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Overcoming the limitations of working memory

4th November 2020

Guest blog by Chris Moyse, Managing Director, TLC Education Services Limited

Many of our learners face barriers to learning; one such barrier is a poor working memory. This blog will investigate the reasons why working memory is important in learning and why some learners struggle to cope with the demands of the classroom. It will also examine briefly ‘Cognitive load theory’ and how a better understanding of this theory could enable us to facilitate more effective and efficient learning whether it be live or remote, synchronous or asynchronous lessons.

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What is the concept of working memory and how does it affect learning?

The term ‘working memory’ is used to describe the ability we have to hold in mind, and mentally manipulate, information over short periods of time. Working memory is often thought of as a mental workspace that we use to store important information in the course of our mental activities.(Gathercole and Alloway 2007)

Many of the learning activities that our learners are engaged with in the classroom impose quite considerable burdens on their limited working memories. Tasks often require the learners to hold in mind some information whilst engaging in a mentally challenging task. Learners with poor working memory may then struggle and, as a result, often fail to complete tasks properly because they have lost crucial information from their working memory that they need to guide their actions. As a result, the learner may not experience the benefit of successfully completing an activity. This will inevitably slow down their rates of learning.

Many of the learning activities that our learners are engaged with in the classroom impose quite considerable burdens on their limited working memories. Tasks often require the learners to hold in mind some information whilst engaging in a mentally challenging task. Learners with poor working memory may then struggle and, as a result, often fail to complete tasks properly because they have lost crucial information from their working memory that they need to guide their actions. As a result, the learner may not experience the benefit of successfully completing an activity. This will inevitably slow down their rates of learning.

According to Gathercole and Alloway indications of working memory failures may include:

  • incomplete recall
  • failing to follow instructions
  • place-keeping errors
  • task abandonment.

There are many other reasons for these that are not related to working memory failure. But, if an understanding of working memory and how its limitations can be better addressed in the classroom we can plan more effective lessons.

Poor working memory is associated with several learning difficulties.

  • Language impairments
  • Dyslexia
  • Some forms of ADHD
  • Developmental coordination disorder

Whilst not all SEND leaners have working memory problems, it is strongly linked to poor academic progress. More than 80% of learners with poor working memory fail to achieve expected levels of attainment in both reading and maths.

What is cognitive load theory and why it is important to understand it?

To address the problems associated with working memory it is useful to understand ‘Cognitive Load Theory’ (CLT). This is a theoretical model that seeks to explain how learning takes place and which methods of teaching may therefore be more effective. At its heart are two commonly accepted ideas:

  1. Our working memory is extremely limited in its capacity.
  2. Our long-term memory is limitless and information we store there can, when retrieved, help free up space in our working memory thus making us more effective learners.

CLT suggests that we should consider the ‘load’ a task places on our learners’ working memory.

This load comprises essentially two parts:

  • Intrinsic load – how difficult the task is
  • Extraneous load – how the material is presented specifically when it does not aid learning.

The intrinsic load is created by the inherent complexity of the task itself. The more difficult the task, or the newer the information is to the learner, the higher the load. Intrinsic load can be very much influenced by prior knowledge of the topic. We should try to manage the intrinsic load but not necessarily reduce it. We, of course, want our learners to tackle challenging tasks as it makes them think hard and, as cognitive scientist Daniel T Willingham reminds us, “Memory is the residue of thought.” We remember what we have to think hard about.

Extraneous load is the pressure put on the working memory by things outside the material being learned. This may manifest itself in terms of overly complex instructions, distractions in the environment or being given too much additional information.

CLT suggests that if the cognitive load exceeds our processing capacity, we will struggle to complete the task or activity successfully. We can therefore think of CLT as a way of designing how we teach to support our learners to tackle complex ideas by supporting them with the intrinsic load of a task whilst reducing the extraneous load.

The important message here is that learning is hampered when our working memory capacity is exceeded in a task.

So how can we better provide classroom support for learners with working memory problems? As yet, no certain ways of directly improving working memory have been developed. However, there is plenty that can be done to help learners with working memory problems.

What are some actionable next steps we can use to alleviate the issues?

  • Evaluate working memory loads inherent in the materials you use with your learners especially in terms of what you say and what you show them to support any explanations.
  • Monitor the learners, read the warning signs, such as incomplete recall, failure to follow instructions and abandoning the task, and respond accordingly.
  • Break instructions down into clear steps and avoiding introducing too much new information at once.
  • Explain with clarity, accuracy and brevity. Remember that words are transient; once you have said them they are gone. Provide a list of the key points from your explanation for learners who need them. Repeat important information to specific learners.
  • Teach in ‘chunks’ with pauses for thought and tasks.
  • Limit distractions. Cut out inessential information such as extraneous information on a slide, interesting tangents in your explanation or irrelevant detail on a diagram. Less is more.
  • Use appropriate ‘’visuals and verbals’ to enhance your explanations. This takes advantage of our brain’s ability to take in information through two channels simultaneously. It makes information easier to process.
  • Don’t read out the slides – avoid simultaneous oral and text presentation.
  • Tailor lessons to a learner’s existing knowledge and skills. Building on their prior knowledge reduces how much new and unfamiliar information needs to be handled in the working memory. Activate prior knowledge first before and then link to new explanations.
  • Using worked examples to teach the learners new content or skills and gradually increase independent problem solving. Using a simple-to-complex teaching sequencing can reduce cognitive load; starting with a worked example (where a full solution and method is shared, which learners then have to apply to a new question), then moving into completion tasks (where a partial solution is given and they have to complete it themselves), and then moving to more conventional tasks, where they are simply given the question. This acts as a form of scaffolding, which helps them to learn independently, without necessarily needing the help of their teacher for each stage.
  • Have familiar task structures and routines in your classroom so that the learners just have to think about the learning.

This all sounds like simple, good common sense teaching but it doesn’t mean it’s common practice. Supporting our most disadvantaged learners means doing nothing more than teaching really well but doing so in a way that creates a learning environment that best supports them in their learning.

Chris will be speaking at AoC’s SEND Online Conference on 2 and 3 December. To view the full programme visit here.

Essential reading:

Gathercole S and Alloway T (2007) Understanding working memory. A classroom guide.