Learning is not just about remembering, it’s about making sense of something

LEARNING IS ABOUT MAKING SENSE

What is chunking???

CHUNKING IS WORKING MEMORY Working Memory Working memory is similar to RAM (random

access memory) in computers. The greater the RAM the more powerful the

computer The greater the RAM the more applications a

computer can run Similarly most people have the ability to

store seven separate items in ‘working memory’

MEMORYOn the next slide, seven numbers will appear

Stare at the numbers for 15 seconds and try to memorize them as best you can

Don’t write them down, just try to remember them!

7153629

Now write down what you just saw!

Now check it with the number below

Did you get it right?

7153629

MEMORY TESTNow we’ll try one that’s a little harder!

Memorise the number below

417483591845

MEMORY TESTHow did you do? Did you get it right?

If so, good! If not, that’s ok. Many people can’t remember ten different items with just their working memory.

CHUNKINGNow try remembering the number below

417 483 591 845

DID YOU CHUNK?Now write it downDid you get it right this time?417483591845Was it any easier to remember?

If your answer is yes can you identify why that might be?

CHUNKING If you think of the numbers as three groups

instead of ten individual numbers, it can be easier to remember!

This is called CHUNKING!! When teaching, it’s important to group things

in such a way so you don’t overwhelm minds with too many pieces to work with at once.

So what is chunking?

LEARNING PATTERNS Chunking is the appreciation that when

learning masses of information we don’t need to remember all the pieces just the pattern

Once the pattern is identified it allows us to go to our permanent memory to look up the constituent parts of such patterns

It helps to concentrate on the pattern and reason with it in order so the relations between the constituent parts become second nature

It’s the same process which are used when assembling a jigsaw puzzle. We each look for a pattern in order to build the picture

REASONING In teaching knowledge can be delivered in way

which isn’t functional Many text books provide knowledge and the

principles behind such knowledge without actually connecting the pieces of such knowledge together

As teachers we can provide the jigsaw pieces sometimes several pieces at once without ever providing the means of assembling chunks of knowledge. There were no lugs to allow the chunks to be assembled together. It’s the ability reason which allows the pieces to be assembled together