Memory, Learning & Improving Concentration

MEMORY LEARNING & IMPROVING CONCENTRATION

Skills

• The ability to do something well

Learning Pyramid 🔺

Brain 

• In life, our brain manage hundred data per second
• Brain transmits data messages with a speed of 250 km per hour through trillion cell circuit
• In a state of consciousness, the brain produces 25 watts of electrical power that can turn on a bulb

MEMORY VS BRAIN

• Memory is the ability of individual for keeping, defend and remembered any information and experience
• Brain is an organ

Relevance of Brain and Memory 💻

• Analogy: A computer

• Speaker ⟶ Mouth
• Microphone ⟶ Ear
• Memory ⟶ Brain

Memory 🖥

• There is three types of human memory system :
• Sensory memory (SM)
• Short term memory (STM)
• Long term memory (LTM)

Sensory Memory

• Memory that relate with temporary information storage brought by 5 sensories
• Is temporary

Short Term Memory

• STM is a process that allows to accept information and to keep it in short period between 30 second to 24 hours
• This occured because the storage is limited

Long Term Memory

• LTM means memory toward some information in long period

💡 MEMORY STRATEGIES 💡

• What strategy do you use to remember the colours of the rainbow ?
• If do you not have a smartphone or pen or paper, what strategy do you use to remember your friends phone number ?

How to Improve Your Strategy 📃

• Massed practice vs spaced practice

⟶ Massed practice (not good) - cramming, involves studying all the materials at one time 

Do not have time to understand, remember and organize the reading materials

Reason: Short term memory (STM) cannot sustain many information at one time

⟶ Space practice (good and recommended) - involves space time over some period of time for studying

Space practice or distributed practice allows time for the information to consolidate in the long term memory

Taking breaks between learning sessions allow you to think and organize the information

• Break reading material down (again no cramming) for some period of time

Rehearsel

• Repeat the information many time

Elaboration Strategies

• Acronyms - Mas (Malaysian Airline System)
• Acrostics or catchphrase
• Mnemonics - Rainbow colour (Michael Jackson Kill His Brother In University)
• Imagery - Visualize the image of the information needed
• Organizational strategies

😁 STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING CONCENTRATION 😁

Causes of poor concentration 😟

• Lack of attention
• Lack of interest
• Lack of motivation
• Distraction from others
• Uncomfortable environment
• Physiological matters - Illness, tiredness
• Psychological matters - Worries, anxieties, personal problem

Strategies for improving concentration 👣

• Use motivational and organizational strategies - create interest in the work, develop a positive attitude toward your work, use goal setting strategies, use time management strategies
• Create a positive learning environment - find a better location, reduce multitasking, minimize distractions
• Deal with internal distractions - deal with personal problems, deal with competing activities
• Use active learning strategies
• Match your learning style to the task
• Monitor your concentration

❓❔❗❕ SQ3R ❗❕❓❔

S - Survey

Q - Question

R - Read

R - Recite

R - Review

❓❔❗❕ VAK TEST ❗❕❓❔

V - VISUAL

A - AUDITORY

K - KINESTETIK

✅ MEMORY STRATEGIES ✅

Activity 4.1 -  Van Blerkom

Take a few minutes to answer yes or no to the following questions. 1. Do you often know the answer to a question but find that you can’t think of it? 2. Do you organize or group information to help you remember it? 3. After you study, do you go back and test yourself to monitor your learning? 4. Do you make up rhymes or words to help you remember some information? 5. Do you space your practice when reviewing information? 6. Do you try to memorize all the information that you need to know for an exam? 7. Do you often find that you get confused by closely related information? 8. Do you often forget a lot of the information that you studied by the time you take the test? 9. Do you ever remember exam answers after the exam is over? 10. Do you try to remember information just by making up a rhyme, word, or other memory aid? Give yourself 1 point for each yes answer to questions 2, 3, 4, and 5, and 1 point for each no answer to questions 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Now total up your points. A low score indicates that you need to improve your memory strategies. A high score indicates that you are already using many good memory strategies.

YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO YES YES Toatal Points : 7

Reference: Van Blerkom, D. L. (2009). College Study Skills: Becomming a strategic learner (6th ed.) MA: Wadworth Cengage Learning

✅ ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES ✅

Activity 4.7 - Van Blerkom

Look at the following list of words for sixty seconds; then cover it with your hand or a piece of paper and try to write the words in the margin.  Newspaper, pencil, bus, automobile, book, pen, boat, magazine, comic book, chalk, crayon, train  You may have found that it was difficult to remember all twelve of the items. Do you know why? Earlier you learned about the capacity of short-term memory. If you recall, you can remember only about seven pieces of information at one time. You can, however, increase this capacity by chunking (grouping) the information. You probably will be able to remember all twelve items if you group them as follows:
THINGS YOU READ Newspaper Book Magazine comic book	THINGS YOU WRITE WITH Pencil Pen Chalk crayon	THINGS YOU RIDE IN Bus automobile Boat train
With this grouping, you have three pieces or chunks of information to remember instead of twelve. It’s easy to remember three things, right? You also can remember the four items in each category quite easily because the headings help trigger your memory.

Reference: Van Blerkom, D. L. (2009). College Study Skills: Becomming a strategic learner (6th ed.) MA: Wadworth Cengage Learning

✅ CONCENTRATION STRATEGIES ✅

Activity 6.1- Van Blerkom

Take a few minutes to answer yes or no to the following questions. 1. Do you have trouble getting back into your work after you’ve been interrupted? 2. Do you read and study in a noisy, cluttered room? 3. Do you find that even though you schedule study time, you don’t actually accomplish very much? 4. Do you use any strategies to help increase your ability to concentrate? 5. Can you concentrate on your work even if the subject doesn’t interest you? 6. Do you use your preferred learning style when completing assignments? 7. Do you tend to think about personal plans or problems when you are reading and studying? 8. Do you find that when you finish reading your textbook assignment, you don’t really remember what you read? 9. Do you get totally engrossed in the material when you read and study?  10. Do you daydream a lot when you are listening to lectures? Give yourself 1 point for each yes answer to questions 4, 5, 6, and 9, and 1 point for each no answer to questions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10. Now total up your points. A low score indicates that you need some help improving your concentration. A high score indicates that you are already using many good concentration strategies.

NO NO YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES Total points : 7

Reference: Van Blerkom, D. L. (2009). College Study Skills: Becomming a strategic learner (6th ed.) MA: Wadworth Cengage Learning

✅ CONCENTRATION CHART✅

Date	Study Task	Concentration Problem	Cause	Strategy
14/6/2017	CTU Assignment	Lazy	Do not have a personal laptop	Borrow Amy’s laptop
24/6/2017	Study LIRA 2	Noisy environment	Neighbors sing loudly	Where the earphone
12/7/2017	UED Class	Can’t Focus	Lecture to boring	Volunteer to speak in front of class
17/7/2017	Memorising Surah Yasin 1-20	Sleepy	Not getting enough sleep	Sleep at 10.00 pm
19/7/2017	Shoot UED Video	Uncomfortable atmosphere	Hot weather at afternoon	Shoot in the morning
28/7/2017	UED E-portfolio Assignment	Uncomfortable atmosphere	Hot weather	Go to library
30/7/2017	Study for final exam	Distracted with korean drama	School 2017 (K-drama) new episode out	Off mobile data for 3 days