7 KEY PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING AND REMEMBERING
By
Ron Boatright, Ph.D.
All
learning is based on memory. There are 7 key principles of
learning and remembering.
Key points associated with each of these are summarized below.
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1. Motivation
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All
learning begins with motivation. |
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Motivation
is based on "interest" in the subject
matter, natural or induced. |
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The
primary motivators are pain and pleasure. |
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There
must be an "intention to remember." |
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Ego
involvement promotes interest, attention, and intention
to remember. |
2.
Understanding
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It
is difficult to remember something which the person
does not understand. |
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Seek
to "make sense" of the information to
be remembered. |
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Relate
information to existing knowledge -- to your own
experiences. |
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Try
to get the "big picture," understand how
the parts relate to the whole. |
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Seek
to understand the basic concept or principle. |
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Paraphrase
in own words. |
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Identify
examples and illustrations of the concept or principle
to be remembered. |
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Build
a background, a knowledge structure, a schema of
the information to be remembered. You cannot understand
anything that stands alone; an isolated thing or
fact has no meaning. |
3.
Condense
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It
is easier to remember less information; condense
the information to be learned and remembered. |
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A
person generally remembers less than 10% of the
information read or studied. |
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Over
90% of language is "filler." |
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Identify
key words. These are usually nouns and verbs. |
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Underline,
hi-lite, use check and star. |
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Outline,
summarize, abbreviate. |
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Simplify
and remember the "gist" of the information.
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Use
acronyms. |
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Break
information into memorable "chunks." |
4.
Organization
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A
good memory is like a well-organized and well-maintained
filing system. |
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Build
a background, a knowledge structure, a schema of
the information to be remembered. |
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You
cannot remember (or understand) anything that stands
alone; an item to be remembered should be associated
(linked) with other similar information already
filed. |
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Apply
logic and order. |
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Relate
the part to the whole. |
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Categorize,
classify, sort, outline. |
5.
Association
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Association
i.e. the basis for all memory. |
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Aristotle's
laws of association: spatial contiguity, temporal
contiguity, similarity, and contrast (opposite).
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Other
types of association: order contiguity, numerical
contiguity, context contiguity, complementary, substitute,
homonyms, synonyms, cause and effect, part and whole,
particular and general. |
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To
remember an item or fact, it must be linked (associated)
with something you already know. |
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All
mnemonic systems (loci, rhyme, consonant keyword
image, etc.) used by memory "experts"
are based on association and visualization. |
6.
Visualization
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Five
senses are utilized in various memories. |
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Over
85% of all semantic memory (meaning) is acquired
via the visual sense. |
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1
picture is worth a 1,000 words. |
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Using
your imagination, create a mental picture or image
of the information to be remembered.
use ACE: create a vivid image that incorporates
Action, Color, and Exaggeration. |
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All
memory "experts" use mental images in
the various mnemonic systems (loci, rhyme, consonant
keywords, etc.) |
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Use
of more than one sense increase memory. |
7.
Repetition
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Understanding
is not the same as remembering. |
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Ordinary
information, without special significance or meaning,
cannot be remembered very long without attention
and effort. |
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Information
must be reviewed one or more times to "fix"
it in long-term memory. |
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Research
indicates that spaced review is most effective.
The reviews should be at roughly the following intervals:
10 minutes, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and periodically
thereafter as needed. |
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Oral
review utilizes oral and auditory senses. |
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Written
review utilizes visual, auditory (sub-vocalization)
and motor senses. |
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