How to teach: Lessons learned from information processing theory

By Briana Nussbaum
College of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
November, 2010

During today’s class we learned about the three different types of memory; which are sensory register, short term memory and long term memory. We spent a good portion of the class discussing short term memory.

Professor Boyanton showed a video clip from the movie “50 First Dates,” in order to show us an example first hand, on what short term memory is. In addition to viewing this clip, Professor Boyanton put a series of numbers up on the screen, and gave us a minute to try to remember as many as we could, in the correct order. I am not sure exactly how many numbers there were, but I was able to remember ten of them. I did this by grouping the numbers together, and relating them to something I knew. For example, I grouped “9 and 1” together, because it was easy to remember since I was born in the year 1991. According to what we learned, the average short term memory is able to hold about seven bits of new information. Information that is related counts as one bit. I was able to retain ten numbers (five bits), because I grouped them into two digit numbers. It was interesting to see how the theory was accurate. I found this class informative and interesting, mainly because this is something that everyone can definitely relate to. Everyone knows what it is like to have memories and how challenging new information can be to retain, without the knowledge of useful strategies.

The information I learned during class today will benefit my future career as a teacher, because I will have insight as to how the memories of my students will work. I know that when I become a teacher, I will make my lessons fun and exciting, this way my students are more likely to remember what I teach them. I really enjoyed today’s class, and I am becoming more excited to become a teacher as the semester progresses.