John Sweller

John Sweller is an Australian educational psychologist who is best known for formulating an influential theory of cognitive load.

He has a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide's Department of Psychology — his thesis was titled "Effects of initial discrimination training on subsequent shift learning in animals and humans" — and also has a B.A. (Hons.) from the same institution.

He has authored over 80 academic publications, mainly reporting research on cognitive factors in instructional design, with specific emphasis on the instructional implications of working memory limitations (e.g., Sweller, Merrienboer & Pass, 1998) and their consequences for instructional procedures.

Sweller is a Fellow of the ASSA (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia), and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales.