#11 Memory
What ideas do you have for aiding your learners’ memory retention of important knowledge and skills (reference class activities and readings as warranted)? What role might form play in your ideas?
This week we focused on Memory in learning experiences, taking a deep dive into how learners actually remember what they are being taught. For the purposes of this post, we are going to view memory-aiding tactics through the topic of:
UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVING ONE’S CREDIT SCORE
To set the context, we defined a credit score as:
And, we confirmed the elements that make up a credit score, indicating the impact (BIG, MEDIUM, LOW) that each element has on one’s score:
While we ideally would like learners to fully grasp the interplay between each element and how to optimize their choices to quickly achieve and forever maintain an excellent credit score, we acknowledge that such a goal is too lofty and unrealistic for most learners, given our target demographic of incoming University undergraduate students. As such, we determined that we wanted learners to remember at least 3 things after their first lesson on credit scores, namely:
- There are SIX ELEMENTS to a credit score. If learners can at least remember that there are six elements, we hope this will prompt curiosity into what those elements are, if a learner has forgotten (“what was number 4 again? Let me look it up…”)
- Raising a credit score is ACHIEVABLE based on smart choices. Again, we aren’t expecting learners to necessarily remember what choices to take, but if they can at least know that things are possible and under their control, we will have them in a good position for directed practice.
- It is very important to have a great credit score. Through storytelling and emotional context (see below) — we hope to drill into learners’ memories that, unequivocally, it is good to have a great credit score. Accessing resources, receiving approvals, and generally moving through adult life with less friction necessitates a good, ideally excellent, credit score.
To frame our teachings and promote the memory of these three items, we discussed employing ideas from Ambrose and Dirksen. All of these ideas are threaded through the form of a 30-minute digital game that allows learners to work together as a group to attempt to raise their credit score from 500 to above 750 by making a series of choices related to the six elements of a credit score. The application of the theories was as follows:
Knowledge Construction Structures: There is an inherent simplicity involved in the structure of improving a credit score, even if the execution is more nuanced. We wanted to be sure that learners understand that there is a basic score that rises and falls based upon choices that they make related to each of the six elements of a credit score. If we can really reinforce that structure within a group game, we believe we can promote greater memory.
Organization of Information: By repeating frequently the definitions and the implications of each of the six elements of a credit score, we hope to be able to organize key information/decisions in the minds of the learners.
Connecting Concepts: This is just a theory for now, but we believe if we simply allow students to “play” the credit score game by making choices on their own, without coaching or guidance, that by witnessing the outcome of their score in simulated time, they will start to draw connections between how the elements of a credit score interact.
Encoding and Retrieving Information / Emotional Contexts: We want to use the tenents of habit-forming within the game itself to layout clear triggers, reactions, actions, and rewards for decisions that are made. Our hope is that by experiencing positive or negative outcomes very clearly (score goes up or down) that students will encode the choices they make more deeply. For example, if their score plummets because they miss a payment, and they effectively “lose” the game as result, we hope they can retrieve that lesson in the real world if they were to ever consider not making a credit card payment.
Chunking Information: Already we are using the six elements of a credit score to help learners remember information — we want to chunk that further by saying that elements 1, 2, and 3 are high-impact whereas elements 4, 5, and 6 are low impact. We might actually introduce 4, 5, and 6 later in the game just to help segment out the elements for easier recall.
Storytelling: We want to start the game by telling two quick stories: one of an individual who worked diligently to get and maintain an excellent credit score and one of an individual who neglected their credit score and is stuck with a very low one. For both contrasting stories, we will quickly outline the implications — namely access and ease of living — that result.
Overall, this is our thinking so far in terms of key ideas to promote memory around the topic of credit score education, in the context of a digital game. To note: this is just one sub-concept in our larger proposal for financial literacy education for University undergraduates.
