Memory and LearningMemory and Learning

By Brian Southerland

Importance of Knowledge in

Learning

• Domain-specific knowledge – Information pertaining to a particular task or subject.

• Ex – knowing football plays

• General knowledge - Information that applies to many different situations.

• Ex – knowing how to read or write

Information Processing

• Sensory Memory – system that holds sensory information for a brief time period

•Working Memory – information focused on for a given moment

•Long-Term Memory – knowledge that is stored permanently

Sensory Memory

• Capacity is very large and can take in more information than we can handle (Woolfolk, 2007 p.250)

• Perception is assigning meaning on both physical representations from the world and our existing kn

Working Memory

• Three parts - Central Executive – monitoring and

directing attention - Phonological Loop – rehearsal of words

and sounds for short-term memory- Visuospatial sketchpad - holding system for visual and spatial

information

Long-Term Memory

• Declarative knowledge – knowledge that can be declared

• Procedural knowledge – knowing how to do something

• Conditional knowledge – applying your declarative and procedural knowledge by knowing when and why

Remembering Information

• Mnemonics – strategies build meaning by connecting what is to be learned with words or images

• Loci Method – associating items with specific places

• Acronym – remembering names, phrases or steps by using the first letter of each word to form new memorable words.

• Rote Memorization – remembering by repetition

Forgetting Information

• Decay – weakening and fading of memories with the passage of time

• Interference – process that occurs when remembering certain information is hampered by the presence of other information

Woolfolk, 2007 p.257, 265

Teaching Strategies

• Teach students to:- Read and review- Focus on key information- link new information with previous knowledge

• Use visual aids and model memorystrategies

References

Woolfolk, Anita (2007) Educational Psychology: Tenth Edition. Boston: Pearson