- Summary: Working memory was previously called short-term memory. It is our brief memory which helps us process current information to carry on cognitive daily tasks. Baddeley’s working memory model emphasized several components that work together- phonological looping(storage for sounds), visuospatial sketchpad(processes visual and spatial information), and episodic buffer(temporary storage where information from the phonological loop/visuospatial sketchpad can combine ) and the central-executive (an integration of all the above plus long term memory.
- How does is fit with prior information learned? We have been learning about speech perception/visual perception/attention and more in previous chapters.
This chapter gives a different aspect of sounds and memory with phonological looping and visual perception and visuospatial sketchpad and combination usage of both- episodic buffer. The two senses-vision and hearing seem to spiral around in each chapter.
- I am not sure if my examples given on blackboard actually match or are good examples of the working memory model. I was not sure if working memory and long term memory work together. It seems logical and the diagram on p. 105 seems to support that.
- Students seem to remember information better if they use several senses-hear it, visualize it, draw it, experience it, connect with it…these aspects seem to tie in with the central executive that integrates storage for sounds, visual/spatial information or a combination of both.
- I believe this is true based on my own memory or (lack there of)…and my observations of what others do, especially my students. When I call on a student to recall a detail just read, I sometimes observe them looking at the picture or quickly scan the text to remind them of information. Sometime I use 1, 2 or all three of Baddeley’s model as I perform my minute-to-minute tasks. His proof? He looked at work of other researchers and shaped it to include more components. However it is just a theory and I would imagine it will continue to be adapted as time moves along.
- Importance: Perhaps if we understand the components of working memory we can use this information to help those that have a poor working memory. Perhaps accommodation could be made, strategies could be introduced to help with short term memory. I know that I give my students little hints here and there to help them remember certain pieces of information.
- I think I could use this information to help my students learn strategies to help them overcome some working memory difficulties…like sketching a picture to illustrate what just happened in a story. Or, think of synonym that is more familiar to them to keep vocabulary straight. Students could teach themselves how to break down a big task into smaller chunks to help them understand information.
- Are there other ways...multisensory involvement may improve student learning. Or, perhaps tapping in on dominant sense. For ex. Some people are visual learners, others are auditory. Knowing that preference would help a teacher adapt lessons.
Hi Denise. I agree with you about the importance of understanding working memory in order to help others learn. I blogged about a classroom observation I saw where students learned to diagram sentences in what looked like a 4 square on the floor. These were students who were having difficulty with the material and the teacher used their visuospatial sketchpad to help them learn how to diagram a sentence. Students had to identify parts of the sentence by standing in the appropriate spot.
ReplyDeleteDenise and Jenn,
ReplyDeleteYour examples would also be examples of "deep processing" which we will discuss in Chapter 5. In other words, connect the information to more than one place in long term memory by making more than one connection to things you know already or yourself.
Also - yes about working and long term memory working together. Remember we talked about top down processing? The information you get from your background experiences is coming from long term memory, and according to this model being pulled into the episodic buffer where it is processed, with the central executive being the decision maker.
As I was reading your answer to number 2 I was thinking that as teachers we are supposed to teach a new topic in a variety of ways to help all learners. I also wonder if it helps when we teach the same concept, it will can be put into the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad in some way, it will then be brought to the episodic buffer. The episodic buffer works with the long term memory so if an auditory, visual, and spatial example of the same topic are stored it might be easier to get in into our long term memory because it sees the topic 3 times in 3 different ways. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI agree that learning about how memory works gives us the opportunity to help our students cope with particular obstacles they may experience. I know I already compensate with acroynms and silly phrases for my own memory.
ReplyDeleteI agree that learning how memory works gives us a one up in the teaching field. We lose many students within our classroom for many reasons--memory goes to the baseline structure of how are students learn, so yes it is beneficial in the sense that we can be more aware of PI, the phonological loop, and even the CE. Now that we are aware of this, we can consciously be more attentive to what the students need.
ReplyDelete