Hoa Pham - The Fast Fish Learners (Memory)

The "fast fish" learners - Memory Moves

This project is a series of self-paced learning modules that aim to provide learners with a set of evidence-based memory-related moves to enhance their learning and job performance. It aims to answer the following generative question: “How can understandings about memories help improve performance in the work place?” The modules are designed to be delivered online to educators who work in workforce development, covering three lessons: 1) Modeling memory, 2) Make it stick, and 3) Appropriate forgetting and unlearning. It is helpful to note that the modules invite educators to experience the evidence-based learning before they teach their students about the implications about memory for professional development. The slide decks used in these modules can be found below. In the following sections will be further information regarding the learners, the motivation behind my design, the understanding goals of the modules, description of the design itself, as well as the assessment plan.

Rationale

The design of this module is created on the grounds of the significance of understanding about memory to our learning and job performance, the popular misconceptions about memory, and the timely addition of this learning material.

First and foremost, what drives the production of this module is the fact that understanding our memory plays an important role in bringing our learning to the next level. As the Greek dramatist Aeschylus emphasized, “memory is the mother of all wisdom”; the importance of memory goes without saying. It greatly contributes to most of our mental experiences including our learning process, and according to Brown, McDaniel, & Roediger (2014), “to be useful, learning requires memory, so what we’ve learned is still there later when we need it” (p.2). It is almost impossible for us to really learn something without having our memory to retain it. Given this undeniable significance of memory and its strong relationship with learning, having an accurate understanding about it is essentially beneficial as this understanding can enable learners to make a list of appropriate strategies to improve their memory and in turn enhance their learning performances. Kornell (2013) suggested that “having an accurate understanding of how memory works can help a person in many ways” which range from remembering simple information to retaining complex one. In today’s changing world where we have to keep learning and remembering more in order to get ahead at work and master job skills, accurate understandings of how our memory works deserves even more emphasis.

However, despite the aforementioned significance of memory and understanding about it in our learning process, most of us tend to have misconceptions about learning and remembering, which might prevent us from thinking and learning effectively. In many places, “what students are advised to do is often plain wrong” due to these misconceptions ( Brown, McDaniel, & Roediger, 2014, p.26). For example, such pieces of advice as “if you intend to remember something, you probably will”, or “repeating what you have to remember can help burn it into your memory” are very pervasive while they are not scientifically accurate. The truth is we can not embed something in our memory just by repeating it over and over or having the intentionality to remember it. Many studies including experiments at the University of Toronto, Washington University, or University of Mexico have proven that doing multiple readings in close succession does not produce the expected benefits as people often assume while in fact a meaningful lapse of time between times of reading is necessary (Brown, McDaniel, & Roediger, 2014).

These misconceptions of such an impactful and important process as memory, therefore, highlights the need to equip learners with accurate understandings of how our memory works and memorable strategies for them to better their learning and performance. This will contribute to “taking learning to the next level and supporting the next generation in becoming expert learners” (Grotzer et al., 2021). This project hopefully can be a timely addition to the current body of works that introduce findings from the sciences of learning to learners, but in a friendly and practical approach.

All in all, while the significant role of memory in our learning process is undeniable and the understanding about it can generate a number of benefits, learners often develop and hold many misconceptions about memory. Therefore, the design of learning materials such as this current project is expected to help provide learners with accurate and practical strategies that are informed by science so that they could take their learning to another level.

Target learners

The target learners of this module will be educators who work in the workforce development sector. The module is not intended to be a professional training material but truly a learning material that educators experience for themselves as learners.

This decision is made based on the fact that teachers themselves have to constantly update their repertoire of knowledge. As Cao (2021) suggests, “teaching is, after all, a complex intellectual skill. Those who are learning that skill, or learning to improve that skill, are at their core learners—even while they are simultaneously the teachers of others”. Furthermore, experiencing learning from the perspective of learners is very helpful to them because teachers are believed to teach the way they were taught. If we want teachers to adopt a new approach to their teaching, it is important that we have teachers learn the new way we want them to teach. This is very different from working on materials that they will use to teach others. This learning material is, therefore, not a professional development workshop material, but is intended to have teachers learn and experience for themselves how findings from science about memory could help bring themselves to the next level as learners. This will, in turn, facilitate them in their teaching of others, in their other work, or in their daily processing of information.

