Page 55 - Microsoft Word - The Future of Learning April 2017.docx

How the Brain Learns:81 Memory and Remembering
While it is true that human beings have been learning for hundreds of thousands of years, the required rate of learning now, out of necessity or opportunity, has skyrocketed. Learning to remember something is important, but learning to understand and create entirely new ideas, concepts and concept frameworks is something that is deeply rewarding, and a capability that is unique to humans.
The proposal that each learning system has a unique memory system is consistent with the notion that the brain has multiple learning systems. If we only had one learning system, then it would be more likely that all our learning would exhibit temporary, short-term and long-term memory progression, but this is not the case.
When we have an ‘aha! moment’ and come up with a new idea or concept, the memory of that idea or concept is formed instantly. There is no need to practice the concept endlessly to remember it, either consciously or unconsciously. Once we have that ‘aha! moment’, the memory stays with us for the rest of our life.
This conception of memory storage and recall is contentious, and this is an area of research that is going through an extensive review of late. Of equal interest is what educators can do to maximise the ability of learners to remember what they have experienced.
Learning can, of course, take place in the classroom, but most of it doesn't. Today's learners are not just students; learning has suddenly become everybody's business. In fact, learning 'how to learn' may now be your most critical survival skill.83 Eric Jensen
We take our capacity to remember events for granted but how is that our ‘hard drive’ never gets full? The notion of memory is very difficult to rationalise and so what we do is search for a metaphor to try and understand what seems inconceivable. The immediate metaphor is that of a computer memory. Unfortunately, this metaphor is too simplistic.
If you take a 3D Hologram and cut it into four pieces you end up with four complete 3D images. We are postulating that it is possible to create biological holograms as physical holograms are created using interference patterns in light and these are also created by the brain via interference of brainwaves (another form of electromagnetic waves). This is plausible as surgeons can remove half the human brain and there is no significant loss of functionality or damage to our medium and long term memories. Recent research backs up this possibility.84
81 The chapter 8 summary video can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw9ZAtijZuc&t=5s if you are reading the book, otherwise click on the video icon at the top of the page
82 Henke, K. (2010). A model for memory systems based on processing modes rather than consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 523–532. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v11/n7/pdf/nrn2850.pdf
83 Jensen, E. (1994). The Learning Brain. Brain Store Inc.
84 Neural Netw. 2016 May;77:87-94. doi: 10.1016/j.neunet.2016.02.001. Epub 2016 Feb 12 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26945440
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Episodic memory formation requires the rapid encoding of associations between
different aspects of an event, which according to these models, depends on the
hippocampus and on consciousness. However, recent evidence indicates that the
hippocampus mediates rapid associative learning with and without consciousness in
humans and animals, for long-term and short-term retention... A new model is
therefore required in which memory systems are distinguished based on the processing
operations involved rather than by consciousness.82 Henke