Information processing model

To understand how an individual learns, it is important to know how information is received and processed in the individual’s mind.

Human minds receive information through the five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.

Some information is remembered for a short period and then forgotten while a tiny portion of the large amount of information received may stay in a human’s memory for a very long time.

So, how and why does one’s mind retain some information for a short while or even longer and totally reject some other information?

To understand this, we need to explore and study the information processing model.

Information processing model contain 3 stages: sensory register, short-term memory (working memory), long-term memory.

Sensory register

•       Input enters here is the stimuli from the environment
•       From our five sensor:  hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch
•       Two types of memory:
• Iconic- visual stimuli
• Acoustic – sound or audio stimuli

Short-term memory

•       The active part of memory
•       Limited amount of information stored for a short time
•       Repetition and encoding are the processes here
•       Adult only can think 7-9 things simultaneously

Long-term memory

The ultimate destination for information that one wants to learn and remember and also the place to store the information on a relatively permanent basis (Ashcraft, 1994)

•       Unlimited capacity for storing information
•       Consist of at least 3 component:
• Episodic – concerned with the recollection of experienced events and episodes
• Semantic – contains the facts and the vast network of conceptual information (‘remembering that’)
• Procedural – process to do something (‘knowing how’) 

 Lets improve our memory!!!!!!!!!

use mnemonic devices

•  visual images
• sentences
• acronyms
• rhymes and alliteration
• jokes
• "chunking" information
• "method of loci" 

Perception- select information that is important to the learner

Comprehension- process of constructing a situation

Problem solving- mental process and problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping
Reasoning-to form conclusions, inferences, or judgments

Implications in mathematics

• help students to remember formulas or term-e.g memorizing tables
• help students to link new information with the existing information
• encourage students to do more exercises
• guide students focusing on the most important information 

Interesting video about information processing model:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyK75d4IC1Y