Method of Loci and implementation and evaluation
Prompt 1: Reflect on the Method of Loci in your blog. What worked? What didn't? How could you use such a cognitive activity, mental or visible to users, to improve the acquisition of knowledge in your designs? Write a blog entry on this.
The first time I heard about the idea of a "mind" palace was watching the hit BBC TV show Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch. Oftentimes in this show, when Sherlock wanted to remember a minute detail from an encounter, he would go to his "mind palace" and pull the memory from there. At first I thought this was just a TV plot device that would explain his almost un-human like ability to remember even the smallest of details. A cleaver trick by the show writers to make the main character more relatable to people who couldn't do what he did.
It wasn't until starting this masters program that I thought I found out this was indeed a real method that anyone can use to help them remember certain things. While the show is a little embellished, this very real "Method of Loci" was a subject of study in my Learning and Cognition class, and we were encouraged to give the method a try.
It surprised me how well the method would work. Building a house in your mind, and creating new rooms that are specific to certain memories gives the brain not just one reason to put that memory into long term, but multiple because you are associating it with something you create like a house. It allows for a visual, creative, personal, and informational path to be created in your brain, giving you a much better chance to retain the information.
While it doesn't always work for me if the association is too broad, or doesn't relate back to the room in some way. For me, it has to be fairly literal in meaning, and it works best with trigger type memories. To remember that a persons last name is "trapper" and I met them at a work event for STEAM, I might put a trap on the floor in a room that is full of steam. I would also put that room in the work wing of my mind house to remember it was a work event.
Creating multiple ways to remember information in instructional design is always good practice, and I think this is what the biggest benefit is for this method. This goes double when it is something you can have the user create themselves. When you can create ownership of a thought, idea, or product, the changes of the remember it is much greater, much like putting something into a mind palace you created yourself.
Prompt 2: Reflect on the implementation and evaluation: What changes will you make before implementation? Why? What did you ignore in the client's feedback? Why? What did you ignore in your peer's feedback? Why?
All of the feedback from both my peers and the client should be and will be, taken into consideration when getting into the beta testing, or full implementation of the design. Some of the suggestions are easy fixes, and can be put into place right away, such as a simpler way to grade assignments other than essays, or alternative assignments for ESL and sped children.
The main one I want to add is a pathway to certification that the client suggested in their feedback. I think this idea of making it so at the end they can go and take the training and exam to get their license, would be a good end goal for the most advanced users.
Some of the feedback will be ignored due to it being counter to the goal of the project. The idea of making it easier to complete seems to go against the idea of having standards to provide safety and prove skills enough to fly.
All and all what I want to create is a better way for each individual client to tailor their club to the needs of their club. Have options and built in flexibility how each club can reach the desired outcomes of their specific club.
The first time I heard about the idea of a "mind" palace was watching the hit BBC TV show Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch. Oftentimes in this show, when Sherlock wanted to remember a minute detail from an encounter, he would go to his "mind palace" and pull the memory from there. At first I thought this was just a TV plot device that would explain his almost un-human like ability to remember even the smallest of details. A cleaver trick by the show writers to make the main character more relatable to people who couldn't do what he did.
It wasn't until starting this masters program that I thought I found out this was indeed a real method that anyone can use to help them remember certain things. While the show is a little embellished, this very real "Method of Loci" was a subject of study in my Learning and Cognition class, and we were encouraged to give the method a try.
It surprised me how well the method would work. Building a house in your mind, and creating new rooms that are specific to certain memories gives the brain not just one reason to put that memory into long term, but multiple because you are associating it with something you create like a house. It allows for a visual, creative, personal, and informational path to be created in your brain, giving you a much better chance to retain the information.
While it doesn't always work for me if the association is too broad, or doesn't relate back to the room in some way. For me, it has to be fairly literal in meaning, and it works best with trigger type memories. To remember that a persons last name is "trapper" and I met them at a work event for STEAM, I might put a trap on the floor in a room that is full of steam. I would also put that room in the work wing of my mind house to remember it was a work event.
Creating multiple ways to remember information in instructional design is always good practice, and I think this is what the biggest benefit is for this method. This goes double when it is something you can have the user create themselves. When you can create ownership of a thought, idea, or product, the changes of the remember it is much greater, much like putting something into a mind palace you created yourself.
Prompt 2: Reflect on the implementation and evaluation: What changes will you make before implementation? Why? What did you ignore in the client's feedback? Why? What did you ignore in your peer's feedback? Why?
All of the feedback from both my peers and the client should be and will be, taken into consideration when getting into the beta testing, or full implementation of the design. Some of the suggestions are easy fixes, and can be put into place right away, such as a simpler way to grade assignments other than essays, or alternative assignments for ESL and sped children.
The main one I want to add is a pathway to certification that the client suggested in their feedback. I think this idea of making it so at the end they can go and take the training and exam to get their license, would be a good end goal for the most advanced users.
Some of the feedback will be ignored due to it being counter to the goal of the project. The idea of making it easier to complete seems to go against the idea of having standards to provide safety and prove skills enough to fly.
All and all what I want to create is a better way for each individual client to tailor their club to the needs of their club. Have options and built in flexibility how each club can reach the desired outcomes of their specific club.
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