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Memory is a process in which the brain absorbs, stores, and retrieves information.

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Long-term memory refers to an individual's consistent and enduring memories, which can last for years or even a lifetime. Long-term storage occurs when the hippocampus organizes and stores information and transfers it to one of the long-term storage areas (Sousa, 2022). In order for the brain to transfer information into long-term storage, it must be understood by the individual and relevant to the individual (Sousa, 2022). In other words, the information must have both sense and meaning in order for it to be stored in long-term storage.

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Short-term memory precedes long-term memory and refers to the information that is stored for a limited amount of time (Sousa, 2022). It is composed of immediate and working memory and occurs when information is transferred from the thalamus to the cortex (Sousa, 2022). Immediate memory refers to the place where information is stored for a short period of time before it is determined how to be disposed of, while working memory refers to the area where conscious information processing occurs (Sousa, 2022).

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Sensory memory refers to the information that is held for an extremely brief amount of time before it is filtered based on importance (Sousa, 2022). The thalamus receives sensory information before determining whether it should be dropped or forwarded to short-term memory (Sousa, 2022).

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Retention is the process in which long-term memory is able to locate, identify, and retrieve information at any future point (Sousa, 2022). In other words, it is an individual's ability to recall information for years after it was initially learned.

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Transfer is the process in which the brain learns in one situation, and then uses that learning in other situations (Sousa, 2022). Transfer plays a crucial role in problem-solving, creative thinking, and other higher-level thinking processes (Sousa, 2022).

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When an individual experiences trauma, all non-essential systems shut down and move into the lower brain systems such as the reptilian brain (PsychCentral, n.d.). The brain essentially switches into survival mode, activating the fight, flight or freeze response (PsychCentral, n.d.). Trauma affects memory by prohibiting any new memories from being formed, and preventing past memories from being retrieved or transferred. Since the trauma brain shuts down all non-essential systems, it doesn't have the tools or the capacity to learn or remember information.

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Strategies to Improve Memory, Retention & Transfer

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Strategies to Improve Memory, Retention & Transfer

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Retention:

In order for students to retain information, they must be actively involved with the information, give the information conscious attention, and build conceptual frameworks that contain both sense and meaning (Sousa, 2022). Educators can ensure that students are retaining information by implementing frequent rehearsal in their classrooms and being aware of the primary-recency effect. Using these methods to guide instruction will benefit students and their retention of information.

Transfer:

Transfer is the epitome of what teaching and learning is about (Sousa, 2022). Educators can explicitly teach positive transfer to students in order to enhance the learning environment. They can do this by using time as a vessel to teach it. Educators can teach transfer by linking their students' present learning to their past learning, and by even connecting their students' future learning to their present learning.

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Mindfulness meditation is a process in which an individual gains a greater, non-judgmental understanding and awareness of their own thoughts, emotions and feelings (Mendel, n.d.). Mindfulness has been shown to improve memory as it changes our brain structure. Participants who engaged in regular mindfulness meditation showed an increase in hippocampus density, which is responsible for our memory and focus (Mendel, n.d.).

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Learning occurs when information is transferred to long-term storage, so it is crucial for educators to understand the process. In order to ensure that students are storing information in their long-term memory, educators must guarantee that students understand the content that is being taught (sense), and also must make the information meaningful for their students (meaning). One way that educators can establish both sense and meaning for their students is by relating information to their students' past experiences and background knowledge (Sousa, 2022).

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It is necessary for educators to understand the limits of short-term memory, so that they can teach lessons more effectively. They can do this by presenting an appropriate amount of information to their students so that students are more likely to remember what they were taught (Sousa, 2022).

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Sensory memory is where information is filtered by importance. If the thalamus determines the information as unimportant, it is dropped. However, if the information is deemed important, it is transferred to short-term memory and eventually long-term memory if appropriate. That being said, learning can only occur when information is determined to be important by the sensory register.

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The primacy-recency effect states that individuals tend to remember what comes first best, and what comes last second-best (Sousa, 2022). Everything in the middle would be the information that an individual remembers the least. Educators can implement this in the classroom by teaching what they would like students to retain the most in the beginning of a lesson, and restating or reviewing it at the end of the lesson. This will ensure that students are learning, remembering, and retaining the information taught.

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Journal writing is an extremely effective strategy when it comes to transfer. When students have the opportunity to write and reflect on their learning, they tend to make connections with previous knowledge and organize concepts (Sousa, 2022). This leads to storage and transfer. Educators can implement journal writing as a closure activity for a lesson and encourage students to write down their thoughts and any connections they may have noticed throughout the lesson.