Memory is the quintessence of human experience. Without memory we cannot progress, cannot learn from experience, and cannot develop a personal identity.

Learning is acquiring knowledge or skill by study, instruction, practice, experience, or example. Learning and memory are intertwined—learning depends on memory and learning is evidence of memory.

Analysis of Recall to Improve Retention of Information

There are three basic measures of retention: recognition, relearning and recall.

Recognition

Recognition is being able to identify concepts, episodes, or truths from your previous knowledge or experience. Recognition is usually easier than recall. For example, you might not be able to recall the details of a face but would be able to recognize the face in a crowd. Recognition is the basis for multiple choice or objective exams where the instructor or the wording of the exam provides some stimulus or triggers association.

Relearning

Learning is gaining knowledge. Relearning is spending additional periods of time in reworking the material or reinforcing your original learning.

Recall

Recalling information is remembering or causing to remember what you have already learned. You have to provide your own mechanism for eliciting the appropriate response, as might be required in an essay or subjective type of exam. Recall is the ability to write, tell or think, in your own words, what you have seen, experienced, or read. It is the most important and most accurate measure of retention.

Here’s something to think about... We are more aware of forgetting things than remembering things.

Wayne Mansfield
PowerRead - Speed Reading for Business