Because it makes up the very framework through which we make sense of and take action within the present, its importance goes without saying.
But how exactly does it work? And how can teachers and educators apply a better understanding of its inner workings to their own teaching?
Research in cognitive science provides the answer to these questions: memory operates according to a "dual-process," where more unconscious, more routine thought processes (known as "System 1") interact with more conscious, more problem-based thought processes (known as "System 2").
At each of these two levels, in turn, there are the processes through which we "get information in" (encoding), how we hold on to it (storage), and and how we "get it back out" (retrieval or recall). With a basic understanding of how these components of memory work together, it is possible to maximize learning by knowing how much new information to introduce, when to introduce it, and how to sequence assignments that will both reinforce the retention of facts (System 1) and build toward critical, creative thinking (System 2).