Developmentally, these educators are adult learners who benefit from self-authoring learning experiences (Grotzer, 2022). In other words, learners of this age group would yield benefits from a learning experience where they can exercise a sense of control and enjoy flexibility. This is also why my project will be designed to be a self-paced online module where the educators can make plans as well as arrange their own learning and carry out their learning at their own pace. They will be able to make choices such as when and how they learn or exercise their autonomy in creating and implementing their own learning plans.

Furthermore, as adult learners often have a strong sense of purpose and aims for their learning, this module is designed for educators whose purpose is very likely to align with what the module offers. As they are regularly engaged with the learning process of their own and of others’, findings from the cognitive science about memory - a significant factor in the learning process - will be highly relevant to them. With learning moves that are backed up by scientific findings and opportunities to reflect and apply to their own experience, the module will also be likely to convince this group of learners, who as adults often bring a rich sense of skepticism to their learning of new ideas.

Finally, I would like to touchbase on one important characteristic of my target learners: they are educators in workforce development. These educators will have chance to work with a diversity of learners who might newly enter the workforce or need to be reskilled after returning to job or switching job. Therefore, what they learn from the module is expected to have many generative values as the learning moves they learn from the module will be applicable to not only them but also to their learners who are facting a lot of uncertainties. Indeed, learning about the nature of memory can help them avoid conflicts at the workplace, enhance long-term memory of important ideas, and appropriate prioritize remembering essential information while unlearning/forgetting unimportant one. These are very important for educators in workforce development because they will be able to help their learners set the priorities right, perform more efficiently, and develop empathy in the workplace.

Understanding goals

While memory is a large topic that has been covered in extensive studies, my project is not going to introduce everything about memory. Instead, I would like to focus more on memorable strategies that will be relevant to my target learners - educators who work in workforce development. To be more specific, the three modules in this project will be centered around three sets of understanding goals that build around three different moves related to memory.

The first module will be called “Modeling Memory”, which aims to provide learners with understanding about the constructive nature of memory and implications for success in the workplace. In order to do this, the module will start with introducing the learners to different types of memory and how we make memories. This will prime them to better understand the constructive nature of memory as well as how memory errors can make. Without this necessary knowledge of memory types and how memories are made, learners might find it a challenge to understand how and why memory is actually a constructive process and how that process affects their work. The module then will finish with implications about the constructive memory for the educators’ work with their students in workforce development programs. In other words, the first module will attempt to help the target learners understand:

There are different types of memory based on different ways of categorizing: how information is processed, type of information, and the level of consciousnes. In terms of information processing, there are three types of memory: sensory memory, short term memory, and long term memory. In terms of type of information, memory can be classified into semantic, episodic, and procedural. Memory can also be categorized into implicit and explicit memories, based on the level of our consciousness while making memories.
Like many other memory systems, our long term memory is the result of encoding, storing, and retrieving.
Memory has been proven to be a reconstructive process and can decay or degrade.
The construction of memories differ for different people and has some implications for our work and relationships. Understanding this reconstructive nature of memory, we can acknowledge that people may have different memories of the same event and we economically select what to remember.

In the second module, I would like to focus on different strategies to make memories stick, which play a significant role in most people’s advancement in doing any jobs or mastering any skills. In detail, learners will be introduced to the concept of active processing and its role in helping us remember something longer. They will also learn about the importance of retrieval and interleaving. The understanding goals for this module include helping learners to understand that:

By using active recall, we can improve the long-term retention of information and get prepared for the unexpected.
When we repeatedly make efforts to retrieve information, we rehearse the information in our mind and therefore increase the chance for that information to stick longer in our memory.
Interleaving or spaced-out practice is better than mass practice in aiding our memory because we are engaged in the processed of comparing and contrasting different techniques/contents before we make a choice that best suits each learning contexts. It also increases chance for contextual interference, which in turn enhances retention of information.

Finally, module 3 aims to underscore some insights into forgetting and unlearning as well as their implications for success at the workplace. The module will help learners have a more accurate understanding of forgetting, which has long been stigmatized as bad, and then offer them with relevant implications for the workplace development. To be more specific, the module opens up by explaining how forgetting and decaying of memories happen, which is then followed by elaborating on the role of forgetting and unlearning. Ultimately, like the other previous modules, this final module will close up with implications for the educators. This module will aim to help boost understandings of:

Forgetting occurs as a result of trace decay, displacement of old information, interference of information, or retrieval failure.
Forgetting plays an important role in our thinking, learning, and well-being because it helps us selectively remember what matters to our life and become creative in thinking.
Unlearning can be challenging but can be done if we make efforts to strengthen new moves. When the new information/moves are repeated over and over again, we can gradually displace the old information and form new learning.

