Category: Recommendation
It might surprise you to learn that the average student forgets half of what has been taught within one week. Such statistics explain why students need to learn and practise good memory strategies for better academic performance. It is important to know about the memory techniques and using brain-friendly approaches can go a long way in helping learners to remember material in the long run.
In this blog post, there are eight techniques of improving memory retention supported by research that both teachers and learners can follow. These are learning strategies that are meant to enhance or increase learning and its effects, from active learning to the management of stress. The approaches described in this blog—active approach, Well timed repetition, multisensory learning, mnemonic techniques, retrieval practice, peer teaching, mindfulness and stress reduction, and organisational learning environment—will be based on scholarship and tested in practice. These methods are effective tools that help to increase the rates of memory retention which in turn enhances learning effectiveness and fun.
Definition: The process of active learning engages the students to be an active participant rather than just a passive receiver of information, which enhances their knowledge retention and understanding of difficult concepts. This is not a passive approach and requires the students to question, solve and even perform some physical tasks.
Examples:
Benefits: Educational studies prove that the application of active learning approaches enhances the students’ participation and, therefore, the rate of knowledge retention. For instance, in a Science study, it was noted that students who participated in active classes did much better as compared to the learners who were subjected to lectures from their tutors. All of these procedures can enhance the rates of learning outcomes and add variety to the learning process.
Definition: Well timed repetition is a powerful way of getting information back into long-term memory and overcoming the forgetting curve when information is reviewed at increasing intervals of time.
Implementation:
Scientific Basis: The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve demonstrates that memory retention declines rapidly without reinforcement. However, Well timed repetition combats this by reinforcing memory at optimal intervals. Studies have shown that students who use Well timed repetition techniques perform better in exams and retain information longer.
Definition: Learning through one's senses is common since using many senses during the learning process forms long-term memory connections and makes the received information memorable.
Applications:
Advantages: The use of more than one mode of learning helps the brain to develop multiple connections to the same piece of information thus enhancing its ability to remember such information. From research, it is evident that strategies through which more senses are involved yield better results in terms of understanding and retention since students will hardly forget concepts that have twice walked through senses within their context.
Definition: Mnemonic devices are pedagogical aids designed in such a way that the information to be taught and learned is associated with aids of some sort making it easier to memorise.
Types:
Examples: Some of the examples used may include PEMDAS to help remember the order of operations in doing mathematics; rhyme used to remember dates in history has also been known to be effective. Such techniques work with how the brain works, specifically its pattern recognition capability hence enabling students to memorise information better.
Definition: Reactivation practice comprises explicitly recalling information from the memory and hence strengthening and stabilising the content hence enhancing its storage for long-term retrieval.
Strategies:
Evidence: Research evidence compiled from cognitive psychology proves that retrieval practice improves memory retention. This technique enhances the connectivity in the brain thus enhancing the performance in academics since information is easily retrievable the next time it is required.
Definition: Teaching others involves explaining concepts to peers or others, reinforcing the teacher’s understanding and memory by organising and clarifying information.
Methods:
Impact: Teaching challenges the learners to transmit information in a better way hence enhancing knowledge retention and understanding. It is found that when students themselves are involved in teaching others, they also grasp more material and have improved comprehension as well.
Definition: Time management and stress reduction strategies enable the learners to concentrate and minimise stress because they affect learning and thinking processes.
Techniques:
Benefits: Mental stress if well managed by mindfulness leads to enhanced cognition hence memory. Research has revealed that students who incorporate Mindfulness into their learning process have better concentration, lesser anxiety and better grades.
Definition: A positive learning environment supports and enhances student learning by providing a supportive, well-organised setting that fosters engagement and concentration.
Components:
Impact: A positive learning environment reduces anxiety, increases engagement, and supports better concentration and memory retention. Research indicates that students in supportive environments perform better academically and retain information longer.
Using an active learning approach, timed repetitions, multiple intelligences, mnemonics, testing, instruction of others, meditation, and a positive learning environment will enhance learners’ memory and performance on academic tasks. Teachers, it is about time that you incorporate these methods in your practice in the classroom setting. All the above techniques should be practised by students during their study routines, and one will surely notice the difference in the retention of information in their memory.
For more educational insights and to discover the best schools that foster innovative learning approaches, visit Skoodos. Empower your educational journey with the right tools and resources!
Ques: What is brain-based learning, and how does it improve memory?
Ans: Brain-based learning refers to teaching methods that are in accord with the natural way the brain learns. Backed by strategies like active learning, Well timed repetition, and engagement in multiple senses, the learning experience is enhanced.
Ques: How does Well timed repetition help students remember better?
Ans: In Well timed repetition, information is reviewed at increasingly Piaget-longer time intervals. The technique reinforces learning and makes what has been studied less likely to be forgotten by strengthening memory.
Ques: Why would active learning be more conducive to memory retention compared to passive learning?
Ans: Active learning directly involves students in their learning processes, leading them to critically think and apply concepts. Therefore, it increases understanding and retention, quite unlike passive ways of learning, through lectures.
Ques: How do mnemonic devices work to improve memory?
Ans: Mnemonic devices use associations, patterns, or cues to simplify complex information, making it easier to recall. They work by tapping into the brain's natural strength in recognizing patterns to enhance recall.
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