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CHAPTER 6

Memory: Maximizing RecallFor Test Success

Keys to Effective Learning, 6e

Carol Carter, Joyce Bishop, and Sarah Lyman Kravits

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Habit for success: Put your senses to

work“Intelligent people know that

all information gets into the brain through the sensory pathways…Those whose sensory pathways are more open and alert absorb more information from the environment.”

Art CostaKeys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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How does memory work?

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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Memory is the foundation for test success.

If you can remember something, you can

answer questions about it and use it.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Your brain processes and stores information in

three stages:

1. Information goes into sensory registers (a few seconds)

2. Some information goes into short-term memory (about 30 seconds)

3. With effort, you keep the most important information in long-term memory (your brain’s more permanent storehouse)

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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Long-term memory stores three types of information

• Procedural memory – how to do things like ride a bike or drive

• Declarative memory – memories of facts, ideas, formulas

• Episodic memory – memories of events linked to personal experiences

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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With all this brain hardware, why is it so easy to forget?

It takes focused, regular review to keep information in your long-term storage

memory bank.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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How can you improve your

memory?

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Active strategies anchor information

in long-term memory.• Find an emotional connection• Understand the meaning• Think critically• Recite aloud, rehearse in your head,

write it down• Use flash cards, MP3 players, podcasts• Study in short, frequent sessions

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizing items can help. Some ways to organize what

you need to remember:

• Separate main points from unimportant details, and focus on the important stuff.

• “Chunk” material – divide it into smaller sections that are more manageable.

• Use organizational tools (outlines, think links) to map out the logical connections among items.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key strategy: Use what you have learned, and you will

remember it better.

• Apply it to new situations• Teach it to a friend• Give yourself a flash card quiz• Do problems that require it

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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How can mnemonics

boost recall?

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mnemonics use visual pictures to connect new information to what you

already know.

They help you create a “hook” on which to hang

what you want to remember.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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The “mental walk” strategy stores ideas in familiar locations.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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Use the DAP method to remember vocabulary.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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An acronym is a word or phrase formed from the first letters of a

series of words.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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Why do you need a good memory when you have the

Internet?

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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Your potential as a thinker depends on having a

reservoir of facts in your memory – not just on your

Internet pages.

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06

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“The more mental gymnastics you do, the more agile and the quicker your brain becomes.”

Nathan Tublitz

Keys to Effective Learning 6e,Ch06