“Perseverance in the face of failure is the key to success.”
Aeschylus
Synopsis from:
Make It Stick
The Science of Successful Learning Peter Brown et al Belknap Press of Harvard University Cambridge, MA
Learning (1) can be summarized in a three-step process:
Encoding of information (short term memory)
Consolidation (2) of information into a connected image (long term memory)
Retrieval (3) of information to use when needed
The ability to track down information from our long term memory is directly dependent on establishing powerful repeated retrieval cues.(4) Interconnected ideas in our brain establish a series of motor skills that translate into a meaningful observable task.
(1) Learning is limitless. The more we know, the more possible connections we have for adding new knowledge. (2) Consolidation makes connection to past experiences and knowledge. (3) The ability to track down what we know when we need it is the cue learning.
(4) Effortful repeated practices construct a fix of interconnected ideas in our brain.
I think it is important for educators to acknowledge that student's long term memory is dependent on the repeated practices that form connections in the brain. In math, students benefit from establishing "retrieval cues", such as mnemonics or visual strategies. When students were in 6th grade, they remembered the steps from long division through a mnemonic that was taught to them the previous year. They had frequent recall throughout the year to use this, and it connected to other areas of their learning.
Your opinion is welcome!