The word memorization has often been avoided in learning settings, as some may see it as a sign of the past and inefficacy. However, some may argue that memorization is important in daily life and often used to learn languages, remember important facts, and is/was especially used in math. Is there a place for memorization in learning or perhaps we should rely on alternative ways of retaining information?
Daniela, I observe that fashions in the theory and practice of pedagogy come and go over the years and I agree that memorisation can have its place. Some students have good memories and are proud of this facility; it seems clear that in some disciplines, such as Law and Medicine, there is a great reliance on factual knowledge and that remembering that can be very useful. I understand that in the informatics age, people argue that 'we can just look things up', and also that the selections of facts to be learned is not value-free (far from it!) - so for instance the construction of History is a political process. However it is not always possible to access the Internet and being awash with data doesn't mean that it's always reliable. So often we search for authoritative answers only to find uninformed opinions on forums. Therefore, as long as memorisation is considered a tool; the criteria for the selection of facts are transparent, and the place of analysis, creativity and conjecture is assured, then I think it's a skill that should be encouraged.
Thank you so much for your insightful analysis, Alan. I completely agree with you.
Interesting question. I agree with the previous response. Surely I cannot imagine how to totally separate learning from memorizing. Any improvement in the pedagogy focuses on more effective learning, but still cognitive goals are important, along with skills, psychomotor and affective.
For example it is well supported that the more you implement something, the better you learn, or memorize it.
Thank you for your feedback and for adding to our discussion, Konstantinos.
Dear Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk.
First of all, let me congratulate you for bringing your question --- Is there a place for memorization in learning? -- to the forefront of this discussion.
Of course, there is a place for memorization in learning. Obviously, memorizing takes more place in certain disciplines (e.g., Medicine and Law) than in other ones. Philosophy is a telling example. As I see it, theories about human nature never really die; they just go out and in of fashion. As a psychologist, it is my conviction that the ideal learning is the one that reconciles memorizing and understanding. We easily forget what we learn by rote learning or memorizing, which is not the case of what we understand. Even so, we cannot understand what we do not know, and the first step to know something is to memorize or encode it in our memory. Nowadays, it is much in vogue to underestimate the value of memory and overestimate the value of understanding in the teaching/ learning process or even to oppose them. But in reality, memory and understanding are two faces of the same coin: to learn and even to learn how to learn. If we lost our memory we would lose our sense of self, of identity, and continuity. The most telling example of the importance of memory in our daily life is well illustrated in patients with the Alzheimer's disease . These patients lose their sense of self, identity and continuity, and are a source of concern and sadness for their families. How can they understand what they cannot remember? Only those who know little, if anything, about people's psychological functioning do dare to challenge the role of memory in people's daily life and their psychological functioning.
Thank you so much for your insightful, knowledgeable, and eloquent answer, Orlando. I absolutely agree with you.
Dear Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk.
I feel more than happy to know that you appreciated my contribution to your thread. Fortunately, I have memory and can remember the content of my previous post.
The opposition between memory and understanding represents an artificial, not natural fracture. We can only understand what is encoded in our memory.
اتفق مع پول لكن لو نحلل الدماغ نشاهد انه مانتعلمه يترنب فيها على شكل كتب مصفاط في المكتبه لهذا بتأكيد هناك مكان خاص بتعلم في الدماغ
Those who underestimate the role of memory in people's psychological functioning know little, if anything, about such a functioning. Without memory, people would lose their sense of self, continuity, and could not be anymore responsible for their actions. If doubts still remain about the role of memory in people's daily life, then have a look at people who suffer from the Alzheimer's disease.
Thank you William for your insightful contribution to our discussion.
Dear Daniela Fontenelle-Tereshchuk.
Too often teachers tend to overlook the role of memorizing in the teaching/learning process, namely when memoring is compared to understanding. If we had not memory we would lose our sense of self, identity and continuity, which is what happens with the people who suffer from the Alzheimer'a disease.
Basic fact memorization makes information readily available for deeper learning and making connections to new material. The storeroom of knowledge packed into memory makes it much more likely a creative connection will occur when the next round of facts come along.
And, of course, the term 'memory' is so broad that we can barely imagine, without careful specification, what the other person is thinking when they use it.
The term memory means mainly to get information from the outside, to encode it in our short or long memory, and retrieve it when it is necessary. In this case an output tends to occur. Again, if we lost our memory we would lose our sense of self, identity, and continuity and would no more be responsible for our actions.
Some things have to be memorized. Dates, equations, and numbers. You need to know those things to know how to use them.
"“Memorizing information is valuable but only if you're able to make some sense of the information and put it into a useful context."
Yes but it can get in the way of learning.
When Memorization Gets in the Way of Learning
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/when-memorization-gets-in-the-way-of-learning/279425/
For there is a place for memorization in learning. But we must understand that there are tasks that have to be memorized while there others that require deeper learning. Where it becomes a problem is when tasks that should be 'meaningfully' learned are not. Care must be taken in the interpretation of this because automatization may not be what we refer to as 'memorization' here.
Of course! The fact is: memorization can be a part of education, but is not the same of education. The first level of Bloom's taxonomy, for instance, concerns to memorization. And we build on this memorization other kind of knowledge, more and more complex.
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