Memory Retention

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Memory Retention Learning

• The study of memory might effect pedagogy by
  suggesting methods of teaching based upon how the
  brain stores knowledge.

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Memory - Retention

• Memory allows individuals to draw on experiences
  and use the power of prediction to decide how
  they will respond to future events.
• Learning is the process by which we acquire new
  skills
• Memory is the process by which we retain the
  knowledge and skills for the future.

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Memory - Retention

• Muscles improve with exercise
• In like manner the brain improves with use.
• The brain goes through physical and chemical
  changes when it stores new information as a
  result of learning.
• New neural pathways
• Strengthening old pathways

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Memory - Retention

• Activating neurons creates networks
• Repetition of a stimulus forms a memory
• Rehearsal and practice improves the tendency for
  an associated group of neurons to fire together.
• Memories are not stored intact they are stored
  in pieces and distributed in sites throughout the
  cerebrum.

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Stages of Memory

• Immediate
• Working
• Long-Term

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Types of Long-Term- Memory

• Non-Declarative
• Procedural how
• Motor Skill
• Emotional
• Flashbulb
• Gist
• Declarative
• Semantic words, facts faces
• Episodic - autobiographical

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Memory - Storage

• Sites selected for storage could be determined by
  the number of associations that the brain makes
  between the new learning and past learnings.
• The more connections that are made, the more
  understanding and meaning the learner can attach
  to the new learning.

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Non-Declarative Memory

• Procedural how to do something doesnt
  require conscious effort
• Cognitive skills are different from cognitive
  concept building the skills are performed
  automatically and rely on procedural memory
  rather than declarative memory.

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Emotional Memory

• Emotions associated with a learning become part
  of the non-declarative memory system.
• These emotions can return and change how students
  feel about what they learned.
• A powerful emotional experience can cause an
  instantaneous and long-lasting memory of an event
  called a flashbulb memory.
• Sometimes an experience is stored as an emotional
  gist or summary I.e. we remembered that we
  liked it but no details

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Declarative Memory

• Conscious or Explicit Memory
• Names
• Facts
• Music
• Objects where you live, what you drive, etc.
• Episodic Memory events in your life
• Semantic Memory knowledge of facts data that
  may not be related to an event.

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Implications for Teaching

• Learning Retention
• Are different
• We can learn something for just a few minutes and
  then lose it forever.
• Retention requires that the learner not only give
  conscious attention but
• Build conceptual frameworks
• Contain sense and meaning
• To be stored in long term memory

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Factors affecting Retention

• Degree of student focus
• Length and type of rehearsal
• Critical attributes identified
• Students learning styles
• Influence of prior learnings

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Rehearsal

• The assignment of sense and meaning to new
  learning can only occur if the learner has
  adequate time to process and reprocess it.
• The continuing reprocessing is called rehearsal.
• Repeat again what you hear, for by often hearing
  and saying the same things, what you have learned
  becomes complete into your memory.
• From the Dialexeis

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Rehearsal

• Time is a critical component of rehearsal
• Initial rehearsal occurs when the information
  first enters working memory.
• Sufficient time must be provided for secondary
  rehearsal to make sense and meaning .
• Rehearsal done at the end of a lesson is called
  closure.

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Rehearsal

• Rote Rehearsal info stored exactly as presented
• Elaborative Rehearsal
• Important to associate new learning with prior
  learnings to detect relationships.
• The learner reprocesses the information several
  times to make connections to previous learning
  and assign meaning.

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Rehearsal

• There is almost no long-term retention of
  cognitive concepts without rehearsal.
• Students use rote rehearsal to memorize a poem
  they use elaborative rehearsal to interpret it.
• Students failing to use elaborative rehearsal
  fail to make associations or discover
  relationships.
• Thus they are unable to generate new ideas,
  concepts or solutions.

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Primacy-Recency Effect

• Prime Time 1
• Down time
• Prime Time 2
• Teach new info when you have students focus.
• Dont let prime time get contaminated with wrong
  information

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Primacy-Recency Effect

• New info should be taught in Prime time 1
• It is important that only correct info be
  presented at this time.
• The new material should be followed with practice
  during down time.

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Primacy-Recency Effect

• Closure should take place during prime time 2.
• This is the second most powerful learning
  position an important opportunity to determine
  sense and meaning.

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Misuse of Prime-time

• States the objective then
• Takes attendance
• Distributes Homework
• Collects homework for today
• Collects excuses
• Reads an announcement
• Tells the class that because they were good they
  can have free time last 5 min. Prime time 2

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Retention varies with length of teaching episode

• As the lesson time increases, the percentage of
  down time increases faster than for the prime
  times.
• More retention occurs when lessons are shorter.
• A block containing 4 twenty minute lessons will
  be much more productive than one long lesson.

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Lecture 5 Reading 10 Audio-Visual
20 Demonstration 30 Discussion Group
50 Practice by Doing 75 Teach others
immediate use of learning 90
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Retention Teaching Method

• Lecture continues to be the most prevalent
  teaching method in secondary and higher education
  despite overwhelming evidence that it produces
  the lowest degree of retention for most learners.
• Why?

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Practice makes Permanent

• Repeated practice causes the brain to assign
  extra neurons to the task.
• The assignment of these neurons is more or less
  of a permanent basis.
• If you dont continue to practice the neurons
  will be reassigned use it or lose it.

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Practice makes Permanent

• Facilitates retention
• Must ensure that students practice correctly from
  the beginning.
• Unlearning and relearning a skill practiced
  incorrectly is difficult and takes more time.
• Thus
• Teachers should avoid assigning independent
  practice before guided practice.

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Practice

• Practice over time increases retention
• Massed practice close together practice times
• Produces fast learning
• Distributive practice
• Sustained practice over time the key to
  retention
• Effective practice begins with massed practice
  and then proceeds to distributed practice later
  for retention.

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Using Rehearsal to Enhance Retention

• Rote Rehearsal Strategies
• Simple Repetition
• Cumulative Repetition
• Do the first few
• Proceed to the next set, etc.

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Using Rehearsal to Enhance Retention

• Elaborative Rehearsal Strategies
• Paraphrasing
• Selecting and Note taking
• Predicting keeps students focused helps them
  apply the new learning
• Questioning students generate questions
• Summarizing attaching sense and meaning