The Rememberize Blog

I just noticed one of the ZDNet blogs commenting on the use of computers in education. I gave it a quick read.

Rememberize is squarely aimed (currently, at least) at use #1 - Drills. I’m really glad that Mr Murphy thinks that computers can have a real benefit in the classroom. Unfortunately, ‘drill’ certainly doesn’t conjure up images of a pleasantly spent afternoon. Drills. That’s something Marines do. Or Football players. Not fourth graders.

Personally, I like learning when it’s hands on, when it’s intriguing, when it’s exciting. I’m sure most other people in the world would share similar sentiments. I’m more inclined to continue learning, to come back for more information, when it’s delivered in such a motivating way - I might not remember anything from “Zoology Zone - Raptors”, as Paul points out, but I’m sure gonna come back for “Zoology Zone - Cerapods.” But, honestly, I learnt my 12 times table by rote, and that’s certainly benefited me also (supplemented, of course, with an understanding of how multiplication works, so I can extrapolate the process to 13’s and 14’s if I need to).

My point is this - Rememberize sits in the zone of useful but, well, unromantic. Yes, it can really help you to learn Spanish nouns, and that could be invaluable on your trip to Baja California, but when your RSS feed notifies you that it’s time to relearn, what motivates you to go and do it? The notion of eventual reward, or that the reward is the knowledge itself? That seems a little weak to me - for most, something more immediate is needed. So I’m stretching every imaginative neuron in my brain to help people enjoy using Rememberize. It’ll take effort, but I’ll try.

In the meantime, listen to what Paul Murphy says! Computers (read: Rememberize), are great for learning by repetition!

PS. Paul, when referring to Zoology Zone, notes, “my guess is that if we had information about student comprehension and information retention on products like this one, those numbers would be functionally indistinguishable from zero because this kind of thing is, it seems to me, the teaching equivalent of the in flight movie.” I don’t know - I wouldn’t underestimate captivating an audience. In my mind engagement is an important part of comprehension - especially with kids. Granted, Paul did caveat the statement with “my guess,” but I would suggest that’s all it is, a guess. That said, so is this post-script!