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The reason for studying is usually to help students practice a skill or become familiar with a concept in order for them to be able to recall and apply it later on. Memory is important to recall, so how do we help students make their learning stick so that they can recall it later? I've compiled a list of some of the tips I found interesting shared by Anne Hoover on LD Online(n.d.) and explored each tip a little more to find out what science says about it. These tips can be used to support all students, not just learners with exceptionalities.
Hoover says that learners should make drawings, timelines, or visual aids to aid in memory and pay attention to visuals in books and charts. Researchers have linked drawing of information to double the increased recall! (Terada, 2019) For myself and many other learners, even the action of writing out notes that may never be used or read again is helpful in retaining information. According to one study, that's because drawing activates large networks of the brain. (Microsoft reporter, 2016) Next time students are studying, encourage them to add hand-drawn pictures and words to notes!
Adding movements such as pacing, writing, or throwing enhances memory for learners who need to learn kinesthetically, says Hoover. (n.d.) This is one I have heard before. The Jolly Phonics method utilizes movement to teach the brain to remember phonemes. When this strategy is applied to learning language or vocabulary, it's called Total Physical Response (TPR). (Asher, 1969) Hoover also mentions activities like jumping or throwing a ball to increase memory perhaps eluding to exercise. A paper entitled "Using actions to enhance memory: effects of enactment, gestures, and exercise on human memory" by Madan and Singhal discussed multiple studies showing that people who exercise regularly have better recall and are at lower risk of Alzheimer's. (2012) How can we use movement for studying? Students can use movement, either through exercise or applying gestures to vocabulary words to increase their chances of remembering them.
Students are encouraged to learn something "visually, verbally, and kinesthetically," says Hoover, and that sometimes students need to combine sense. (n.d.) This aligns with the work of Edgar Dale who theorized that students learn through different senses noting that "verbalizing" and "doing" or verbal and experiential learning have the best learning outcome. (Anderson, n.d.) See the diagram below representing Dale's work. In sum, students should try studying with resources from a variety of modalities and express their ideas about their learning in a variety of modalities to increase their chances of remembering.
"Information stays in memory longer if it is related to something novel or interesting," says Hoover. This is further confirmed through a study that revealed: "humor systematically activates the brain's dopamine reward system, and cognitive studies show that dopamine is important for both goal-oriented motivation and long-term memory." (Goal & Dolan in Henderson, 2015) How should students use this information to study? Link their learning to something humorous! Create memes using new information!
References:
Andersen, H.M. Dale's cone of experience. https://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/active/documents/Dales_Cone_of_Experience_summary.pdf
Asher, J. (1969). The Total Physical Response Approach to Second Language Learning. The Modern Language Journal, 53(1), 3-17. doi:10.2307/322091
Henderson, S. (2015, March 31). Laughter and Learning: Humor Boosts Retention. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/laughter-learning-humor-boosts-retention-sarah-henderson.
Hoover, A. Memory Tips for Students. Memory Tips for Students | LD Topics | LD OnLine. http://www.ldonline.org/article/5894/.
Microsoft Reporter. (2016, July 8). The pen is mightier than the keyboard. Microsoft News Centre Europe. https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/new-research-underlines-the-power-of-the-pen-in-learning/.
Madan, C. R., & Singhal, A. (2012). Using actions to enhance memory: effects of enactment, gestures, and exercise on human memory. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 507. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00507
Terada, Y. (2019, March 14). The Science of Drawing and Memory. https://www.edutopia.org/article/science-drawing-and-memory.
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