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Teachers use an understanding of how we learn to ensure that their curriculum is planned effectively. Below you can read about the key elements of the science of learning to help you develop a clearer understanding of how teachers plan what knowledge is going to be taught, and how it will be delivered.
Children learn better with an understanding of how they learn, and through metacognition ('thinking about thinking' or 'learning to learn') they will develop into more effective life long learners.
Parents and Carers will also be able to better support their children with their learning by having an understanding of the key elements of the science of learning.
How do we learn?
Willingham's Simple Model of Memory (2009)
A person has two types of memory:
Working and Long-Term.
When we pay attention to something in our environment (visual, auditory or kinaesthetic) it moves into our working memory. This is where we do our active thinking.
When we think about something new it is then stored in our long-term memory. This is like a filing cabinet where our knowledge is organised into schemas or mental models.
Why do we need to recall what we have learnt?
When we first learn something it is very quickly forgotten. When we recall or relearn then our ability to recall that information will degrade less quickly. The more effort it is to recall the information, the more durable it will be in your memory.
Forgetting can be a powerful tool for learning!
This is why it is so important that in school we provide opportunities for retrieval practice as this helps solidify what has been previously taught. This also reinforces the importance of homework and revision as these are further opportunities for pupils to retrieve knowledge from their long-term memory.
How is knowledge stored in the long-term memory?
Knowledge is stored in the long-term memory and organised into schema.
A schema is a mental model stored in the long-term memory that the brain uses to organise information. Schemas are built from memories and experiences and are unique to each individual. You have schemas for every topic imaginable: objects, events, people, activities, relationships, and even your concept of self.
We can build more complex schemas, and move towards mastery of a topic, by building links between the knowledge we have learnt. This is done through recalling and applying knowledge in a wider range of situations and scenarios. This is where cross-curricular learning can be useful. If you can apply knowledge from one subject in another then the links in the schema will become much stronger and more complex.
For example, as a young child we learn about numbers and how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. As we get older we learn how to combine these mathematical functions through formula. If we then study subjects like Physics and Chemistry we apply formula to solve real-world problems within those disciplines. The schema is being developed through the prior knowledge being retrieved from the long-term memory and applying it in new and more complex situation.
An understanding of how the long-term memory is organised helps pupils plan their revision. They should use a range of methods that allow them to recall and apply the learning e.g. flashcards, mind maps & exam style questions. This science outlined on this page explains why simply reading lesson notes has no impact on learning and the ability to recall knowledge.
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