Optimizing Working Memory in the Classroom

Working memory is crucial to learning—providing both the cognitive space and the cognitive tools to process new thinking. If you’re looking for the research cited in the video, see the list below:

• Alloway and Copello’s 2013 study on the what, why, and how of working memory
• American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2013 report on the crucial role of recess in school
• Barrett et al.’s 2015 study on the impact of classroom design on learning
• Bui and McDaniel’s 2015 article on how outlines and diagrams can increase the effectiveness of note-taking
• Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation’s 2018 guide to cognitive load theory in practice
• Cowan’s 2014 paper on how working memory underpins cognitive development
• Frenda and Fenn’s 2016 article on how sleep deprivation affects working memory
• Gutierrez et al.’s 2019 brief on how mindfulness can improve student outcomes
• Harvard Center on the Developing Child’s 2014 guide to activities that enhance and practice executive function skills
• Immordino-Yang et al.’s 2012 paper on how the brain’s default mode is critical for development and learning
• Rodrigues and Pandeirada’s 2018 article on how environmental visual stimulation affects children’s cognitive performance
• Wang et al.’s 2020 paper on how visual cues can improve learning on instructional videos
• Ward et al.’s 2017 article on how the presence of smartphones can reduce available cognitive capacity