Memories are stored as either short term or long term memories. Short term memories are stored as either acoustic or visual short term memories with information only stored for around 30 seconds without some type of rehearsal or refreshing. Long term memory is where we store the important information, it remains in our subconscious until we need it to be moved into our working memory or our short term memory. Memories are brought from our subconscious through a probe or cue and can be many different things…a smell, sight, sound, a person’s face, a touch or even a feeling.
As students we study the information presented in our courses…and hope it makes it to our long term memory where we can recall or retrieve the information again later for a test. The recall example that made the most sense to me was given in our “What is Psychology?” textbook. When we are assigned an essay question the memory retrieval process is called recall…the probe or cue does not contain a lot of information. We have all had the dreaded essay questions where we thought we knew the information only to find we could not recall enough of it to write a scholarly sentence much less a full essay so we really need to know the information. Thankfully, tests are also made up of multiple choice questions and most of us do better at these. To access the information we have tried to tuck into our memories we would use the recognition process. In recognition, the probe is stronger and contains more information. The question and answers are easier to access because they are connected…making the information probe stronger, not that we know the information better.
Luckily there are many techniques people can use to improve their memories; reinforcement, going over the information several times with breaks between, association linking the information to something else and visual/audio review.
I found these link most informative.
http://extension.missouri.edu/silverthreads/09/reinforce%20your%20memory.htm
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Your response is very well written and thorough. Your additonal link is a good source. How can you use these different techniques for improving your own study skills? Which ones do you use and how do you use them?
Since you did not post your response by Thursday 11:55 PM I will deduct 1/2 of point from your final grade. You will receive no credit on any future late posts.
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I have been finding it more difficult to focus my attention; I am older, work shift work and overtime (usually a grave to days) so age and lack of sleep along with the daily life of family and schedules seem to be compounding factors. These are issues that effect most of us taking these online courses...trying to include education into our busy lives but unable to participate in the benefits of a classroom forum. When I am studying I have to limit all distractions and am unable to sit in the same room as my family. Most of my studying is while they are gone. Unfortunately, I still find myself having to read and re-read information but find the videos are helpful because I can see and hear the information. It is helpful when the book includes real life stories of people…I am able to relate the information to a person. I also like using the postings from the other classmates and links that I find to reinforce what I have been reading in the book. I am very interested in using the space rehearsal technique in the future.
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I understand your situation because I went back to school in my 40ty's and did not finish until I was 50ty. It is very important to give yourself the necessary sleep so you can learn and remember effectively. (Remember REM sleep cycles consolidate memories.)
It is very easy to take to many units when taking online classes because we "feel" we can work around an already very busy schedule. If you are taking more than one class a semester you may wish to consider taking only one class a semester. It will take you longer to accomplish your goal but you will have a better chance of doing well and being successful in the long run.
I took only one at the most two classes a semester, taught elementary school full time, raised three boys and drove between LA and Ridgecrest weekly (night classes) to complete my doctorate. (Back then there was no such thing as the internet!) It took me ten years but at the end of the ten years I had reached my goal!