Memory and Transfer Resource by Stephanie Long

Sensory Memory

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 17:41:32 UTC

Sensory memory is the brief storage of memory of sensory information through our five senses.

This is important for teachers because this is the first step in the learning process.

During the phase, the brain takes a quick photo of the environment around it and sends that information to short term memory (Clinic, 2024).

Short-term Memory

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 18:04:31 UTC

Short-term memory is also referred to as working memory. This type of memory has limited storage space. When in working memory it captures our focus and demands our attention within the prefrontal cortex (Sousa, 2022).

Students with a strong short-term memory are able to retain knowledge and process new information.

Educators need explicit, segmented instruction and provide graphics to help students build their short-term memory (Bedwards, 2022).

Long-term Memory

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 18:12:58 UTC

Long-term memory refers to the process of storing and retrieving information from short-term memory (Sousa, 2022). It can last from minutes to decades.

It is best for educators to rehearse and recall previous information taught to help students stay efficient and strong in their skills.

Retention and Transfer

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 19:04:39 UTC

Retention refers to the process where long-term memory preserves learning in a way that it can locate, identify, and retrieve information accurately in the future (Sousa, 2022).

An important part of retention and transfer is rehearsal. Rehearsal allows the transference of information from working memory to long-term memory. Rehearsal deals with the repetition and processing of information (Sousa, 2022).

Educators need to help students make connections to what they are learning as this helps with retention of information.

Strategies

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 19:09:25 UTC

Here are some helpful strategies to help students with their memory and retention of information.

Chunks:
Present information into smaller, more meaningful chunks. Then allow time to apply what they learned.
Active learning:
Have students write and talk about what they are learning.
Teach others:
Being able to explain concepts to someone reinforces understanding and memory.
(Sousa, 2022)

Trauma and Memory

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 21:06:12 UTC

Trauma has a significant impact on memory, making it difficult to recall specific events and altering the way memories are stored and processed. It can prevent different parts of the brain from working together, leading to fragmented sequences of events. Trauma can affect a student's ability to stay focused and maintain attention, which can impact their learning. After experiencing a traumatic event, a person may become triggered, and trauma can also change the patterns of procedural memory (Bricker, 2017).

Educators need to create a classroom of respect, expectations, and build strong relationships with students to help foster learning in the classroom.

References

stephlong2110 — 2025-05-12 21:07:44 UTC

Bedwards. (2022, August 30). 4 Strategies for Supporting Students’ Short-Term Memory. Brookes Blog. https://blog.brookespublishing.com/4-strategies-for-supporting-students-short-term-memory/

Bricker, M. (2017). How Trauma Impacts Four Different Types of Memory EXPLICIT MEMORY. https://www.naadac.org/assets/2416/2019NWRC_Michael_Bricker_Handout4.pdf

Clinic, C. (2024, December 3). Sensory Memory: What It Is, How It Works, Capacity & Types. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/sensory-memory