Cognitive load
The theory was developed in the late 1980s out of a study of problem solving by John Sweller. Refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in a person’s working memory. To put it simply, it is the amount of thought you need to exercise in order to complete a specific task. Cognitive load theory differentiates cognitive load into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane.

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Amount of thought you need to exercise in order to complete a specific task
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(a) Intrinsic cognitive load
Intrinsic cognitive load represents the difficulty associated with a 			 specific instructional topic. It’s the main reason micro-copy and copy play a huge role in a good user experience. Consider the amount of new information and how it all interacts. Intrinsic cognitive load is an essential part of the learning task over which we don’t have control.
"Difficulty associated with a specific instructional topic"

(b) Extraneous cognitive load
Extraneous cognitive load is the type of load created by the way information is presented to the person. The cognitive load is the result of irrelevant or unimportant pieces of information that are given to the person. For example, in online articles, you find multiple advertisements and pictures that serve no actual purpose and are included merely to make the item more attractive. These are the inessential pieces of information that interfere with the learning process and cause an extraneous load.
"Result of irrelevant or unimportant pieces of information that are given to the person"

(c) Germane cognitive load
Germane cognitive load was first described by Sweller, van Merrienboer and Paas in 1998. Germane cognitive load is that load devoted to the processing, construction and automation of schemas.  Therefore, germane load refers to the work that is put into constructing a long-lasting store of knowledge or schema. This significantly accelerates the learning process. A typical example would be creating flowcharts in presentations to explain complex concepts. The systematic organization of information makes it easier to learn and remember.
"Load devoted to the processing, construction and automation of schemas"

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