examining the effectiveness of instructional multimedia based on reducing the extraneous cognitive load in english language learning among nursing students

background: considering the assumptions of cognitive load theory and using its reduction and optimization strategies in the design and development of instructional content is one of the main requirements for achieving effective learning. this study examined the effectiveness of instructional multimedia based on reducing the extraneous cognitive load in english language learning among nursing students. methods: in this study, pretest-posttest design with control group was used. the population included all the undergraduate students of nursing at alborz university of medical sciences in the academic year 2015-2016. of these, 36 students were selected through a convenience sampling procedure and were randomly assigned to either of two groups in the study: control (n=17) and experimental (n=19). the instruments included instructional multimedia lessons and english grammar tests (pretest and posttest). for data analyses, an analysis of covariance (ancova) was applied. results: the results showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the posttest. this indicated that the instructional multimedia designed based on the reduction of extraneous cognitive load enhanced the learning rate of experimental group when compared to that of the control group. conclusions: using instructional multimedia based on the reduction of extraneous cognitive load helps improve learning by lowering the extraneous cognitive load learners experience during the process of learning.