Patrik Hultberg

Patrik Hultberg serves as Associate Professor of Economics in the Economics and Business Department and Coordinator of Educational Effectiveness at Kalamazoo College. His work uniquely bridges economic education with cutting-edge research in cognitive science and instructional design, focusing on how working memory limitations affect learning processes.

Professor Hultberg specializes in Instructional Design and Cognitive Load Theory, examining the three types of cognitive load: intrinsic (determined by material complexity), extraneous (related to presentation), and germane (that facilitates schema construction). He advocates for evidence-based teaching strategies including distributed practice, interleaving, retrieval practice, elaboration, and concrete examples to promote durable and transferable learning that persists beyond the classroom environment.

His research places particular emphasis on the challenges of teaching increasingly diverse student populations with varying levels of preparation. Professor Hultberg argues that traditional lecture formats may not adequately address these differences, and recommends teaching approaches that can better accommodate students' varied experiences and knowledge levels. His work provides educators with a theoretical framework grounded in cognitive science to inform practical teaching decisions about both what content to teach and how to present it most effectively.