Taking the Education of History Beyond Memorization

Author: Carole Stenhouse

It is undisputed within the field of education, and more specifically within the discipline of history, that some level of rote memorization is required to establish understanding. As teachers, we have used memorization in our pedagogical and assessment practices for years. Through lectures, note-taking, and standardized testing, we have honed our abilities to make our students memorize. However, we are left with one important question: does that allow our students to develop their skills of historical understanding?

The Problem with Rote Memorization

According to Richard E. Mayer, an educational psychologist, rote memorization, by its nature, inhibits meaningful learning; when educators employ this teaching practice, students only?memorize?facts instead of?understanding?them. When asked to recite this information, the students are able; however, when asked to utilize this information to solve a problem, the students begin to struggle. While knowing the dates and events of World War II is important, that is only the beginning. Students need to understand why these events happen, and how they contribute to cause-effect relationships. Ensuring this knowledge is usable and transferable is how we can progress our pedagogical practices and enable our students to use historical understanding both inside and outside the walls of the classroom. Instead of building a list of facts, we can assist our students in building a skill.

Therefore, as teachers, it is our responsibility to progress our teaching methods to help our students in developing these skills. Meaningful learning happens when a student develops the cognitive processes required for solving problems and critical thinking. For this to happen, students need two things:

1. The ability to fully understand and visualize the problem at hand, and
2. The ability of the student to both devise and carry out a solution.

If we as teachers fail to connect our students in a significant way to the material, beyond historical facts, then our students will not be able to achieve true, meaningful understanding. So how do we fix it?

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