Do You Know How Memory Works?

        While searching for resource material related to the discussion this week, I discovered an intriguing article by Daniel T. Willingham, Why Do Students Remember Everything That’s on Television and Forget Everything I Say? Students seem to easily remember all the latest dance moves from TikTok or YouTube videos. However, learning how to multiply fractions can prove to be insurmountable. Students can recite the words of their favorite social media influencer, but can not remember a list of spelling words. Willingham’s article gives an insight into memory and how it works for students.

        Memory is the “residue of thought” (Willingham, p.34). According to scholars, the brain manages new data in a certain manner. The two main components of brain processing memory are long-term memory and working memory. Our working memory is considered the “gatekeeper to new learning” (Payne, p.51).  Firth describes our memory as ” desk space of the mind… In short, it is the part of your mind that deals with processing and problem solving”. Harvard University describe memory as “the ongoing process of information retention over time.” Harvard scholars gives great details about how memory works.

The American Psychological Association writes, “Learning and memory are closely related concepts. Learning is the acquisition of skill or knowledge, while memory is the expression of what you’ve acquired.” A major barrier of memory is “forgetting is a natural part of the learning process” (Turner). Educators are consistently trying to circumvent memory loss by students. Instructional designers (IDers) are expected to create learning experiences that successfully train the memory of students. It is vital that IDers learn how the memory system performs. University of Strathclyde posted a blog about understanding memory (Firth, n.d.) to enlighten educators. IDers must understand how memory works to create effective and innovative learning experiences comparable to other attention retainers like TikTok and YouTube. There are many articles that explain various learning theories, see references below.

 

References

American Psychological Association. Learning & memory. Adapted from the    Encyclopedia of Psychology. Retrieved from                  https://www.apa.org/topics/learning-memory

Çeliköz, N., Erisen, Y., & Sahin, M. (2019). Cognitive Learning Theories with Emphasis on Latent Learning, Gestalt and Information Processing Theories. Online Submission, 9(3), 18–33.

Firth, J. Understanding memory, and making it work for your students. Retrieved from 

https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/schoolofeducation/blog/understandingmemoryandmakingitworkforyourstudents/

Harvard University. HOW MEMORY WORKS. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/how-memory-works

Nickerson, R. S.  and Adams, M. J.,  “Long-Term Memory for a Common Object,” Cognitive Psychology 11 (1979): 287–307.

Payne, C. (2021). Cognitive Load Theory revisited. English Teaching Professional, 137, 51–54.

Turner, S. What Every Teacher And Student Needs To Know About Memory. American Psychological Association’s Psych Learning Curve: Where Psychology and Education Connect. Retrieved from http://psychlearningcurve.org/

Willingham, D. T. (2021). Why Do Students Remember Everything That’s on Television and Forget Everything I Say? American Educator, 45(2), 34–38.

https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2021/willingham