Learning by heart may not be best for your mind
Analyst, Directorate for Education and Skills
In some situations, memorisation is useful, even necessary. It can give students enough concrete facts on which to reflect; it can limit anxiety by reducing mathematics to a set of simple facts, rules and procedures; and it can help to develop fluency with numbers early in a child’s development, before the child is asked to tackle more complex problems. But to perform at the very top, 15-year-olds need to learn mathematics in a more reflective, ambitious and creative way – one that involves exploring alternative ways of finding solutions, making connections, adopting different perspectives and looking for meaning. So yes, you can use your memory; just use it strategically, lest Einstein call you a fool.
PISA in Focus No. 61: Is memorisation a good strategy for learning mathematics?
by Alfonso Echazarra -
Fewer 15-year-olds in East Asian countries reported that they use memorisation than did 15-year-olds in some of the English-speaking countries to whom they are often compared.
• In no PISA-participating education system did boys report more intensive use of memorisation than girls when learning mathematics.
• Memorisation as a learning strategy may work with easy problems, but it is unlikely to be effective if it is the only strategy used when confronted with complex mathematics problems.
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