Connecting Memory to Deep Learning

It can be easy to blame a poor memory on the way we live; multitasking has become the norm for college students and instructors. Admittedly, it’s hard to focus on anything for very long if your life is full of daily distractions and competing responsibilities or if you’re not getting the sleep you need. Have you ever had the experience of walking into a room with a particular task in mind and immediately forgetting what that task was? You were probably interrupted either by your own thoughts or by someone or something else. Or have you ever felt the panic that comes from blanking on a test, even though you studied hard and thought that you knew the material? You might have pulled an all-nighter, and studying and exhaustion raised your stress level, causing your mind to go blank. Such experiences happen to everyone at one time or another. To do well in college, however—and in life—it’s important that you improve your ability to remember what you read, hear, and experience. As one writer put it, “There is no learning without memory.”3 On the other hand, not all memory involves real learning.

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Is a good memory all you need to do well in college? Most memory strategies tend to focus on helping you remember the bits and pieces of knowledge: names, dates, numbers, vocabulary, graphic materials, and formulas. However, if you know the date the Civil War began and the fort where the first shots were fired but you don’t really know why the Civil War was fought, you’re missing the point of a college education. College is about deep learning, understanding the why and how behind the details. So don’t forget that although recall of specific facts is certainly necessary, it isn’t sufficient. To do well in college courses, you will need to understand major themes and ideas, and you will also need to hone your ability to think critically about what you’re learning. Critical thinking is discussed in depth in Chapter 5.

deep learning Understanding the why and how behind the details.