Trouble with E-Learning? Use Memory Palace Technique

by Richa Jha Asistent Manager

We all know that memory fades as humans begin to grow old. Many e-learning students also face trouble with E-Learning as they struggle to retain the information. To the rescue, comes the ‘Memory Palace’ technique to recall information.

The technique is credited to Simonides of Ceos, a Greek poet and it includes coming up with vivid images of objects in a familiar setting. Most of the memory athletes on e-Learning websites and on best social networking websites, have nothing but praises for this technique.

Also, known as ‘Method of Loci’, it is a mental walkthrough. It is a method of memory enrichment which uses visualization to recognize, organize and recall information. Once understood, it could do wonders for e-learning.

What you need?

To boost the online learning speed, a basic knowledge of the ‘’Memory Palace’’ is needed. And, all you need are 2 things – a.) A familiar place and b.) Clear visual imagination

Step 1. Select a place with many rooms that you can vividly picture in your mind’s eye, it could be your home, school or workplace.

Step 2. Draw a specific path going through every nook and cranny of your palace. Always begin from the same place, follow the same path and end at the same place.

Step 3. Create a system for travelling through each room, for e.g., Left to right. And, while you are walking, note all the features in the room such as lamp, sofa, dustbin, painting, etc. See each item as a ‘’memory slot’’ where you can store information.

Step 4. Link ideas or thoughts or objects you want to remember with features in your memory palace. Locate them on your path in the order that you want to remember them while doing e-Learning.

Step 5. Start at the beginning of your route and visit each feature in turn to readily recall the information you have stored.

So, why is this method effective?

Most of the researchers (on top social networking websites in India), of this ancient Greek technique - believe that it works by taking abstract, unrelated pieces of information and incorporating navigational and spatial memory skills that us, human beings, have evolved over time.

Secondly, we tend to remember things with emotional connections better. For instance the mp3 songs we hear on online music sites. Since we are all social animals, we have a nicely developed basal ganglia.

Adapting with E-Learning

A major challenge that online learning or e-learning students face today is to remember what they have learnt. And, majority of them fear that they will forget things afterwards. Memory Palace technique is a great tool to utilize on any e-learning website in India or elsewhere.

Mastering this technique can also give the students a huge relief from thick textbooks as it fundamentally changes how they learn. This would further improve their knowledge while attempting E-Mock paper or online sample practice tests.