National Adult Literacy Database

This video provides insight into how memory functions and how to improve memory, especially in seniors.

It is part of a six-month project carried out by the Carnegie Learning Centre, a partnership between Capilano University and the Carnegie Community Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tutors working with senior language and computer learners looked at what they could change in their daily teaching practices to make memory stick.

They found that a slower pace, a pressure-free environment, and repetition were all important in helping seniors learn and retain knowledge. Physical exercise can help stimulate the brain while relaxation can help the brain accept new information.

The narrator points out that today’s seniors grew up in a very different world. One elder described himself as having gone “from trapline to online.”

A tip sheet summarizing the information in this video is available here: http://library.nald.ca/item/10718.