Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology
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Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology

Teaching, Learning, and the Science of Memory in a Wired World

Michelle Miller
West Virginia University Press, 2022
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New digital tools are expanding human capabilities. Or, depending on whom you ask, technology is undermining them — particularly memory. Drawing from research and extensive firsthand classroom experience, cognitive psychologist Michelle D. Miller addresses truths and myths about how memory functions and how technology affects how people remember. She provides a clear-eyed perspective on what humanity’s evolving cognitive relationship with technology means for teaching, learning, and everyday life, along with practical tips for teachers on how to use and talk about technology in the classroom.

Summary

Technology isn’t changing the human brain, but it is affecting how people use their minds.

How are rapid technological advances affecting how people think, learn, and remember? Empirical research — particularly in cognitive psychology and neuroscience — is beginning to provide answers to these questions. For teachers, these findings offer solid guidance about how best to teach today’s young people and help them use new tech in helpful, instead of harmful ways.

According to the Pew Research Center, many people — including technology and health experts — believe new technology is damaging people’s thinking abilities, especially memory. But some argue that though technology may change how people think, it can actually improve cognitive abilities and make people smarter. Just as a physical tool can enhance your ability to perform physical tasks — so the thinking goes — tech can serve as a tool that makes difficult thinking more manageable. For example, the advent of computer spreadsheets simplified and increased the accuracy of work related to the recording, organization, and manipulation of data. Programs like Microsoft Excel...

About the Author

Michelle D. Miller, PhD is a Professor of Psychological Sciences and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She writes, teaches, and speaks about maximizing learning in today’s tech-filled, rapidly-changing world.

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