Marco van de Ven and Anouk van Hoogdalem about the use of MemoryLab

Anouk van Hoogdalem en Marco van de Ven
MemoryLab is a valuable tool for learning concepts.
Name
Marco van de Ven en Anouk van Hoogdalem
Current role
Assistant professor - Orthopedagogics: Learning and Development and Lecturer - Orthopedagogics: Learning and Development

The MemoryLab software helps students learn ready knowledge. Through online training, you can let students study knowledge required for your discipline in a playful way. Marco van de Ven and Anouk van Hoogdalem share their experiences with the tool in their Cognitive and language development course in the Bachelor's programme in Pedagogical Sciences.

"During our recent course, we used the online exercise programme MemoryLab with our students to improve their understanding of the material. We saw that the programme was well received, the feedback from our students providing valuable insights into how effective MemoryLab is as a learning tool.

Many of our students reported that MemoryLab contributed significantly to their knowledge of the material. By practising with the concepts regularly, they were better able to remember the material and apply it during lectures and exams. As one student put it: "During class, the mention of the concepts rang a bell and I understood the material better."

In addition, the repetitive nature of MemoryLab was found to be very useful. Our students enjoyed repeating concepts multiple times, leading to deeper knowledge and better long-term abstinence. One student said: "By repeating a lot, I felt very well prepared for the exam."

However, there were also some critical notes. Some students noted that the programme put too much emphasis on reproducing definitions and less on really understanding and applying the terms. One student commented: "It was more recognition than understanding what it said." There were also comments about inconsistencies in the language used and spelling errors, which sometimes led to confusion.

Yet the positive experience prevails. We see that Memorylab motivates students to actively engage with the material. The programme provides structure, encourages repetition and helps deepen their understanding. One student summed it up nicely: "MemoryLab contributed a lot to my understanding of the course and my grade."

Getting started

MemoryLab is connected to Brightspace and in that way easy to use in your education. Please contact the Teaching Information Point of your faculty for help and advice.