C

Cognitive Load: The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA): A systematic method used to break down the cognitive processes required to perform a task to identify key steps and decisions needed for instructional design.

Competency-Based Learning: An approach that focuses on learners acquiring specific skills or competencies, often through personalized learning paths.

Content Curation: The process of gathering, organizing, and presenting content relevant to a particular subject or learner’s needs.

Contextual Inquiry: A research method in which learning engineers observe and interact with learners in their natural educational environments to understand the context in which learning occurs.

Control Theory: The study of how to manipulate variables within a system (such as a learning environment) to achieve a desired output or behavior, often using feedback loops.