HOW THE MEMORY WORKS DURING LEARNING

1. 1) Memory is constructed and stored by patterning

1.1. - the brain turns data from the senses into learned information in the hippocampus.

1.2. - this encoding process requires an activation or prior knowledge with a similar “pattern” to physically link with the new input if a short-term memory is to be constructed.

1.3. - the most successful construction of working (short-term) memory takes place when there has been activation of the brain’s related prior knowledge before new information is taught.

1.4. - the probability of encoding will increase is when teachers work to clearly something exist between new and old learning.

1.5. - teachers can help students increase working memory efficiency through a variety of interventions correlated with neuroimaging responses.

2. 2) Memory is sustained by use

2.1. - once and encoded short-term memory is constructed it still needs to be activated multiple times and ideally in response to a variety of prompts for neuroplasticity to increase its durability

2.2. - the more times they repeat an action, the more dendrites grow and interconnect, resulting in greater memory storage and recall efficiency.

2.3. - retention is further promoted when new memories are connected to other stored memories based on commonalities, such as similarities/differences, especially when students use graphic organizers and derive their own connections.

2.4. - multisensory instruction, practice, and review promote memory storage in multiple regions of the cortex, based on the type of sensory input by which they were learned and practiced.