sweller

John Sweller is an educational psychologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales. He is best known for formulating cognitive load theory, which uses our knowledge of evolutionary psychology and human cognitive architecture as a base for instructional design. The theory is one of the most highly-cited educational psychology theories. It is a contributor to both research and debate on issues associated with human cognition, its links to evolution by natural selection, and the instructional consequences that follow. Based on hundreds of randomized, controlled studies carried out by many investigators from around the globe, the theory has generated a large range of novel instructional procedures. John has authored over 200 academic publications and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.