Remember Anything

People remember what they are doing better when they have an adrenalin surge. Trying to fix something more securely in the memory by repeating something over and over is a very unproductive way to go about strengthening the memory. Why do frightening events have such strong hold on people? People remember that scary feeling and events associated with it for a long, long time because they had an adrenalin surge. People remember when they were successful and triumphant because of their elation; they also had an adrenalin surge. Utilizing this physical response is the key to faster and better retention of events.

Academic memorization needs to focus on each student’s need to keep his/her attention on a subject at his/her pace—a pace that isn’t too slow and doesn’t dampen their excitement but is not so excessive that they can distract other students. Traditionally this has been a teacher’s role in a classroom, but with multiple eager minds to keep track of, this often results in the teacher favoring a few students. This can be remedied if each student has his project in front of him. Each student can go at their own pace that keeps their interest high. When they encounter a problem, a teacher is there to assist them.

Having a visual aid also builds up excitement. Reciting what has been told in unison in a classroom is the old way. Computer games in learning is a novel way of teaching because of its ability to wait for a student until she is ready to go to the next step. As long as they are not boring repetition games, these computer games have enormous potential. E-readers are coming of age and heavy textbooks are on their way out of classrooms. This is a good time to not just translate educational materials to electronic forms but structure them into exciting games for students, games that make students think on their own. A teacher will always be there to assist them.

A teacher is a part of creating exciting games. Ready-made games and educational materials are short on excitement and they always need teachers to enliven and animate them. Why not recruit teachers into a process of making games from the start? In this age of the worldwide web, physical location is not a hindrance anymore. A teacher can stay in a classroom and game developers can be in their own company and they can work together. They can create games that students will look forward to playing every day. Some commitment is required to build up available numbers of materials. “Games” and “materials” are used interchangeably here. In an institutional setting a good number of materials to choose from is a prerequisite for robust participation from everyone. Let’s move into a new age of education.

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