Interacting elements are defined as elements that must be processed simultaneously in working memory because they are logically related.
An element is anything that needs to be learned or processed, or has been learned or processed. Elements are characteristically schemas. Most schemas consist of sub-schemas or sub-elements.
Prior to a schema being acquired, those sub-elements must be treated as individual elements in working memory.
After they have been incorporated into a schema, that schema can be treated as a single element in working memory.
Thus, learning reduces working memory load by converting multiple lower-level schemas into a smaller number of higher-level schemas or even a single higher-level schema that can be treated as a single entity.
With respect to intrinsic cognitive load, some material can be learned one element at a time and so is low in element interactivity and low in intrinsic cognitive load. Such material requires few working memory resources. Other material has elements that cannot be learned in isolation. The elements interact and so they must be processed simultaneously rather than as single, unrelated elements because they cannot be understood as single elements. Such material is high in element interactivity and high in intrinsic cognitive load. High element interactivity material requires more working memory resources than material that is low in element interactivity until the interacting elements have been incorporated into a schema after learning.
A full understanding of high element interactivity material cannot occur without simultaneously processing all of the elements that constitute the task.