Information Processing - Post 1

I believe that the main idea in this chapter revolves around the three-stage model of information processing. These three stages include sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory. First, sensory information taken from one's environment enters the sensory memory. One's sensory memory can hold an unlimited amount of information but is only there for a short period of time. Through paying attention and pattern recognition these pieces of information can enter one's working memory. In one's working memory, most can hold about seven bits of information. (This number can vary from person to person.) These bits, then, can only be stored in one's working memory for 5 - 20 seconds depending on how often the information is being used. Then, through encoding, this information can be stored in one's long-term memory. For everyone, long-term memory seems to be able to hold an unlimited amount of information. Even though someone may have stored information in their long-term memory, they may have problems retrieving it because of the way they encoded it into the long-term memory. You just have to ask the right questions.

Although we discussed that rehersal (repetition) may not be the best way to put something into our long-term memory, what about maintenance rehersal or elaborative rehersal? Are these better methods than simply repeating something over and over again?

According to Information Processing Theory, learning is when one piece of information has gone through your sensory memory, working memory, and then finally into your long-term memory. If you can then recall the information from your long-term memory later on then you have learned it. One implication of information process theory for teachers is that we should break down big tasks into smaller tasks leading up to the big tast in the end result.

Simply repeating something over and over again may not be the best way to remember something because you are not connecting that information with something already in your long-term memory. We have learned that connections between new information and information you already know is important in placing something in your long-term memory. This also may not be good because you are not learning the concept behind what you are doing. For example, if you are memorizing vocabulary words and their definitions you aren't really learning the meaning of the words. You have to put them into context as well.