Semantic & Episodic Memory
CPD: The CRAFT of Assessment (by Michael Chiles), topic 2.1.1
An Overview of Semantic and Episodic Memory
Tulving’s research showed that humans possess two forms of memory - episodic and semantic - which work in different ways to transfer the information we receive.
Importance of memory
- According to Paul A. Kirschner, John Sweller and Richard E. Clark: ‘Learning is defined as an alteration in long-term memory.’
- Our understanding of how memory works is crucial when we are considering how to generate truly reflective learners.
Episodic memory
- Episodic memory is essentially an autobiographic account of our life – it takes little to no effort, for example, ‘we were on a mission’, ‘we did a carousel’, or ‘there were builders making a noise during our geography lesson’.
- These are all the personal experiences that the students remembered related to that lesson.
Semantic memory
- In contrast, semantic memory is an organised system of information – language, symbols, formulas, concepts and facts – related to what we study.
- For example, knowing the different dates of key historical events, the processes of erosion, or the formula to working out the diameter of a circle.
Retention of semantic memories
- However, the retention of our semantic memories can deteriorate over time and it is the strengthening of these memories that is important to improving retention and knowledge recall.
- The work of German psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus illustrates how, over time, the human brain can lose information learnt and subsequently stored in our semantic memory.
- The next slide contains a graph summarising Ebbinghaus' findings.
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Factors affecting forgetting
- The rate at which we forget information varies depending on our prior knowledge, the way in which the knowledge was presented and to some extent, our motivation to receive the information.
- Consequently, if we are to improve pupils’ efficiency in learning, we must provide opportunities for them to reflect.
- In the words of Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger: ‘The critical mechanism for promoting retention of information is the successful retrieval of that information.’
Test yourself on Semantic & Episodic Memory
Which of these is NOT a factor affecting the rate at which we forget information?
Which of these are episodic memories students might have from a lesson?