Español Português
"THE EVOLVING BRAIN", The known and Unknown, R. Grant Steen, 2007, pages 135 - 136
Can We Improve Our Ability To Learn? (3)
It Is Better to Understand New Material Than Simply to Memorize It By Rote
It Is Better to Understand New Material Than Simply to Memorize It By Rote
Information is consolidated from short-term memory into long-term memory by rehearsal. Rehearsal can take form of reading over class notes (try reading them aloud) or it can take form of describing significant concepts in new words. The traditional hour-long lecture may effectively fill up working memory so that if no effort is made to consolidate material into long-term memory quickly it may all be forgotten. It is more difficult to hold material in short-term memory, so material that is not moved into long-term memory is more likely to be lost.
A good teacher can help students by refraining from pointless digressions, such digressions maybe interesting but they also fill up short-term memory with unrelated facts. Information loss seems to occur when new data actually interferes with data that is already in working memory.
It is better to understand new material than simply to memorize it by rote. If new material is well understood, then a few forgotten details can be derived from the context of what has been remembered. In contrast, if rote-memorized material is forgotten, it's gone.
The brain strives to make connections and to make sense of new information. This is why it can be helpful to fit new concepts into the context of previously well-learned concepts. If you already have a related memory, typing new material to that memory will strengthen the old memory and help to consolidate the new material. This may amount to filling in mortar around existing bricks rather than laying an entirely new row of bricks.
A wise teacher will also help students by pointing out some of the interesting associations. This can be done by asking questions or by presenting material in way those foster connections. A new student of biology, for instance will probably spend some time defining the properties of living organism. This can be a fairly dry exercise unless the teacher asks questions to make the material more relevant. One way to make the properties of a living organism more compelling is to ask students to consider whether a virus alive. Does a virus satisfy the properties of a living organism or are there features that we would all agree define life that are lacking in a virus?
A good teacher can help students by refraining from pointless digressions, such digressions maybe interesting but they also fill up short-term memory with unrelated facts. Information loss seems to occur when new data actually interferes with data that is already in working memory.
It is better to understand new material than simply to memorize it by rote. If new material is well understood, then a few forgotten details can be derived from the context of what has been remembered. In contrast, if rote-memorized material is forgotten, it's gone.
The brain strives to make connections and to make sense of new information. This is why it can be helpful to fit new concepts into the context of previously well-learned concepts. If you already have a related memory, typing new material to that memory will strengthen the old memory and help to consolidate the new material. This may amount to filling in mortar around existing bricks rather than laying an entirely new row of bricks.
A wise teacher will also help students by pointing out some of the interesting associations. This can be done by asking questions or by presenting material in way those foster connections. A new student of biology, for instance will probably spend some time defining the properties of living organism. This can be a fairly dry exercise unless the teacher asks questions to make the material more relevant. One way to make the properties of a living organism more compelling is to ask students to consider whether a virus alive. Does a virus satisfy the properties of a living organism or are there features that we would all agree define life that are lacking in a virus?"THE EVOLVING BRAIN", The known and Unknown, R. Grant Steen, 2007, pages 135 - 136
No comments:
Post a Comment