Calva Ananta Dominikus Matutina

13301241061/ P.Mat Inter 2013

Encoding Simple Information

How we encode to-be-remembered information makes a huge difference in how well we
remember it.

The encoding strategies that employ elaborative rehearsal are :
1. Mediation
Mediation is the simplest elaborative encoding strategies. Mediation involves tying
difficult-to-remember items to something more meaningful and easily remembered.
The example of mediation in learning mathematics is employing the word SOH,
CAH, and TOA (SOH CAH TOA) to remember the formula which used to determine the
trigonometry function or alpha value. SIN alpha is the measure of Opponent side divided by
Hypotenuse, COS alpha is the measure of Adjacent divided by Hypotenuse, and TAN alpha
is the measure of is Opponent side divided by Adjacent.

2. Imagery
One powerful adjunct to verbal encoding is the use of imagery. The presence of
imagery usually leads to better memory performance, but some conditions can affect is
usefulness. For example is like the word circle leads much more easily to an image than does
the worth truth. When we imagery a subject it will easily imaged word tend to be
remembered more readily than hard-to-image words. When subjects are instructed to use
imagery, the difference is even more pronounced. Even subject memory for nonsens e
syllables is enhanced when they use imagery in learning. The idea can be extended to the
imagery value of concepts, people and whole segment of information. Simply, some set of
information are easier to image than others. We must know if everyone have a differences
ability to image information and no evidence indicates whether ability to image can be
improved with practice. Imagery concerns the nature of the images that people conjure up. In
general, imagery has considerable value in helping make information memorable.
Example of imagery is when students learning about solid geometry and planes
geometry, they can imagery that subject and connect it to their environment like tube is look
like milk cans and kite of planes geometry is look like kites used to play.

3. Mnemonics

To rehearse our memory, as one important dimension of encoding, we can use
Mnemonics strategies. Mnemonic involve pairing to-be-learned information with well-
learned information in order to memorize better. In mnemonics is included the use of rhymes,
sayings, gestures, and imagery. There are some kinds of mnemonics and some of it is unique
and may be suitable for specific forms of learning.
The Peg Method
This method use rhymes to help us memorize any things better. In this method, we
need to relate our well-learned information and to-be-learned information that has a same
rhymes each other. For an effective approach, we can use simple rhymes so we can
memorize it easily. In mathematics, this method can use well. For example, we can relate the
word angel and angle. Obviously, many people know angel as they well-learned, so it
wouldnt be difficult to relate it. Besides that, we can learn how we spell it clearly.
The Method of Loci
Our favorite location usually can make us remember it well. So this method uses our
favorite location to help us memorize new information. We can relate our memory about our
favorite location with the new information. In mathematics we use our favorite location and
some formula of mathematics. For example, in the living room, we can stick the areas
formula of rectangle in the window, or stick the formula of cylinders volume in the
dispenser, etc.
Stories
This method is another simple mnemonics that can be used to memorize some new
information better. In this method, we only need to string up the new information into one
story. We can make the story is memorable so we can remember it easily. Actually, in
mathematics we usually find many problems that formed as a story. So, it is suitable for
mathematics learning to memorize the content of it. For example, we need to memorize some
names of solid geometry plane, such as cube, pyramid, and cone. And the story can be like
this, James get the cube like in the transformer movie. After I get the cube, I teleported to
the Egypt where the pyramid stand. I met with a weird robot that wears a black cone in his
head. I was afraid at the time.
Those are some kinds of mnemonics that we can use as a strategy to memorize better.
To memorize well, we should have a good prior knowledge, because it is an important things
to use mnemonics strategy.
Encoding More Complex Information

The three general frameworks and associated methods for improving active learning are :
1. Activating Prior Knowledge
Activating prior knowledge refers to various methods designed to stimulate students
relevant knowledge in preparation for a learning activity. A foundation of well-understood
information will help students comprehend new information and will guide their thinking
about the new topic. Prior knowledge activation is a general procedure for enhancing
students encoding of new information by connecting it to what they already know.
For example : in elementary school, students have been thought about addition
characteristics in mathematics like commutative and distributive, but in the junior high
school, especially in algebra chapter, they will be teached about that characteristics again, for
example 2x(x+y) = 2x
2
+2xy.

2. Guided Questioning
Asking and answering question about the material to be learned can greatly improve
comprehension, especially when those question prompt students to think about and discuss
material in a specific ways, such as comparing and contrasting , inferring cause and effect,
evaluating ideas, explaining and justifying. Asking and answering such question helps
learners build elaborated and integrated links among the ideas in the materials, making their
mental representatios more durable and providing more cues for recall. Students were taught
a procedure called guided peer questioning. When learners used this procedure, their learning
was significantly enhanced. The goal is deep comprehension based on an integrated, coherent
mental representation that not only includes the text information but also its relationship to
the world.
For example is students were trained about procedure of asking and answering
discuss about new concept of trigonometry and triangle.
Student A ask, How to find the area of a scalene triangle if only given two sides and one
angle that flanked both sides of the?
Student B answer,Ohhh, I see. Last night, I studied about that material. We can find the
area of that scalene triangle with trigonometry formula.
Student A said,Really? Would you teach me how to find that area with trigonometry
formula as you said earlier?
Student B answer,Yes, of course. First, you should drawing that scalene triangle. As we see
if we dont know which is high or based of that triangle. So, we can use trigonometry
formula multiplying the two sides are known times value of the sinus of angle that
flanked both of sides.
Stundet A said,Umm, yes, I know it now. So, what could happen if we just know two of
angles of scalene triangle and one side flanked by that two angles?
Student B answer,You should find the other side and then use that formula again. You can
find the other side with comparison of sides and the angles in front of each sides

.
Students A said,Thank you very much friend about your explanation.
Students B answer,No problem.

3. Levels of Processing
In encoding activities, we have to know how influence is the encoding activities. To
measure that, levels of processing become one of the general frameworks as the
measurement. In Craik and Lockharts terms, memory depends on the depth of processing.
Deep processing contain of idea / meaning of the learnings material. In mathematics, we
can look the levels of processing by this example. The student is asked to find any number in
a story of mathematics problem. The other student is asked to understand, what the number
stands for. From this example, the second student will be more understand about the
problem than the first student. So we can conclude that the second student did a deep-
processing of learning and memorize.

Metacognition

Metacognition refers to knowledge people have about their own thought processes.
Metacognition includes two related dimentions : knowledge of cognition and regulation of
cognition.
Knowledge of cognition include three components : declarative knowledge (about knowing
what factors that influence our performance, for example what we need to be an expert in
mathematics), procedural knowledge (about cognitive strategies, for example doing exercise
about mathematics over and over), conditional knowledge (about knowing when or why to use
strategy, for example because we want to understand about mathematics concept so we have to
doing exercise over and over).
Regulation of cognition include three components : Planning (selecting appropriate strategies
and allocating resources, for example budgeting time to learn about mathematics), regulation
(monitoring and self-testing skills to control learning, for example making a prediction about
what score that we will get in the next mathematics test in school), evaluation (appraising both
self-regulation processes and the products of ones learning, for example revising the prediction
based on our ability if the last prediction was not reached).
In the metacognition, student are aware of their mental processes and have the
conditional knowledge to regulate their learning.

I discuss this topic with : Nur Anisa Dika Maharani and Nurul Purnaningsih