Memorization, a dying out study strategy?

New online tools are gradually changing our relationship to memory and its usefulness. Is it still relevant to have students memorize content?

An always important aspect in education is memorization. Even though the Bloom's revised taxonomy puts a lot of emphasis on creativity, memory is always an important part of our approaches. Many teachers continue and will continue to take exams where this element is at the heart of the study strategies that the student must use.

What about this aspect when you have access to tools like Google? How to prepare our students for this reality where the Internet is slowly becoming a personal assistant (Semantic web)? The question needs to be asked. In the article How Google Is Changing Your Memory, published January 22 on the blog Edudemic, Katie Lepi explains that new online tools, like those from Google, are gradually changing our relationship to memory and its usefulness.

Here is the outline of this article.

Google offers services that are an extension of knowledge

• Google Calendar stores appointments and even offers reminders;
• Google Disk (Drive) store all documents in one place without having to worry about their backup;
• Google Search allows you to search for anything you want in a few clicks;
• Google Analytics analyzes website traffic and helps optimize them;
• Google Maps allows you to find your way without having to memorize it.

Before and after Google
Before widespread Internet access, you had to use your legs to find information. In addition to taking more time to search, you had to travel to do it, for example by going to the library. The effort required was to memorize the information or write it down. Now, to obtain new information, all you have to do is look for it, often directly on the smartphone, without leaving the premises. This immense ease of research encourages us to drop memorization. Why memorize something if you can find it in less than a minute?

All of this has enormous consequences for our students' perception of information. Is getting them to memorize content still relevant? Would it be more appropriate to educate them in the healthy use of the Internet?

Please feel free to give your opinion on the matter using the comments form below.