Memory and Learning

• Memory: the process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information that has been previously encountered
• Atkinson-Shiffrin multistore model of memory  a model of memory which outlines the three separate stores of memory (sensory, short-term, and long-term) each of which interact through the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval
• Sensory memory  a store of memory which very briefly stores raw information detected by the senses
• Short-term memory (STM) a store of memory that temporarily stores a limited amount of information that is consciously being attended to and actively manipulated
• Rehearsal a controlled process which involves consciously repeating or manipulating information in short-term memory
• Encoding the process of converting information into a useable form which can be manipulated and stored in the brain
• Long-term memory (LTM) a store of memory in which a potentially unlimited amount of information is stored for a relatively permanent amount of time
• Storage the retention of information over time
• Retrieval the process of accessing information, that has been stored in long-term memory, and bringing it into our conscious awareness in short-term memory
• Explicit memory (also known as declarative memory) a type of long-term memory that is consciously retrieved
• Semantic memory a type of explicit memory that consists of general knowledge or facts. There memories can be verbally explained to others
• Episodic memory a type of explicit memory that consists of personal experiences or events. There memories are unique to each individual and their own personal experiences
• Implicit memory a type of long-term memory that is unconsciously retrieved
• Procedural memory  a type of implicit memory that involves knowing how to carry out tasks that are facilitated by motor skills
• Classically conditioned memory a type of implicit memory that involves an involuntary response, such as fear, to a stimulus which has repeatedly been associated with an emotionally-arousing stimulus
• Hippocampus a brain structure that is primarily involved in encoding explicit memories
• Amygdala (in relation to memory) a brain structure that is primarily involved in encoding the emotional components of memories
• Neocortex a brain structure that stores explicit memories
• Basal ganglia (in relation to memory) a brain structure involved in encoding and storing implicit memories, specifically those related to habit formation, procedural sequences of movements, and reward pathways
• Cerebellum (in relation to memory) a brain structure involved in encoding and storing implicit memories, specifically those related to unconscious habits, simple reflexes, or procedural sequences of precise movements
• Written traditions practices in which knowledge, stories, and customs are preserved and shared through writing and reading
• Mnemonics devices or techniques used to aid the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information
• Acronym a mnemonic device in which the first letters of items form a pronounceable word to aid memory
• Acrostic a mnemonic device in which the first letters of items create a phrase, rhyme, or poem to aid memory, For example, Never Eat Soggy Weetbix
• Method of loci (also known as memory palace) a mnemonic device that converts items into mental images and associates them with specific locations to aid memory
• Oral traditions practices in which knowledge, stories, and customs are preserved and shared through spoken word and movement
• Sung narratives stories that share important cultural, ecological, and survival information through the use of singing, harmony, and rhythm
• Songlines multimodal performances conducted as a family or community travels through Country and spaces in the landscape that record journeys, link important sites, and describe ways to live, care for, and nurture Country
• Classical conditioning  a process of learning through the involuntary association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus that results in a conditioned response
• Before conditioning  the first stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus has no associations and therefore does not produce any significant response
• Neutral stimulus  the stimulus that produces no significant response prior to conditioning
• Unconditioned stimulus  the stimulus that produces an unconscious response
• Unconditioned response  a naturally occurring behaviour in response to a stimulus
• Learning the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, or behaviours through experience
• Behaviourist approaches to learning theories that propose learning occurs by interacting with the external environment
• During conditioning  the second stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus, producing the unconditioned response
• After conditioning  the third stage of classical conditioning, during which the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus, producing a conditioned response
• Conditioned stimulus  the stimulus (originally the neutral stimulus) that produces a conditioned response after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus
• Conditioned response  the response that occurs involuntarily after the conditioned stimulus is presented
• Operant conditioning  a three-phase learning process that involves an antecedent, behaviour, and consequence, whereby the consequence of a behaviour determines the likelihood that it will reoccur