Memory

The cornerstone of all learning rests with memory, and since our goal as educators is to teach new skills and concepts, understanding the basics of memory creation will help you plan lessons that are both engaging and effective.

To provide you with choice, you may watch the following video on how learning and memory work together, and/or you can read the content below.

There are 2 primary types of memory:

• short-term (sensory/working memory; immediate recall; retained for only a few seconds)
• long-term (stored and retrievable for later recall) <-- This is our target when teaching!

When teaching, our target is deep and durable learning, which is anchored in long-term memory.

Why does this impact me?

At Durham College, we use a lesson planning strategy called Jumpstart, which accesses each part of that learning process. Understanding the basics of the science of learning will help you create activities that are engaging and effective.

Memory creation

There are 2 parts of the memory creation process that are integral to teaching and learning:

1. Encoding - translates the new information to a form that can be stored in the memory system. Encoding can be visual (what was seen), auditory (what was heard), semantic (what the context was), and, in some cases, haptic (what was felt through touch). This occurs either through automatic processing (requires little conscious awareness, such as repeated passive exposure to a corporate logo) or effortful processing (requiring attention and purposeful engagement, such as studying for a test). Without encoding, a memory is never created and information is quickly forgotten.
2. Retrieval - is the process of bringing a memory back to mind, or what is commonly referred to as “remembering”. Once accessed, or retrieved, memories are altered and affected by additional information linked to that memory. Repeated retrieval of a memory improves the storage strength of that memory, consequently improving the ease at which the information is accessed in the future. This is how deep and durable learning happens!

Durable learning

Durable learning requires moving information into long-term memory. Long-term memory consists of 2 primary "baskets":

1. Explicit memory - is conscious memory that we actively (purposefully) retrieve, such as outlining the anatomical actions and muscles activated in order to walk. This is what most students work on when studying for an exam.
2. Implicit memory - is memory that is developed from behaviours / actions; it becomes "automatic" in nature, such as performing the actual act of walking.

When teaching hands on skills, the skills begin in the explicit bucket and transfer to implicit memory through repeated practice – ultimately landing in our long-term memory. Practice does, indeed, make perfect!