Encoding
Encoding is the process by which information moves from working memory into long-term memory, where it can later be retrieved. Encoding quality depends on what the learner *does* with the material — passive exposure produces weak encoding; active processing (discussion, application, teaching-back) produces strong encoding. The quality of encoding determines whether a memory survives beyond the session.
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Related Terms
- Working Memory
- Working memory is the brain's real-time processing system, responsible for holding and manipulating new information as it's encountered. It has a hard capacity ceiling — approximately five to nine…
- Long-Term Memory
- Long-term memory is the brain's durable storage system, holding information beyond the roughly 30-second window of working memory. Material reaches long-term memory only if it has been encoded well,…
- Retrieval
- Retrieval is the act of pulling stored information back into working memory for use. Every act of retrieval strengthens the memory trace — which is why testing outperforms re-reading, and why…
Mentioned In
- How People Actually Learn
A workshop can end with glowing feedback and produce almost no behavior change a week later. That's not a motivation problem on the participant's side — it's a memory-science problem on the design…