…and how to do it.
Hello and welcome to the 85th edition of our fortnightly newsletter, Things in Education.
Two weeks back, we kicked off our series on the Cognitive Load Theory, based on an overwhelming majority of our readers requesting more information on this topic.
The first edition of this series was an introduction to the Information Processing Model, where we explained that “we can think of our memory having three parts or registers – sensory memory, working memory and long-term memory. The goal is to get information into long-term memory and keep it there for a long time.”
Today, we delve deeper into the first memory register – sensory memory. While the Cognitive Load Theory focuses mainly on the second memory register – working memory – we think that a better understanding of sensory memory and how we as teachers must manage students' attention in the classroom is a crucial first step.
There is a lot of information in a student’s immediate environment – the teacher writing something on the board, the sounds of laughter and conversation from the playground outside, the feel of the chair’s armrest against the skin, the smell of masalas being cooked in oil in the school canteen… These sensations are perceived by our sense organs and are briefly stored as sensory memory, but this memory lasts for a very short time – a few milliseconds to 1-2 seconds. Only the information we focus on or pay attention to moves into working memory. If we don’t pay attention to a sensation, it is lost from our sensory memory and does not move into working memory.
So what does this have to do with teaching and learning in the classroom? Let’s understand this with an example of a Geography lesson taught by Mr. Kumar.
Mr. Kumar was always fascinated by Geography, and this fascination continued to grow as he became older. When he got a chance to teach and pass on his love for and knowledge of Geography to 7th graders at a local school, he was overjoyed! However, he doesn’t know much about pedagogy or information processing. His colleagues have told him that writing key words on the board and reminding students about exam marks helps them pay attention, and so that is what he does.
Today, the topic of focus is ‘plate tectonics’, and he begins by writing the topic in large letters on the board.
“Today, we’re talking about plate tectonics,” he announces with a big smile. He picks up the textbook and reads aloud, “The Earth’s crust is made up of large pieces of rock called tectonic plates, which move very slowly.” He writes ‘crust’, ‘tectonic plates’, and ‘move slowly’ on the board.
“Remember,” he adds, “this is important for your exams. You’ll need to know this to score good marks.”
Mr. Kumar then continues reading from the textbook and writing key words on the board.
Priya, in the second row, tries to keep up with what he’s saying, but she’s more focused on whether she'll be able to remember the terms for the exam.
Aman, sitting at the back, can’t relate to the topic at all. He hears ‘tectonic plates’ and ‘move slowly,’ but it’s all just words. His mind drifts, and he starts doodling in his notebook.
Rizvi, sitting quietly in the middle, feels overwhelmed. Mr. Kumar’s continuous talking makes it hard for him to know what’s really important. He nods along, hearing nothing.
Gaining and keeping students’ attention is important – in fact, it is the key to ensuring that information passes on from sensory memory to working memory. But how it is done is even more important. Attention is a precious resource, and so we pay attention to what we consider most important at that moment.
Secondly, gaining attention and keeping attention are two different things. Mr Kumar did gain Priya’s attention by mentioning exam marks, but he failed to keep her attention focused on the learning, which should be the primary goal of any teacher.
So, what could Mr. Kumar have done differently? Read on and try to identify the strategies Mr. Kumar used the next day to gain and keep students' attention.
The next day, Mr. Kumar walks into the classroom with a new plan. After reading about sensory memory and the difference between gaining and keeping attention, he has planned to teach plate tectonics differently today.
He starts by projecting a colourful diagram of the Earth’s layers on the board. “Look at this,” he says, pointing to the diagram. “We live on the Earth’s crust—the very top layer. Beneath us is the mantle, where it gets really hot!” His voice rises with excitement, and he gestures with his hands, showing how the layers fit together.
The students immediately sit up. Priya, who had struggled to stay focused the previous day, finds herself drawn in by the diagram and Mr. Kumar’s energy. She can now picture the Earth’s layers and how they’re connected to plate tectonics.
As Mr. Kumar moves across the room, he asks, “What do you think happens when these plates push against each other?” He pauses, waiting for an answer, making the students feel like this is important to know. Aman, who had been doodling yesterday, perks up. The unexpected question makes him think, and he quickly guesses, “Do they break?” Mr. Kumar smiles, “Yes! Sometimes they crack and form things like mountains or earthquakes.”
He writes ‘crust,’ ‘mantle,’ and ‘tectonic plates’ on the board again, but this time he underlines them, making sure the students know these are key points. He pauses after writing each word, letting the information sink in.
“Now, imagine you’re standing on one of these plates, and it’s moving, but so slowly you can’t feel it,” he says, walking around the room to show movement. His pacing keeps the students’ eyes on him, especially Rizvi, who had felt overwhelmed yesterday. Today, Mr. Kumar’s movement and pauses make it easier for Rizvi to follow along, giving him time to process each idea.
Throughout the lesson, Mr. Kumar asks questions to different students. “Priya, what layer is beneath the crust?” Now students know that they should stay alert since anyone could be called on. The unpredictability of this keeps them on their toes.
By the end of the class, Priya, Aman, and Rizvi have all not only participated actively but have also absorbed the lesson on plate tectonics. This time, the sensory memory has been successfully processed into working memory.
Strategies to Gain and Keep Students’ Attention
Use novelty: Pepper the lesson with things that are unexpected, like a colourful visual or a question that grabs students' interest. In Mr. Kumar's class, showing a diagram of the Earth’s layers immediately captured Priya's attention, breaking the routine and drawing her into the lesson.
Move around and use gestures: Moving around the classroom and using hand gestures keeps students physically focused on the teacher. When Mr. Kumar moved and gestured while explaining plate tectonics, it kept students like Aman from zoning out.
Use voice inflection and pauses: Varying tone and pausing strategically helps students focus on important details. Mr. Kumar raised his voice and paused when talking about key concepts like the mantle and tectonic plates, signalling to the students that they should pay attention.
Cold call: Asking questions randomly ensures that students stay alert, knowing they could be called on at any time. Mr. Kumar’s habit of asking unexpected questions throughout the lesson, like “Priya, what layer is beneath the crust?”, kept all the students on their toes and attentive.
What other strategies have you used successfully to gain and keep your students’ attention in the classroom? We’d love to hear from educators, and we’ll share the best strategies in our next edition!
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Edition: 3.33
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