A Case for Memorization

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The False Dichotomy of Memorization and “Higher-level Learning”

I’ve noticed a trend in recent professional development sessions I’ve attended. There’s an uptick in the use of phrases like “higher-level learning” and “productive struggle.” Of course, all teachers want to challenge their students and make them do the mental heavy lifting. But phrases like these are presented in opposition to terms like “rote memorization.” Teachers walk away from sessions with the understanding of what their administrators are looking for: sophisticated lessons that go beyond so-called “surface-level learning.”

I value these types of lessons and implement them when appropriate. But speaking in these terms makes it seem like some levels of Bloom’s taxonomy have more value than others, rather than working together. Analyze and synthesize reign king, leaving memorization at the bottom. We can talk about varying levels of difficulty and complexity, though when it comes to value, levels of learning work together in concert. Does a focus on higher-level learning give us permission to ignore the other levels? 

Memorization is Not a Dirty Word

I’m not the only one to observe this trend. The late professor of neuroscience at Texas A&M, Dr. William R. Klemm, wrote on the role of memorization and its neurological implications for the classroom. In his article, “Memorization is Not a Dirty Word,” he advocates for “old-fashioned teaching methods.” He claims that “many educators at all levels have disdain for memorization, stating that we should focus education on teaching students to think and solve problems as if you can think and solve problems without knowing anything.”

Klemm also tackles the idea that we shouldn’t bother learning facts that are readily available on Google. According to Klemm, many facts are immutable, and even many that will change won’t do so within a person’s lifetime. Furthermore, misinformation on the internet, lack of access to the internet, and the sheer impractical nature of looking up everything make googling a poor solution compared to knowing. It would seem that the age of Google has made people question how much information we should be holding in our heads when we can be holding it on our phones. 

Yes, We Still Need Memorization in the Age of Google

And yet, memorization is still useful, regardless of how few clicks away an answer is. Why should we test students on information they can get in seconds from Google? I would argue for the value in knowing things. I enjoy recalling information and using it when needed without having to look it up. It is also worth noting, as Klemm has, that there are times when looking up information is not feasible. Pilots, for example, have to memorize incredible amounts of information to operate their aircraft. Among such knowledge would be different flight instruments, their uses, errors they are prone to, emergency procedures, different speeds to apply in different configurations known as V speeds, the NATO phonetic alphabet, codes related to weather phenomena, FAA regulations on distance from structures and other aircraft, and more. The list of facts and figures a pilot ought to have on hand goes on and on. Of course, they fly with an operating handbook with most of this information written down. Knowing it already, however, and being able to use it at the drop of a hat can determine the type of landing their passengers should expect. 

As another example, take my subject matter, Spanish. If things you can Google shouldn’t appear on tests, then I should throw all of mine out now. It is possible to Google any Spanish word or phrase. Students can download an app or carry around a pocket dictionary during a vacation to a Spanish-speaking country. They’d be able to order food, explore sites, and make it back to their hotel room without a problem. But they’d only be scratching the surface of what it is to explore the target culture. Failing to build a strong foundation for a language back at home would lead to a surface-level experience where it matters. And vacations aside, if you’re using Google the entire time, you can’t actually say that you speak Spanish. 

If learning a language is the goal, memorization is a requirement. My students don’t love this about my subject matter, and I understand completely. Unfortunately, we’re asking them to memorize less and less these days. This makes it even more difficult for them when they do try to memorize something. It’s a muscle they haven’t worked out and a skill they haven’t been properly taught. During the pandemic, many teachers relied on open-note tests, and a lot of them never made the switch back. While open note testing may be conducive to some subject matters, it’s completely useless in mine. 

When my students ask me if the test is going to be open-note, I try not to show my incredulity. My tests are a mixture of vocabulary and grammar. The name of the game, more often than not, is how many words you remember. When they’re out in the real world having conversations with Spanish speakers, of course they’ll be able to look at their notes, but will they want to? When they hear me have full conversations with native-speaking students or other teachers, they’re impressed and wish they could do so, as well. This isn’t going to happen if they’re always flipping through notes. 

Memorization is a Valuable Skill

Aside from quiz preparation, I ask my students to memorize because I think it’s good for them. Perhaps the most important implication of Klemm’s article is that without memorization, we can never get to the higher-level learning that our supervisors want to see. In his article, he points out the role of working memory in problem-solving: 

We think and solve problems with what is in working memory, which [it] turns out is memory of currently available information or recall of previously memorized information…Numerous studies show that the amount of information you can hold in working memory is tightly correlated with IQ and problem-solving ability. 

He goes on to list the benefits of memorization, calling it exercise for the mind, but more importantly, he points out that it “trains the brain to develop learning and memory schemas that facilitate future learning.” Studies show that the more you know, the more you can learn., Klemm explains: 

Learning schemas develop as you acquire competence in an area — call it skill A. Now, when you need to learn a new and related skill, B, your mind says to itself, ‘I don’t know how to do B. But I do know how to do A, and some of that can be applied to learning B.’ Memory schemas are memorized frames of reference and association, where having memorized fact A, you have an association handle for memorizing fact B.

Developing these systems in our brains is why students are in school. And each one of their courses enriches their lives in some way. There are real-world applications for memorization in all content areas. Having a system of understanding in algebra committed to memory helps us calculate sale prices to make sure we’re not getting ripped off at the register. Knowing our nation’s history and having a few basic facts committed to memory helps us guard ourselves against politicians and pundits who would like to manipulate us. Memorization in the sciences can come in handy when dealing with health and wellness, weather, cooking, and a myriad of other things. Having information committed to memory creates a framework for the problem-solving we have to do in order to be functioning members of society. Though not celebrated by administrators, memorization, in fact, helps us become critical thinkers. If we don’t want to think for ourselves, I fear there will always be someone else willing to do it for us. 

Our attitudes as teachers and educators towards memorization need to change. It’s a part of learning that we can’t skip over because it doesn’t look cool during observations. Furthermore, students can pick up on this stigma and have started to reject a necessary skill. We need to teach our students that different skills are applicable across content areas. They need to hone all skills and work on recognizing when to use each. Analysis isn’t intrinsically better than memorization because it’s more complex. Memorization is one skill of many that support the overarching goal of helping them become independent thinkers. 

Each study skill is another tool in our students’ toolboxes. Don’t tell them to throw out their hammers because today’s job requires a screwdriver.

Kaitlin Whitman is a high school Spanish teacher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is passionate about foreign languages and cultures.

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