Memory – the science of learning

‘Using your memory, shapes your memory’

Robert Bjork (Gocognitive, 2012)

In recent years, there has been lots of research around the science of learning and how we learn and retain information.

In summary, if we think of the learning process using the following diagram (credit -Oliver Caviglioli), it will help us have a greater awareness of the most effective learning and revisions strategies based upon the available research.

We have a certain amount of attention to pay and this can be limited and can dramatically vary depending on the individual or the environment. In the diagram above, ‘attention’ means we acknowledge new information, and this is then transferred into our working memory.

2. Our working memory is finite, and we can only absorb a limited amount of information at given time. This may be up to 30 seconds.

Example: if you write down a ‘long number’ and try to remember it every 30 second, you’ll be surprised how difficult this is to do!

3. Information is processed into our long-term memory through ‘learning’. This long-term memory is effectively unlimited, and we can retrieve information from here back into our working memory as needed in a given moment.

Example: this might be your phone number or address. We don’t walk around thinking about those two things every second of the day, but it is in our long-term memory ready to be used and retrieved when needed.

4. Information in our long-term memory is interconnected and linked with prior knowledge. Anything that is not connected or not successfully stored well enough in our long-term memory is forgotten and this is completely natural.

5. If student undertake enough retrieval practice, generating the information in our long-term memory, it increases a level of fluency within the subject. Practice makes perfect!

The humans start losing ‘memory of knowledge’ over the time unless the knowledge is consciously reviewed time and time again. It has been established that:

Memory retention is 100% at the time of leaning any particular piece of information (in the moment). However, this drops to 60% after 3 days

A range of factors affect the rate of forgetting including motivation, the meaningful nature of the information, the strategies for revision and psychological factors (sleep for example)

If each day, repetition of learning occurs and students take time to repeat information then the effects of forgetting are decreased. According to research, information should be repeated within the first 24 hours of learning to reduce the rate of memory loss.

At INDIGO Mental Training Club, we assign 5 pieces of homework per week. The homework are short, on our online platform.

We also encourage the students to practice as much as they can, as they have access to the platform 24/7 and they can only improve through being consistent with their practice.

Doing arithmetic calculations mentally is a skill, acquired through correct guidance, repetition and time.

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Memory – the science of learning