Less Memory
A recent article reinforced a well known fact – practice improves memory. Memory has been considered a good attribute by most. A better definition of memory is needed, however. If memory is the ability to recollect details of information, it is not clear if it is a good attribute. Education systems, under the pretext of such memory being a good, have deteriorated into methods that simply test effort expended in practice and the ability to retain and recover disconnected information. Even IQ tests have taken the route of testing speed of recollection and pattern matching.
Memory certainly had an evolutionary advantage during most of the human history. In the modern information world, however, humans can delegate storage and retrieval of information to computers and such toys. In this world, the value of memory – the ability to store and retrieve information continues to decline. Additionally, internally stored memory in the brain has certain disadvantages – it cannot be erased easily. For many, memory brings enormous disutility and disability.
Memory – in the conventional sense, may have turned neutral for modern humans – it is neither a good nor a bad. Education systems that test and improve conventional memory in students may be doing future generations, a disservice. For example, any system that does not allow students access to the internet and text-books while they take tests, do not make sense. There is no reason to memorize pieces of information during tests. Education has to be about figuring out new ideas and information is a commodity and readily available at no cost. Conventional skills, that have been useful for humans for 50,000 years, may render them less effective for the future.
Memory certainly had an evolutionary advantage during most of the human history. In the modern information world, however, humans can delegate storage and retrieval of information to computers and such toys. In this world, the value of memory – the ability to store and retrieve information continues to decline. Additionally, internally stored memory in the brain has certain disadvantages – it cannot be erased easily. For many, memory brings enormous disutility and disability.
Memory – in the conventional sense, may have turned neutral for modern humans – it is neither a good nor a bad. Education systems that test and improve conventional memory in students may be doing future generations, a disservice. For example, any system that does not allow students access to the internet and text-books while they take tests, do not make sense. There is no reason to memorize pieces of information during tests. Education has to be about figuring out new ideas and information is a commodity and readily available at no cost. Conventional skills, that have been useful for humans for 50,000 years, may render them less effective for the future.
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