Module 7

Method of Loci

I’ve recently completed my seventeenth year as a math teacher, generally in the middle school grades.  Mnemonic devices are used often within the math classroom. Who doesn’t remember Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally??  However, even with all of the memorization required, the Method of Loci has rarely been one of the mnemonic devices to make its way into the classroom.  

The Method of Loci is a memory filing system that utilizes visual cues within a room matched to specific information.  It works well with large quantities of data that needs to be recalled and this what prevents it from being widely used in the math classroom.  Most math formulas and memorized information have few steps, or can be broken down to simpler steps. Moreover, math is largely about understanding, with memorization’s help.  

This isn’t to say that the Method of Loci, also known as the Memory Palace, doesn’t have its place within education, specifically instructional design.  The recent design, created for a middle school classroom, required multiple steps to be completed in order to finish a successful lesson. These steps need to be performed multiple times a week to finish a successful unit.  The instructor, or substitute (in my design), could associate each step of the design with an item in their memory palace. These memory palace items correlate with a step in the design which helps the instructor/substitute file the necessary steps into their memory bank.  This mnemonic device can help relieve the pressure of finding notes at the last minute, or trying to understand instructions after days away from completing the desired activity.  

Implementation and Evaluation

What changes will you make before implementation? Why? 

I had enough confidence, for better or worse, in my design to continue ahead with implementation.  The client had her own apprehension and hesitation regarding her preparedness; however, she felt the design was solid and covered all of her needs.  This made it easier to implement without making major changes to the design.

What did you ignore in the client’s feedback? Why? What did you ignore in your peer’s feedback? Why?

The client’s feedback was positive and excited.  She didn’t request any changes and was very happy with the outcome.  Her notes regarding tutorials gave me a few thoughts towards creating more of a visual example for both the instructors and the students.  However, with such a small window of time I won’t attempt that unless requested. The peer feedback suggested more detail for the substitute and I agree, which makes this something I WON’T ignore.  There were no other suggestions made.