Memorizing is not Learning

Memorizing is not Learning

One of my anger about education in Indonesia is a matter of habit makes memorizing activities as a major part of the learning process. This was done consciously or not.

Conscious command to memorize prayers, text, verse, and so on. Which is done unconsciously is the subject matter that exceeds the portion, making it impossible to understand children.

Finally taken a shortcut, that is, memorize it. It is sad when you see that our basic education is dominated by memorization activities.

Memorization is the process of putting information into memory (memory). There is the process of converting information into a code in the storage process, this is called coding.

When required, the information can be withdrawn, modified the code so that it becomes its native format. Memorization is generally based on the sound produced orally.

Learning is a different process. Very different. The most important difference lies in the digestive process information. Digested information, based on the information and understanding already exists.

In the end, the information will also be stored in the memory, but in a format that is completely different to that stored through the process of memorization.

This is a problem in our education, especially basic education. Somehow the makers of our curriculum so eager to cram as much knowledge to children from an early age.

So much so that the teachers can not afford to build an understanding to children on any subject lessons. Even children could not understand it. Finally, selected shortcut, memorize it.

Of course this is strongly associated with the test pattern, or test us. Our test pattern based on multiple choice, one answer to one question.

The most effective way to deal with this exam is memorizing. We do not provide adequate space for the exploration and argumentation in our test systems.

In addition to simply providing an answer to the problem, not the rote system of building relationships between the information stored.

Information is stored in a single format, without the relationship. That is, information not build knowledge, limited to a mere collection of sounds.

How to memorize is to repeat. Just like people do physical exercise. If we are diligent weight training is repeated, then our muscles will grow. It is a "memory" that marks the last activity.

Memorizing the same with a mark it on our brains. Consequently, if we stop the process, then gradually the mark will disappear. We will not forget.

Children learn a lot of memorization. They can memorize quickly. Our task is not stuffing them by rote, because their memories are still fresh.

Our task on the contrary, take advantage of the time to create spaces for the foundation of understanding as much as possible, so that they are easier to absorb information at a later stage, based on understanding.

Many people are stuck on the myth that if children were told to memorize at an early age, they will remember for a lifetime. Wrong. Later they will be forgotten again, unless they are constantly doing repetitions.

What's good when our children were told to do in order to maintain the rote repetition? Should not they take advantage of their time and energy to collect more recent information? Remember that something memorized is something static, not undergone an update.

Did I say should not be memorizing? Not really. Memorizing still had some positive side. One of them, he can pull information quickly from memory.

When thinking building understanding, this speed can help. It should be remembered that memorization should be positioned as a tool for learning. He was not a primary process in learning.

A simple example is, we are educating children summation process. They understood what it summation, and could do the sums to various numbers.

In the process they will memorize that 2 + 2 = 4. Or, they already knew that 3 × 5 is 5 + 5 + 5, why not if they memorized that 3 × 5 equals 15.

By: Hasanuddin Abdurakhman