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The Role Of Memory In

Learning: How Important
Is It?
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Memory And Learning, Part 2

By Monica Savage
April 2, 2018 ! !
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5 minutes to read
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Summary: Memory is the superior (logical or

intellectual) cognitive process that defines the
temporal dimension of our mental
organization. It is our ability to encode, store,
retain, and then recall information and past
experiences. What is its role in learning?
What Is The Actual Role Of Memory In
Learning?

The human brain has fascinated me since I was a

child. Understanding how one thinks, remembers, and
acts are extremely complex. As a learning
professional, I rely on brain science to ensure the
efficiency of the programs I design. This article series
addresses some of the more basic concepts of
memory and learning and their application in real life
learning design. Let’s start from the beginning…

Memory is the superior (logical or intellectual)

cognitive process that defines the temporal dimension
of our mental organization. It is our ability to encode,
store, retain, and then recall information and past
experiences.

Memory has a fundamental role in life, reflecting the

past as the past, and offering the possibility of reusing
all past and present experiences, as well as helping to
ensure continuity between what was and what was
going to be.

Memory is an active, subjective, intelligent reflection

process of our previous experiences.

Memory is related to learning but should not be

confused with learning. There are 3 main processes
involved in human memory:

Encoding
Transforming information into a form that can be
stored in memory.
Storing
Maintaining the encoded information in memory.
Retrieving
 Re-accessing information from the past which has
been encoded and stored.

Encoding is the first process that the human memory

puts in operation. The efficiency of learning, in
general, depends on the efficiency of the encoding
process. It is an active and selective process that
depends on a number of factors. There are 3 types of
factors that can influence encoding efficiency:

1. Content factors
Related to the type of material to be encoded.
2. Environmental factors
Related to the conditions under which the
encoding takes place.
3. Subjective factors
Related to variables in effect when encoding takes
place.

The content factors are:

The volume of the material (the greater the volume,

the more difficult the encoding).
The degree of organization of the material (the
better organized, the easier the encoding).
The degree of familiarity.
The place occupied by the information in the
structure of the content; that is, at the beginning,
middle, or end of the material (information placed
at the beginning and at the end tends to be stored
more easily than that placed in the middle).
The nature of the material.

Environmental factors, although not always

considered important, are significant to the
memorization process. Temperature, humidity, noise,
affection, socio-emotional climate, etc., are just a few
environmental factors. Depending on these
particularities, the encoding process may be
stimulated or inhibited.

Subjective factors can include elements such as the

learner’s state of rest or fatigue, health, or illness.
Motivation, interests, and disposition are critical to the
encoding process, which is why, as Instructional
Designers, we spend a lot of time defining "What’s in it
for me?" [1] for all training programs.

Storing is the second process that makes it possible to

preserve encoded information. Just as with encoding,
storing is an active and selective process. As long as
the information is stored, it is permanently
transformed, reorganized, and included in new links
even if the subject is not fully aware of the process.
Storing the information involves both quantitative (the
duration of retention) and qualitative (the fidelity of
retention) aspects.

Depending on the duration of retention, there are 2

levels [2] of memory:

Short-term memory (STM)

Long-term memory (LTM)

Both of these act as filters that protect our brain from

the unbelievable amount of information we encounter
on a daily basis. The more the information is repeated
or used, the more likely it is to be retained in long-term
memory (which is why, for example, reinforcement of
the concepts learned is important when designing a
learning program). This is the process of consolidation,
the stabilizing of a memory trace after its initial
acquisition.

Retrieval is the process of accessing the stored

information. This occurs through recognition or recall.
Recognition is the association of an event or object
which one previously experienced or encountered and
involves a process of comparison of information with
memory, e.g., recognizing a known face, true/false or
multiple choice questions. The recall involves
remembering a fact, event, or object, and requires the
direct uncovering of information from memory, e.g.,
remembering the name of a recognized person, fill in
the blank questions. Recognition is simpler because it
requires only one process—a simple familiarity
decision. Full recall requires a 2-step process—first the
search and retrieval of several items from memory,
and second, choosing the correct information from
the multiple items retrieved.

The theory of encoding specificity developed by Endel

Tulving [3] adds another component to the recall
process. This theory explains that recall uses
information both from the memory trace and from the
environment in which it is retrieved. Basically, recall is
better when the environments of encoding and
retrieval are similar.

Memory and forgetting go hand-in-hand. There is

quite a bit of literature concerning the forgetting
curve [4], but to simplify here, it’s helpful to keep in
mind that forgetting has different causes and
different rhythms at different ages and that the most
effective way to combat forgetting is repetition. To be
truly efficient, repetition should be considered in light
of the following criteria:

Achieve an optimal amount of repetition.

Though it’s not intuitive, forgetting is associated
 with both under repeating and over repeating.
Space the repetition.
The number and duration of pauses depend on the
volume and complexity of the material.
Use appropriate repetition "formulas".
Logic is preferable to mechanical repetition, as is
active repetition as opposed to passive.

Memory is essential to learning, but it also depends on

learning because the information stored in one’s
memory creates the basis for linking new knowledge
by association. It is a symbiotic relationship which
continues to evolve throughout our lives. The next
article in this series will take a look at how to apply
these concepts to learning design. Because we’re all
really trying to devise strategies to be more like
elephants [5]…

References:

1. Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-

direction and andragogy
2. Short-term (working) Memory
3. Long Term Memory | Tulving (1972) | Procedural,
Semantic & Episodic
4. What is the Forgetting Curve?
5. Why elephants never forget - Alex Gendler
 Brain Facts Cognitive Load Theory

Learners Attention Long-Term Memory

Short-Term Memory

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