How to Use Educational Psychology - Essay Example

How to use educational psychology to help increase productivity in terms learning and memory. al Affiliation) Introduction Learning can be best described as the process of acquiring knowledge. This knowledge may be obtained through teachings or a systematic study of material. Depending on the learner, it may be a lengthy or brief process. The skills of the teacher as well as that of the student are important in the learning process. One of the key skills ascribed to the learning process is that of memory retention. The process of learning entails the ability of the student to modify their memories in a dynamic manner in order to capture and store the new materials. Learning involves the capturing of inputs in the form of information. Memory plays the role of capturing these inputs and interpreting them. Therefore, the importance of good memory retention cannot be overemphasized. Some of the best brains in the world are associated with incredible retention ability (Sossin, 2008). Types of memories The process of memory involves encoding, consolidation and storage of information. There are two broad categories of memory, the short term and long-term memory. Short-term memory lasts for a period of less than a minute while long-term memory usually lasts over a lifetime. Long-term memory is further divided into Explicit and Implicit memory. Explicit memory includes declarative memory while Implicit includes procedural memory. “Procedural memory” is dependent on the learner repeating the skill acquired in order to improve retention. The skills are acquired through practice. There is also the “declarative memory” which is contained in the conscious part of the brain. It is mainly concerned with the retention of facts and events in one’s life. Difference in memory retention among individuals It is obvious that some students are able to remember hey content they learn or are taught much better that their fellow counterparts. This quality is dependent on a number of factors. One of them is distraction. Some students are easily distracted and thus do not fully take in what is being taught. This results in some information passing them by and hence reduces their retention capacity. Therefore, since the amount of information captured is low then their ability to remember will also be negatively affected. There is also interference theory. It states that some memories have an effect on the ability to remember newly acquired information. Proactive interference is whereby the availability of old memories makes it harder to remember new concepts. Retroactive interference refers to a situation in which new information makes it hard to remember the old information. Therefore, the ability to recall is dependent on how much interference has affected the individual. Another factor is a lack of effort in the learning process. It takes a considerable amount of effort for one to listen keenly for a period, let us say forty minutes. Hence, if the students do not put in the effort and attention that is required in the learning processes little information will be captured resulting in poor memory. Disuse of the brain is another reason for difference in memory capabilities. Research has shown that individuals who use their brains for different purposes and activities such as playing chess and reading of books, have a better memory that those who live a relative dormant lifestyle. Disuse of the information acquired also plays a role in the process of retention. This is because relearning concepts that have been forgotten is much easier than learning new concepts (Klingberg, 2012). Understanding is another factor attributed to the different memories in individuals. It is easier to forget what one does not understand. Understanding of new concepts requires time and effort and differs from person to person. This is the reason why some individuals are better placed to recall some concepts than others do. Learning attitudes play a role in memory retention. If a learner is pessimistic of their ability in retaining the information being acquired, then chances are that they will forget it. In addition, if the learners have a negative attitude towards the subject that is being taught or the instructor teaching it then they are more likely to forget. Use of educational Psychology to improve learning in students Psychology is the study of the intellect and behaviors of not only man but also all other beings. Educational psychology helps us to understand the different stages of human development and in the process solve classroom problems. Educational psychology is concerned with teaching techniques, evaluation of students development and cognitive development in students. It facilitates the development of the necessary skills for the teaching process (Eichenbaum, 2008). Various teaching methods can be used to improve the performance of students in class especially as relates to memory and learning. Teachers can use rereading and highlighting as techniques to improve memory in students. Rereading simply refers to going over material again after the initial reading while highlighting involves marking the most important texts of the learning material. Highlighting reduces the workload on the student by eliminating information considered unnecessary in the learning process (Klingberg, 2013). Rereading is a form of repetition and facilitates activation of procedural memory. The use of mnemonics is another technique that can be used to boost memory in students. Mnemonics refers to the use of keywords in order to remember specific information. In most cases, it is the first letters of the subject matter that are used in the formation of mnemonics. Integration of images and teaching with the use of visual aids is also another learning technique that can improve memory and facilitate learning in students. Lack of understanding is a factor that prevents retention of information. Therefore, in order to facilitate understanding the teachers should employ the use of explanations and self-explanations in their teaching process. Explanation can be described as a detailed description on how to solve the problem under consideration. It can involve a systematic description or description in an alternative way in order to facilitate learning. The explanations must be correct, delivered in a timely and elaborate in a manner in order to get to the target group. Self-explanation can be described as the students’ perspective on the question at hand. Self-explanation gives a chance for the student to give their version of events dependent on how they have understood it themselves. It relates the new information to the old information that the student is already familiar with (Dhir, 2007). The learning environment plays a huge role in the ability of the learner to understand and capture the subject matter. A quiet learning environment devoid of distractions is more favorable than a noisy one. Group discussions can be sued in the learning process. Group discussions promote creativity in the students and this helps with the understanding of the subject matter. They also facilitate the students to develop better communication skills. Better communication skills enable the students to voice any queries that they may have. This makes it possible to understand better and improve learning in students. Through sharing with other students, the learners come to a more complete understanding of the learning material. They also motivate the weaker students in the group to learn more and get to be at par with their counterparts. Group studying facilitates elaborative-interrogation effects. Elaborative-interrogation forces students to come up with an explanation for a stated fact. This therefore enables students to understand better by elaborating themselves in a comfortable environment. At the same time, those who do not understand can ask questions within the group setting where they will be comfortable and will not be victimized by their fellow students. Creation of a positive attitude towards the subject can improve understanding in students. Studies have shown there is a relationship between emotions and learning. Students tend to learn better, when they are in a good mental state about themselves and have a positive attitude towards the subject. The same applies towards the teachers. Students tend to fail in examinations taught by teachers towards whom they have a negative attitude (Baddeley & Eysenck, 2009). Conclusion The learning process is a long and tedious one with numerous challenges in the way. The role of the teacher is important in ensuring the students understand the materials and helping them overcome any challenges that they may encounter in the classroom. Educational psychology is an effective tool in the dealing with these challenges. It gives the various aids that can be used not only from the teacher’s perspective but also from the students’. It is therefore that the measures mentioned above are implemented in order to ensure maximum benefit to the students from the learning process and to make the work of the teachers easier. Bibliography Baddeley, A. D., Eysenck, M. W., & Anderson, M. (2009). Memory. Hove [England: Psychology Press. Dhir, R. N. (2007). Educational psychology. Chandigarh, India: Abhishek Publications. Eichenbaum, H. (2008). Learning & memory. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.. Klingberg, T. (2013). The learning brain: memory and brain development in children. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sossin, W. S. (2008). Essence of memory. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 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