Learning and Memory - Essay Example

Learning and Memory To learn the material, I engaged with a set of study periods every week. Before, my bedtime, I vocalize the important key points in the material to rehearse it all over again, until the input is remembered. This is done, after and aside from reading the text of the material, because sometimes, I easily forget what has been previously studied. Sometimes, I write down the important key points in outline so that I can picture out the entire idea.Every week, aside from the time I spent attending the courses during the day, I also spent 1 hour at most reading the material before bedtime–with a total of at least 5 hours per week, depending upon the schedule in the week.

Thus, depending upon the length of the material, I was able to devote reading 1-3 chapters per week considering that there are other materials in the other subjects to study for.Before moving on the next week, I reviewed the week’s material so this can facilitate retention. There are times when I had reviewed the materials only once; but frequently, I had reviewed them more than twice because I learned in this course that information can be easily recalled if it is rehearsed more often.I consider this class as different from other classes, so it required me to study differently.

I find this class difficult; but, I did not waver. I modified my pattern of studying to include a daily regimen of reading and mnemonics which is not usual in my other classes. It required me to be more reflective and understanding that is to understand the facets of the human brain.I have learned that long term potentiation “is the process by which synchronous firing of neurons makes those neurons more inclined to fire together in the future” (Human-memory.net). I learned that when we are learning every now and then, the more it will be easier for the brain to function its cognitive processes since the neurons will be more activated thus giving off academic results for students.

It is learned that the brain areas of the “thalamus and the frontal lobe” (Human-memory.net) are responsible for the process of laying down a memory. Once one wanted to recall the information–supposing that it has retained and processed in the long-term memory–for a test or some homework, the Hippocampus is involved. “Although the exact way in which these pieces are identified and recalled later remains largely unknown” (Human-memory.net). If the information has been encoded semantically, then it can be consolidated into a long term memory; however, if it has been encoded acoustically this will likely remain in the short term memory.

Most likely the information that is stored in the long term memory will be retained for a long period of time. If it is still recalled with ease in about a year after, the information is stored in the same place; however in instances like tip-of-the-tongue, the information could be stored somewhere else inside our brain.Supposing that I know the biological basis of learning and memory, for this course and for my future work, I will employ not only acoustic encoding but also the visual, tactile and semantic encoding to enhance more the long term and short term retention and retrieval.

I also need to nourish my mind and body by eating healthy foods and sleeping 8 hours a day.ReferencesMemory Processes. (n.d.). In The Human Memory. Retrieved May 6 2011, from http://www.human-memory.net/index.html