Recall: It’s a bit like opening a document

Our understanding of how the brain stores and retrieves data is still in the early stages of development. What is clear though, is that the result of learning (memory?) is stored in many places in the brain. Rather than being a problem, this provides us with many ways of accessing memory when we want to recall information.

Researchers have watched on MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanners what happens when the brain stores and retrieves data. It doesn’t just go in one place. They have seen many different parts of the brain light up when memory is engaged indicating that learning is stored in many different places – all at the same time.

And accessing learning means pulling many different strands together from many different parts of the brain and putting it all together for that “Ahha” moment we all love to see.

Memory recall is a bit like opening a document.

• You can open your word processor and search for the document you want

• If it’s a recent document chances are it’s listed in your recent documents list

• You can look up the document from windows explorer (or the Mac equivalent)

• You can search for it manually.

We each have our own favourite way of finding our stuff on our computers and working with it. For example I always use a mouse to click on instructions like copy and paste. Ally uses a series of keyboard short cuts to do the same thing.

Question: Who is right?
Answer: It doesn’t matter!

There are many ways to open a document and so it is with memory. There are many ways to access our memories. The great thing about brain friendly training is we can help our learners to put their insights into memory through many different routes. We can engage many senses in learning using sight, hearing, touch, smell and even taste. We could appeal to an individuals in built desire to discover, solve problems and explore. While our learners may have preferences it seems that the best is a blend of all of the brains entry systems.

The way the brain stores data is so amazingly complex.

Learning that is only visual gets stored in fewer regions than learning that is visual and auditory for example. Add an emotional element and the brain laps it up. The more rich and multi-sensory we can make learning, the more the learning is spread around the brain. Accessing it can then be done through many different channels making it easier to recall.

MRI image by Reigh LeBlanc
5 sesnses image by TheNickster

Paul and Ally are working on an exciting 6-part (online) course to help your learners fully engage with your training - sign up for the 'early bird' list for advanced notification and more info

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