Memory Building and Mind

Mapping Skills

Four Important Techniques

Organization
If information is organized it is easier.

Being Physical

If you involve your senses it is easier.

Clarity

If you clear your mind of noise it is easier.

Brilliance

If you use your memory techniques it is

easier.

Organization

General to Specific
Get a broad overview
Skim the entire textbook.
Ask someone what the
class is about.
Review chapter before
class.
Get the big picture and
then fill in the specifics.

Organization - continued

Make it Meaningful
Relate what you are
learning to what you
want to get out of your
education.
Know what your
rewards are.
Relate new material to
what you already know.

Organization - continued

Create Associations
Your memory is arranged in a way that makes
sense to you.
New data should be organized following the
same paths.
Gather material together and create a
common association.
One method is to create a metaphor or a
story.

Being Physical

Learn it once - actively

In class, sit up and on the edge of your chair.

When studying stand up and pace.
Make gestures when you recite material.
Draw pictures of concepts in the air.
Get your whole body involved in studying.

Being Physical - continued

Visualize relationships

Create pictures about what you are studying.

Draw diagrams or make cartoons.
Make visualizations to connect facts.
By doing this you use both sides of your brain.

Being Physical - continued

Techniques
Create action
Make something happen in
your picture.

Make pictures vivid

Make the images clear and
exaggerated.

Turn abstract into concrete

Theory is abstract and a
picture is concrete.
Bizarre or unusual images
work best for some.

Being Physical - continued

Recite and Repeat

You remember what
you repeat aloud.
This anchors it in
two different senses
- vocal and hearing.
Silent recitation can
play mind tricks with
you.
Put concepts into
your own words.

Clarity

Reduce Interference
Turn the stereo off.
Turn the TV off.
No studying around
food or the fridge.
Study during the day.
Let your brain warm up
to study. It takes 15-20
minutes for efficient
learning to take place.

Clarity - continued

Overlearn
Learn more about a subject
than you have to.
Study the subject until it is
second nature.
Find additional sources &
cover them.
Pretest yourself because this
lets knowledge grow, so you
feel smarter.
Immerse yourself.

Clarity - continued

Be aware of attitudes
Your attitude towards a subject
can affect your recall.
We tend to forget information
that contradicts our opinions.
Take responsibility for your
attitudes and notice them.
By being aware, you can use
memory techniques to unblock
your memory.

Brillance

Distribute Learning
Marathon study sessions do not
work.
You can learn more from 3 two
hour sessions than 2 three hour
sessions.
Take regular breaks every 40 to
50 minutes. Consider them minirewards.
The exception to this is when
you are on a roll, then go for it.

Brilliance - continued

Remember Something Else

When you cannot remember and you know you
know, think of something else.
During a test, remember facts that are related to
what you cannot remember.
Brainstorming is a good block remover.

Brilliance - continued

Combine Memory Techniques

Memory techniques work but they
work even better when combined.
Example: combine repetition and
reflection - repeat a math formula
and think how to apply it.
Example: combine attitude and
distribution - you know you have
a bad attitude so do short
sessions.

Smart Revision

Mind Maps

Why Mind Maps?

They are active revision can make it more

interesting & more effective for many
They promote in depth learning = understanding
They help to organise your learning
Shows how your mind is organising info.
They make recall easier
Good for complex topics with many smaller topic
areas e.g. Biology!
Good for essay planning

Limitations of Mind Maps

Not so effective for basic factual learning

Work best when you already know something
about the subject
Difficult to operate for certain subjects?
Not a substitute for practising exam questions
Ought not to be the only form of revision used

Stages in Mind Mapping

Be prepared : large sheet of paper, coloured

pens / pencils / your notes / texts etc
Generate lots of information about the topic
- Brainstorm the topic (best with more than 1
person
- Go thro notes, handouts etc highlighting main
topic areas
- simply use the topic headings from a text

Brainstorm on Blood Circulatory System

Oxy & deoxy blood

Transport
of oxygen
arteries

Red
cells
CO2 t/port

s
e
i
r
illa
p
a
c
White cells

blood

re

sto
l

p
lym

y te
c
o
h

Control of heart
rate

systole

cyc
l

va
l

atria

AV

veins

He
st ar
ru t
ct
u

d ia

He
art

ve
s

va
lv
es

Sem
val i lun
ar
ves
ve
n

tri
c

Cardiac muscle
les

AV

e
d
no

Producing the Map

Make links between the brainstorm

results
- use colour coding
- link related ideas with circles & lines
- think about why things are related

Producing the Map - 2

Large sheet of paper - write the main
topic in the centre
Around this write the major sub topics
From each sub topic draw branches to
linked ideas / facts
Write along the link lines WHY these
are linked (vital to help understanding)

The finished product

The learning takes place in the doing
but
Finished maps can be useful quick
revision tools e.g. day before the exam

Structures

Blood

CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM

Functions

Need for..

SA node in RA

L & R Atria

Atrioventricular
Stop back flow from V to A

L side = oxy blood

R side = Deoxy blood

Semi-lunar

4 chambers

L&R Ventricles

Double
circulation

LV thicker wall to pump

blood all round body

Stop back flow form arteries into heart

Myogenic
Slow to
Valves
Cardiac muscle
fatigue
Conducts
impulses
Supply blood to..
HEART

Structures

Thin walls
..Little muscle &
VEINS
elastic tissue
Valves help blood return to
Hrt.
Flow
n
dir = back to Hrt.
Flow smooth @ Low press

Blood
Vessels
CAPILLARIES

Coronary vessels
Thick walls
Smooth muscle
ARTERIES
Elastic tissue
Blood @ High press Flow pulsed
Flow away from Hrt

V thin walls = 1 cell.

V.permeable. Flow slow.
Materials load & unload by
DIFFUSION

Thank you