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Human Memory and the New Science of Learning

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New Science of Learning

Abstract

This chapter describes the characteristics of human memory, including the way humans input sensory data into their memory systems, organize the information in an effort to make sense of it, and store the information for further use. The attributes of each of the components will be described, and the implications these components have for learning in the age of technology will be discussed in detail. This chapter will also examine the cognitive processes involved in moving information from one component of the human memory system to another, including learner strategies for storing information most efficiently and the elements of human motivation that provide the impetus for using the strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on human working memory, its limitations, what learners can do to accommodate those limitations, and how technological systems can be designed to capitalize on both the characteristics of working memory and the factors that increase human motivation. The role of metacognition in the process of gathering, organizing, and storing data in the human memory system will be briefly introduced to provide a transition to the chapter that follows.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the major contributions that Don Kauchak, a respected colleague and friend, has made to the original work that provided the framework for this chapter. Without his contribution, preparing this chapter would have been extremely difficult. We want to use this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude.

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  1. University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Paul Eggen & Suzanne Schellenberg

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  1. Paul Eggen
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Correspondence to Paul Eggen .

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  1. Emirates College for Advanced Education, Abu Dhabi, POBox 1266, Utd.Arab.Emir.

    Myint Swe Khine

  2. Emirates College for Advanced Education, Abu Dhabi, PO Box 126, Utd.Arab.Emir.

    Issa M. Saleh

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Eggen, P., Schellenberg, S. (2010). Human Memory and the New Science of Learning. In: Khine, M., Saleh, I. (eds) New Science of Learning. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5716-0_5

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