The power of memory and desireable difficulties
How do memories become learning? In this reflection, Tim Archer explores the science behind memory retrieval, prior knowledge and “desirable difficulties”, revealing why struggle, practice and meaningful conversations play such an important role in deep learning.
"What did you learn today?”
Such an important question, and such a good conversation starter.
Earlier this term, the senior school teaching staff participated in a professional development session focused on the science of learning. We covered overlapping contemporary theories on learning such as memory retrieval, desirable difficulties, and cognitive load. The foundations of these approaches to learning are well-established and not new. However, our understanding of how learning works continues to evolve. For theory to help improve our practice and the teaching of girls at PLC Sydney, it must be applicable in the classroom. There must be a point at which theory from the top and teaching on the ground meet. This synthesis, in some ways, mirrors how learning works. Allow me to demonstrate.
How difficult is it to memorise the names of these five cities: London, Berlin, New York, Paris, Johannesburg? What about Didcot, Augsburg, West Newbury, Grenoble, Bloemfontein? Of course, the first list is easier because the names are instantly familiar and connections to them are already embedded in our memories, whether through knowledge or lived experience. The second list, containing less familiar names from the same nations, in the same order, is more difficult because it is far less likely that our knowledge of and personal connections to them are as acute.
The act of reaching, falling short and reaching again stimulates the neural pathways and helps us grow.
Tim Archer
We also explored the concept of “desirable difficulties” in learning, which posits that learning is strengthened when students encounter more challenging work in a controlled and supportive environment. In other words, some work is difficult and takes time to understand. We are socially and psychologically attuned to want to understand everything now. If we are posed a question, we want the opportunity to work out the answer. In a society increasingly built on instant gratification, the pressure to understand everything and to understand it now is greater than ever. But the notion that the learning process is a journey that needs to be appreciated is not merely romantic, it is backed up by science.
When I was younger, I practised desperately to serve properly in tennis or hit a three-point shot on the basketball court, or to overcome the final boss in a video game. Our students work tirelessly in their cocurricular activities to master their sporting skills or a new piece of music. Mastering difficulties intuitively extends our learning and makes it even more worthwhile. But at times in the classroom, when students feel the stakes are high, this can be forgotten. The act of reaching, falling short and reaching again stimulates the neural pathways and helps us grow. It is OK to find something confusing in a lesson, or to not understand a concept fully.
The next time you ask your daughter what she learned today, feel confident that you are helping her to learn, encouraging her to appreciate the process, and more importantly, inviting her to participate in an important conversation.
