Instructional design in a fire academy is essential for high academic achievement while students learn the basics of firefighting and hazardous materials. It is critical to explore concerns about balancing the students' cognitive load because of a significant decline in academic achievement. Students pursuing a firefighting career at a community college in the U.S. currently face the problem of low academic achievement. The current study examined the cognitive load of fire academy students in the classroom. A qualitative exploration utilized cognitive load theory as the theoretical framework with a site approach to investigate how the intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads reflected learning experience in gaining and retaining knowledge. Removing or minimizing classroom challenges can provide the academy with an instructional approach supporting higher-quality student performance. This exploratory case study engaged four female students, six male students, and five male instructors from the Midwestern Urban Community College's Fire Academy to communicate their perceptions of learning in the classroom. This qualitative exploration utilized cognitive load theory as the theoretical framework with a single site approach to investigate how the intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads reflected learning experiences in gaining and retaining knowledge. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations provided a pathway to gain insight into the participants' perception of learning in a classroom. This exploration found that having three courses in a 16-week semester was difficult for students without modifying the lecture-based classroom. This study also found there was a lack of student preparedness for classroom learning, making instruction more challenging. Therefore, the main finding challenged Midwestern Urban Community College and the Fire Science fire academy to reverse low academic achievement. Additional findings indicate that lectures leave out additional learning opportunities, including more hands-on learning. The implications of this study assist stakeholders with an awareness of what occurs in the classroom and the urgency of changing the instruction design of the classroom. Based on the results of this study, the fire academy should adopt a blended classroom giving students more time to study and prepare for learning both in theory and practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]