Learning Challenges

There might be a number of learning challenges that the learners will need to overcome to achieve the understanding goals.

The first challenge might have something to do with learners’ engagement with the topic. Though memory is important to everything we do and even defines us, its importance is so obvious that people might take it for granted that when we discuss memory, we talk about how to remember things better. This immediate response of associating memory with techniques to remember as much as possible, to my personal feelings, might make learners less curious about the topic. The learning modules I am designing, therefore, will try to tap into other aspects of memory that are less discussed to show that learning about memory is more than just learning about tips to remember information for a long time. Module 1, for example, discusses the reconstructive nature of memory while module 3 discusses the art of forgetting and unlearning. While module 2 discusses how to make memories stickier, it does not stop at providing tips to remember better but offers explanations on the mechanisms behind the practices.

The second challenge is the amount of new and academic information that the learners will get from the modules, which might create a cognitive load and require mental resources from the learners to deal with. For example, they will be introduced to new concepts such as active recall, types of memory, or reconstructive memory, which can be all new to learners. The modules, therefore, must be designed in ways to reduce the cognitive load for learners. Specifically, this is designed to be a self-paced module, so learners can take time to digest the content and to connect the content in each part of the module with the previous parts or previous modules. Furthermore, the new information is broken into smaller sections so that learners can easily grasp it instead of having to welcome a great amount of new information at a time. Learning modules also follow a somewhat similar structure so learners can become familiar with the expectations and routines, which in turn gives them the mental space to just focus on the new content they are learning in each module.

The learning modules aim to provide evidence-based information for teachers, which might normally require a lot of reading and can be tiring for some. Therefore, I plan to include voiced-over presentations along with the texts in the slides so the learning modules can address the learning preferences of a wider variety of learners.

Structure and Justifications for the Instructional Design

Each module will follow a somewhat similar routine and include similar elements, which are:

Introduction: A few brief lines that prime the learners for what to expect in terms of content in each module.
How to navigate the lesson: An outline of main activities they will do in each module.
Understanding goals: A summary of the expected key understandings at the end of the lesson.
Lead-in activity: Thought-provoking questions that help learners connect backward to what they have already known, recall what they have learned, or to prepare for the new lesson.
Mini lecture(s): brief explanations and examples on new concepts and key ideas as well as findings from research.
Reflection: space for students to reflect on what they’ve learned and connect the lessons to their personal experience.
Connecting forward: Implications for professional development.
Checking understanding: A list of questions to help learners map out what they have just completed learning and recall the content knowledge.

This design follows the Teaching for Understanding Framework, which aims to foster deeper understanding of the topic. According to Wiske & Breit (2005), this framework includes four major elements: 1) generative topics, 2) understanding goals, 3) performances of understanding, and 4) on-going feedback.

To be more specific, the curriculum first must present a generative topic that are connected to multiple ideas within and across subject matters, are engaging and accessible to students, and generate continuing inquiry. The three modules I design focus on memory and specifically point to different aspects of memory that invite learners to connect academic findings about memory to their work and life. Indeed, understanding the concepts about memory goes beyond understanding about memory itself but also gives learners the chance to apply what they learn to different contexts. In unit begins with a generative question that can be answered from different perspectives, biological, cognitive, or social points of view to name but a few.

Second, understanding goals are clearly laid out and publicly stated at the beginning of each lesson so that learners can set their goals for each lesson and develop a big picture of what they are about to acquire. The learning goals focus on big ideas and key concepts that learners are expected to take away from the lessons.

Third, students can demonstrate their understanding through many entry points throughout the modules. They are invited to actively recall information, reflect on what they learn, and generate creative ideas related to the lesson content. For example, in the last module about forgetting and unlearning, learners are invited to recall the research findings about forgetting that they have just learned, summarize these findings in their own words, and then connect the findings to their professional development. This can help learners understand the topic deeply and apply what they learn to their personal experience.

Finally, feedback is embedded into learning activities and is on-going. Learners are asked to answer reflective questions at the end of each major sections in each module. Indeed, this assessment of understanding does not come at the end of the lesson series but take place along the learning process.

