In my previous blogs [1, 2, 3, 4], I have been building up a case for
bringing in a practical disruptive approach to learning. Before I
jump into explaining the solution (which I assure you, exists! I
being an active user of it), we need to jointly explore the
psychology and mental dynamics behind the act of learning.
I fear, this blog is going to sound pedagogic but is quite essential
in laying the foundation on which the learning system is built. Also,
it is worth mentioning that there has already been ample thought and
experimentation done on this subject. My role in this is merely that
of a weaver, bringing different stands together.
Retention and recollection is all about how effectively (least
effort, cost and time) we are able to move information from our short
term memory into long term memory and how effectively (fast,
accurate) we are able to recollect it. There are then two parts to
the problem – sedimenting information to our long term memory and
extraction of the stored information.
Test-enhanced learning
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testing_effect]
or testing effect is the finding that long-term memory is increased
when some of the learning period is devoted to retrieving the
to-be-remembered information. Essentially, information sinks better
and hardens into our neural network if we associate knowledge
elements with cues or questions. This finding is also supplemented by
the study on active and passive recall
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_recall]
which emphasizes that active learning, where we simulate our memory
during the learning process is far more effective as compared to
passive learning (reading). Recall on the other hand is primary of
three types – free recall, cued recall and sequenced recall. Cued
recall being the most common expectation when it comes to
recollecting knowledge. Bottom-line, for an effective
retention/recollection process we have to format the knowledge as
challenges and condition our neurons.
It is also important to understand that more the cues associated with
a piece of knowledge, the easier it is to recall. For example, the
piece of information '12 x 6 = 72' can
be presented as a collection of cue-response challenges – 12 x ___
= 72, ___ x 6 = 72, 12 x 6 = ___.
Our brain is a jungle of interconnected neurons. Information is
stored as strength of interconnections between neurons. This
essentially means that the same cells store portions of all that
exists in your memory. This has an unintended (or maybe intended)
side effect – more recent information and/or a strongly reinforced
information has the potential of overshadowing older memories.
Consequence, we forget things over time. This is a well studied
domain in psychology – called the 'Forgetting Curve'
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve].
The forgetting curve hypothesizes the decline of memory retention in
time. This curve shows how information is lost over time when there
is no attempt to retain it.
The operative words are – no attempt to retain it.
Which implies that if we endeavor to retain a piece of information
for a prolonged time, we have to make attempts. This brings us to
another concept of Spacing Effect
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacing_effect].
Spacing effect is the
phenomenon whereby animals (including humans) more easily remember or
learn items when they are studied a few times spaced over a long time
span ("spaced presentation") rather than repeatedly studied
in a short span of time. The below graphic demonstrates the concept
quite clearly.
 |
| Source : http://lifeinthefastlane.com/learning-by-spaced-repetition/ |
Leitner System [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system]
provides an useful way of presenting flash-cards. Leitner System
lends itself quite nicely to be used with spaced repetition
techniques.
Another important effect in
learning, the leverage of which I have found quite effective in
learning is the
Zeigarnik
effect. [http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Zeigarnik_Effect]
This was proposed by Bluma Zeigarnic in 1927, which simply states -
We
remember better that which is unfinished or incomplete.
In the context of learning, traditionally we tend to cover chapters
sequentially – that is start chapter 3 only after finishing chapter
2. On the contrary, if we study multiple chapters in parallel,
bolstered by a spaced repetition mechanism, the overall retention
period proves to be way higher.
While the above techniques stress upon the structural aspect of
information (re)presentation, one of the important aspects to
consider is the ease of assimilation. Unless we comprehend or make
some sense of what is being presented, our mind simply does not
accept it. This specifically applies to highly verbose pieces of
information, which may be interlaced with temporal sequencing of
events and/or coupling between multiple concepts. Of the many, there
are two methods I have found quite effective in dealing with such
problems. First is the strategy of 'bite-sized' information –
breaking the verbosity into multiple point informations and secondly
the use of Concept Maps
[http://cmap.ihmc.us/docs/theory-of-concept-maps].
Concept Maps are a way of structuring the interrelationship of
concepts in a flow sequence ranging from abstract to concrete
concepts. Let me give an example – take for example the following
question and answer:
Question
- How
was the Second Carnatic War triggered?
Answer
- The
second Carnatic War was triggered by the wars of succession between
rival claimants to the throne in Hyderabad and Carnatic. In Carnatic
the rival claimants were Canda Sahib and the incumbent ruler
Anwar-ud-din. In Hyderabad, the rival claimants were Nasir Jung and
Muzaffar Jung.
The
French took sides of Chanda Sahib in Carnatic and Muzaffar Jung in
Hyderabad, while the English took sides of Anwar-ud-din in Carnatic
and Nasir Jung in Hyderabad. The French and English played a key role
in fomenting the conflict, leading to a full blown war.
The above answer will prove
difficult for a child to comprehend and retain at the first instance.
For one, it is relatively verbose, secondly it is laced with events,
characters and their relationships. However, if we present the above
answer as a concept map as below, both the comprehension and
retention is greatly accelerated.
The concepts presented here are neither new nor radical. They have
been researched, experimented and analyzed for decades. Though there
exists many a softwares which solves the problem in bits and pieces,
what I believe is still missing is a platform which weaves all these
concepts into a usable solution.
In my next blog, I will introduce JoveNotes – an adaptive learning
platform which brings all these concepts and much more into practice
under one umbrella.
Before I sign off, here is a collage of screen-shots of JoveNotes.
References
- On Memory and Reminiscence (Aristotle) - http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/memory.html
- Memory recall/retrieval - http://www.human-memory.net/processes_recall.html
