Generating learning

As mentioned in my post on relating knowledge, if we don’t retrieve knowledge often, we forget it. Once links between areas of knowledge are made, they must be reactivated to be retained, and elaborated on to be maintained.

“Through repeated usage and reactivation of learned information, long-lasting neural connections distributed widely in the cerebral cortex are established. The key to long-lasting memories is the reactivation and elaboration of pertinent information after initial learning.”

Shimamura, MARGE A Whole-Brain Learning Approach for Students and Teachers, 2018

Forgetting can occur when learners don’t engage in generative learning activities. Key prior knowledge can be forgotten, and the links between area of knowledge can be weakened.

If the key to long-lasting memories is the reactivation and elaboration of pertinent information, once it has been learned, we must build in techniques to overcome this forgetting:

• the reactivation of key knowledge can be achieved through targeted, delayed, retrieval practice of key knowledge.
• links between concepts and different areas of knowledge can be maintained and strengthened through elaborative rehearsal.

Teachers must explicit tell learners what they want them to remember, what knowledge they want them to reactivate and want links they want them to make. This cannot be left to chance; teachers should avoid playing “guess what’s in my head” with learners, hoping that they stumble on the right knowledge, or the right links.

Prior knowledge retrieval

The problem

Learners forget key prior knowledge.

Potential causes

Learners have not been encouraged and asked to retrieve key prior knowledge often enough.

Potential solution

Targeted, and delayed, retrieval practice is used to maintain the storage and retrieval strength of key knowledge.

Weakening of links

The problem

Links between key area of knowledge are weakened.

Potential causes

Learners have not been asked to explain their thinking and understanding often enough.

Potential solution

Engage learners in elaborative rehearsal, which facilitates the formation of memory by linking new information to what is already known.

Elaborative rehearsal strategies include:

• Translating learning into your own words
• Using imagery
• Grouping knowledge (see categorising in this previous blog post)

Each of these involve linking new learning with prior knowledge.

When doing this, we must avoid asking learners to guess what is in the teachers’ head. We must make it explicit what facts we want learners to retrieve, and what links we want them to build. Anything less, and we are disadvantage learners, depriving them of our expertise.