Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Memory athletes use special techniques to perform amazing feats of memory. Are these techniques appropriate for classroom materials?
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0:00 Memory athletes can do some amazing things
0:34 Techniques memory athletes use
1:59 The argument against using mnemonics - Reason #1
4:13 The argument against using mnemonics - Reason #2
5:50 The argument in favor of using mnemonics
8:23 Incorporating mnemonic techniques into your studying
8:41 The case of single-digit multiplication
9:18 Chinese emperors and Chinese geography
10:40 The periodic table
11:25 Deciding whether to use mnemonic techniques
12:30 Memory emergencies
For more on mnemonic techniques, check out the Art of Memory: artofmemory.com
REFERENCES
The piece below reports something like the consensus among cognitive psychologists: that mnemonics are pretty good for remembering serial items of unrelated information for short periods of time, but have unproven relevance in the classroom.
Putnam, A. L. (2015). Mnemonics in education: Current research and applications. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 1(2), 130–139. doi.org/10.1037/tps0000023
This is a piece from a psychologist who taught her students the method of loci (AKA memory palace) that showed some modestly positive results, at least on list learning and general attitude toward the method.
McCabe, J. A. (2015). Location, Location, Location! Demonstrating the Mnemonic Benefit of the Method of Loci. Teaching of Psychology, 42(2), 169–173. doi.org/10.1177/0098628315573143
For a novel application of the method of loci, here is a piece exploring how it might be leveraged for emotional regulation.
Werner-Seidler, A., & Dalgleish, T. (2016). The Method of Loci Improves Longer-Term Retention of Self-Affirming Memories and Facilitates Access to Mood-Repairing Memories in Recurrent Depression. Clinical Psychological Science, 4(6), 1065–1072. doi.org/10.1177/2167702615626693
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Footage from a card memorization event is from: youtube.com/watch?v=OApSOU7NIAw
The periodic table is from the NIH website - amazing! pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/periodic-table
The map of China rivers comes from Antonioga, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_rivers.svg
Image of the Loess landscape, in China, comes from Till Niermann, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loess_landscape_china.jpg
The image of Gansu province (camel photo) comes from Sigismund von Dobschütz, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mondsichelsee-06.JPG
The map of traditional geographical and cultural regions in China comes from SY, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_Traditional_Divisions.png
Images related to evolutionary processes come from: Elimbis at Wikimedia commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mutation_and_selection_diagram.svg) Esurnir at the English Wikipedia (Allele frequency, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allele-frequency.png); and speciation here (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Speciation_modes_edit.svg)
Image of the Tang Dynasty comes from Seasonsinthesun at Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tang_Protectorates.png). Image of the Roman Empire comes from Paulusburg at Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mapa_Imperio_Occidental_a%C3%B1o_418.svg)
Memory athletes use special techniques to perform amazing feats of memory. Are these techniques appropriate for classroom materials?
Join my online learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
0:00 Memory athletes can do some amazing things
0:34 Techniques memory athletes use
1:59 The argument against using mnemonics - Reason #1
4:13 The argument against using mnemonics - Reason #2
5:50 The argument in favor of using mnemonics
8:23 Incorporating mnemonic techniques into your studying
8:41 The case of single-digit multiplication
9:18 Chinese emperors and Chinese geography
10:40 The periodic table
11:25 Deciding whether to use mnemonic techniques
12:30 Memory emergencies
For more on mnemonic techniques, check out the Art of Memory: artofmemory.com
REFERENCES
The piece below reports something like the consensus among cognitive psychologists: that mnemonics are pretty good for remembering serial items of unrelated information for short periods of time, but have unproven relevance in the classroom.
Putnam, A. L. (2015). Mnemonics in education: Current research and applications. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 1(2), 130–139. doi.org/10.1037/tps0000023
This is a piece from a psychologist who taught her students the method of loci (AKA memory palace) that showed some modestly positive results, at least on list learning and general attitude toward the method.
McCabe, J. A. (2015). Location, Location, Location! Demonstrating the Mnemonic Benefit of the Method of Loci. Teaching of Psychology, 42(2), 169–173. doi.org/10.1177/0098628315573143
For a novel application of the method of loci, here is a piece exploring how it might be leveraged for emotional regulation.
Werner-Seidler, A., & Dalgleish, T. (2016). The Method of Loci Improves Longer-Term Retention of Self-Affirming Memories and Facilitates Access to Mood-Repairing Memories in Recurrent Depression. Clinical Psychological Science, 4(6), 1065–1072. doi.org/10.1177/2167702615626693
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Footage from a card memorization event is from: youtube.com/watch?v=OApSOU7NIAw
The periodic table is from the NIH website - amazing! pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/periodic-table
The map of China rivers comes from Antonioga, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_rivers.svg
Image of the Loess landscape, in China, comes from Till Niermann, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loess_landscape_china.jpg
The image of Gansu province (camel photo) comes from Sigismund von Dobschütz, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mondsichelsee-06.JPG
The map of traditional geographical and cultural regions in China comes from SY, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_Traditional_Divisions.png
Images related to evolutionary processes come from: Elimbis at Wikimedia commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mutation_and_selection_diagram.svg) Esurnir at the English Wikipedia (Allele frequency, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allele-frequency.png); and speciation here (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Speciation_modes_edit.svg)
Image of the Tang Dynasty comes from Seasonsinthesun at Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tang_Protectorates.png). Image of the Roman Empire comes from Paulusburg at Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mapa_Imperio_Occidental_a%C3%B1o_418.svg)
