Highly interactive and complex content within e-learning induces high levels of intrinsic load. Self-regulated effort represents one strategy that may help learners overcome such issues within e-learning. Using intrinsic load items representative of content complexity, germane load items representative of learning, and self-regulated effort items representative of effort, this study analysed survey responses from a group of university students (n = 1,471) who participated in e-learning courses in South Korea. The results showed that intrinsic load had a negative relationship with germane load, self-regulated effort had a positive relationship with germane load, and intrinsic load positively moderated the relationship between self-regulated effort and germane load. These results add to what current research states about the ability to overcome the processing of complicated content through higher levels of student effort.