Skills for Learning: Working Memory
Skills for Learning:
Working Memory
What is Working Memory?
Memory in action; the ability to remember and use information actively while thinking or completing a task. Working memory is memory in action. In other words, it is our ability to remember and use information actively while thinking or completing a task. It is a critical skill because it has a strong role in the encoding and retrieval of information learned. In addition, it's important to successfully manage one’s thinking and actions towards a goal. Attention, working memory, and processing speed are three interdependent processing skills that are essential for learning.
Our Solutions
1. COGx Professional Development - Empowering Educators to Avoid Cognitive Overload
The limited capacity of working memory and the potential of overloading it is a crucially important insight for educators, especially if we are attempting to engage students in learning through lectures that present auditory and/or visual information for extended periods of time. Unless students are incredibly adept or trained at processing, encoding, retrieval, and their learning may be greatly compromised. Most commonly in lecture-based learning environments, students are relying on their working memory to hold and manipulate only a fraction of what they are being taught.
What you will learn:
How to understand cognitive diversity - often referred to as neurodiversity or neurodivergence. Signs and accommodations for the most common learning differences in classrooms today including dyslexia, autism, twice-exceptional, non-verbal learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. How to target and strengthen cognitive skills to improve learning ability.
How you will learn:
3 Video micro-lessons from experts 3 Group Discussion Invitation 3 Visuals and Graphic Organizers 2 Application Guides Ongoing self-checks and application of concepts Direct access to your Program Leader Opportunities to give and receive feedback from your peers Teaching practice reflection Estimated time to complete: 2.25 hours
2. COGx Student Program - Empowering Students to Become Sophisticated Learners
The COGx program for students, Becoming a Sophisticated Learner, provides students with the foundational skills necessary to develop 21st century skills. Students master evidence-based techniques and strategies to process information effectively and for building reliable prior knowledge, which is a prerequisite for critical thinking, creative thinking and effective communication. Furthermore, students learn how to monitor, organize, self-regulate and adjust their learning (metacognition, executive function). Students are equipped to apply what they learn to their classes and studies and are as such prepared to succeed in school and beyond.
