Techniques for classroom instruction to help students retain course knowledge Can we improve memory?

(Samuel Johnson) Begin a lesson by asking a question that stimulates interest in the topic! Move around the room, ask questions, use your voice – no monotone, please! Use students names, walk close to them, stay in their line of vision. Develop a signal to have them focus on you. Practice the signal, no excuses to ignore. The true art of memory is the art of attention.

Begin a lesson by asking a question that stimulates interest in the topic!

Move around the room, ask questions, use your voice – no monotone, please!

Use students names, walk close to them, stay in their line of vision.

Develop a signal to have them focus on you. Practice the signal, no excuses to ignore.

( Aristotle ) Games – build practice and repetition into games! Have students quiz each other. Begin class with quick homework review. Give short test, frequently. What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.

Games – build practice and repetition into games!

Have students quiz each other.

Begin class with quick homework review.

Give short test, frequently.

(Proverb) Help students make connections between what they know and new information. Use outline or diagram to fit new information into developing framework. Help students elaborate ( add meaning to new information ) by using own words to translate new information, creating examples, explain to a peer, draw or act out relationship to existing knowledge. Out of sight, out of mind.

Help students make connections between what they know and new information.

Use outline or diagram to fit new information into developing framework.

Help students elaborate ( add meaning to new information ) by using own words to translate new information, creating examples, explain to a peer, draw or act out relationship to existing knowledge.

Gail Godwin Good preparation include well organized material. Place concepts in a structure that will allow for later recall. Lesson purpose should be CLEAR . Use an outline and give a brief one to students. Use summaries in the middle and end of lesson. Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre.

Good preparation include well organized material.

Place concepts in a structure that will allow for later recall.

Lesson purpose should be CLEAR .

Use an outline and give a brief one to students.

Use summaries in the middle and end of lesson.

Plato Make lessons meaningful . Use vocabulary students can relate to and tie new words to familiar words and ideas. Make clear connections between elements of the lesson. Make use of “old” information by using analogies and examples. If particulars are to have meaning, there must be universals.

Make lessons meaningful .

Use vocabulary students can relate to and tie new words to familiar words and ideas.

Make clear connections between elements of the lesson.

Make use of “old” information by using analogies and examples.

Use mnemonics to promote learning. Peg-type mnemonics is a system of associating items with cue words . Acronym is a technique for remembering names, phrases, or steps by using the first letter of each word to form a new, memorable word . Loci method associates items with specific places . Chain mnemonics associates one element in a series with the next element . Keyword method associates new words or concepts with similar-sounding cue words and images. Mnemonics are systematic procedures for improving memory.

Peg-type mnemonics is a system of associating items with cue words .

Acronym is a technique for remembering names, phrases, or steps by using the first letter of each word to form a new, memorable word .

Loci method associates items with specific places .

Chain mnemonics associates one element in a series with the next element .

Keyword method associates new words or concepts with similar-sounding cue words and images.

Bibliography Woolfolk, Anita (2007). Educational Psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Pearson Education, Inc.

Woolfolk, Anita (2007). Educational Psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Pearson Education, Inc.