In addition to the aforementioned framework, the design of my lessons also integrate a number of analogies into the lesson. For example, in the first module about modeling memories, the analogy of memory systems, in which human memory is compared to DVDs or filing cabinets, is embedded and oriented the two major points in the lesson. Also, short-term and long-term memories are also compared to a backpack and a locker to show the differences between the two. According to Gentner and Maravilla (2018), analogy is a powerful learning tool that promotes schema abstraction, difference detection, and re-representation. Comparing and contrasting different memory systems, for example, helps learners to go to the bones and understand the essential similarity as well as detect the differences among them. Furthermore, as Orgill and Thomas (2007) point out, “Effective analogies motivate students, clarify students' thinking, help students overcome misconceptions, and give students ways to visualize abstract concepts”. For example, the backpack and the locker can be helpful in helping learners visualize short-term and long-term memories. Likewise, when they think of the similarity and differences between our human memory system and other memory system such as DVDs or filing cabinets, they can also easily understand the core concepts about memory processing and the reconstructive nature of our memory.

Finally, transfer is also an important underlying cognitive science component in my project. According to Grozer (2021), transfer involves taking knowledge learned in one context and using it in another context. As learning can get deeper when learners can transfer the knowledge they learn to other contexts, instruction that offers opportunities for transfer to happen can be useful. In this project, after learning about the nature of memory and research findings related to human memory, learners also have the chance to apply what they learn about memory to better their work performance as well as work relationships and transfer the knowledge to their context. For example, in the first module, after learning about the reconstructive nature of the human memory, learners are encouraged to think about how that nature of memory can affect their relationships at work – relationships with their boss, their colleagues, or their employees. Similarly, in the other two modules, learners have many chance to reflect on their own context and think about how they can transfer what they learn about making memory stickier or unlearning to their own work context. I believe that this will help their learning become more effective and deeper.

Assessment Plan

As previously mentioned, assessment is embedded into learning activities rather than be separated from learning in a formal way. To be more specific, throughout the lessons, learners are invited to recall what they learn, jot down the key points after actively retrieving the information before they can look back and compare what they have recalled with the summaries provided by the designer. I am considering separating these learning summaries from the slides and make them printable hand-outs instead.

Adding to that, learners are asked a number of questions that require them to map out the lesson and recall the whole lesson at the end of each module. There will be answers for them to compare with their answers.

In general, as this is expected to be a self-paced learning series, assessment will rely mostly on self-assessment.

Critique

Although I have made efforts to incorporate principles and implications from cognitive science findings into the design of this project, I believe that there are a number of aspects I can keep working on to improve it.

First, there are some parts in the project where I include quite a great deal of new information, which might create a cognitive load for the learners even if they are professional educators that are familiar with academic texts. I made this decision based on the assumption that this pack of materials is designed for self-paced learning, and learners can always pause or retrace what they learn so as to process the information in the most convenient way. I hope that after the course has ended, I would have more time to further summarize some parts of the materials to reduce the risk of cognitive-overload for learners.

Second, much as I wish to make the learning materials more visual, many important contents still rely heavily on texts. I personally feel that the texts could make sure learners can have chance to get exposed to not only the gist of the concepts but the academic concepts themselves. However, I think that the lesson might be more digestible if it is more concise and visually demonstrated. Long texts could be added as appendix or supplementary materials that learners who wish to dive deeper into the contents could choose to read as an option. I envision creating a set of supplementary hand-outs that learners can print out while using more visual illustrations in the mini-lectures.

Third, I am still puzzled about creating an assessment plan that works for this mode of learning. As the assessment in this project relies on self-assessment, I wonder how much I can trust that the learners will actually follow the instructions and that the assessment will be helpful to their learning. If learners do not follow the instructions, for example, not trying to do active recall before looking at the sample answers, how would they benefit from the learning experience. I believe that with a more interactive platform, this self-assessment plan might be made more effective. For example, I imagine that learners will need to submit their reflections and answers before they could move on with the learning materials. The current version with slidedecks and video will not be able to allow that function.

Finally, while the three learning modules are more or less connected in terms of content, I believe there should be a stronger and more explicit connection among them. I have the feeling that now learners can do the three module quite separately. If the learning process is better “engineered”, learners will go through an implicit learning journey and this can make sure they can connect the dots as well as apply what they learn from the previous lesson in the current lesson.

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