Welcome to Memory, one of the units students find most applicable
to the academic and personal spheres of their daily lives as the information
in this unit can enhance their abilities to study and learn in general.
Memory is often defined as application of learning over time. How
does memory work? How much do we remember? How can we recall
more? How can we better remember to do tasks in the future? In addition
to answering these relevant questions, this unit lesson plan will present
research on the accuracy of memories, how memories can change,
implications for eyewitness testimony, and more. It will focus on the set
of systems that allow us to encode, store, and retrieve information. It will
present classic experiments of researchers such as Ebbinghaus, Sperling,
and Loftus. The unit is intended to enhance your textbook, providing
both content and critical thinking activities and exercises to facilitate
remembering about memory.
The understanding and application of the information in this unit directly
serve to enhance student study skills. Exercises and activities have been
selected to provide a deeper understanding of specific topics and generate
long-term retention of concepts, while directly applying the concepts
in the activity. Students generally engage easily with this material, as they
immediately and directly see the implications in their lives for information
such as understanding why cramming isn’t effective and why certain
things or mnemonics (e.g., ROY G. BIV) are remembered for years.
Throughout the unit, students and teachers can add real-world examples
using tools such as semantic encoding, self-referent thinking, and
effortful processing. Applications of the content can allow students to engage
in more efficient and effective study time. Students are often interested
in learning about memory, especially as it relates to their academic
as well as social world.