BHUBANESWAR: Use of gadgets and technology can support one’s learning but cannot substitute it, opined renowned International Memory Coach and Indian National Memory Champion John Louis here on Tuesday.
Advising students to use their own imagination to learn and memorise things at the Memory Connect programme organised by The New Indian Express (TNIE) at SUM Hospital here, Louis said kids born in the 21st century are addicted to electronic gadgets such as television, computer and smart phone which have a damaging effect on their ability to imagine.
“Children who watch TV for just 30 minutes a day for an year, lose 10 per cent of their imagination power. Besides, research suggests that use of gadgets has reduced the attention span of kids of the current generation to just eight seconds,” he said.
“I am not opposed to the use of gadgets and technology but students should know how to use it judiciously,” Louis said.
Today’s children are smart but they don’t learn to use their imagination and associate it with what they are studying to make learning fun. They only follow the method of repetition to remember things which is not useful.
Louis, who left the gathering amazed by memorising 50 numerical digits in a single reading, said though people speak different languages, the brain understands the language of picture, association and fun to store information.
The memory master taught a number of techniques to students to sharpen their mind. To recall things taught in the classroom easily, he advised students to visualise different subjects and objects and associate them with what they are studying, thereby making the process of learning brain-friendly. He also taught students the techniques of memorising concrete and abstract words, numbers as well as chemistry equations in a simple way.
Students from different educational institutes including Institute of Higher Secondary Education (IHSE) of ITER, DAV Public Schools at Unit-VIII, Chandrasekharpur and Kalinganagar, DPS Kalinga and St Xavier’s High School, Khandagiri attended the programme.
Among others, SOA University Vice-Chancellor Amit Banerjee, TNIE senior vice-president (marketing) J Vignesh Kumar, TNIE Deputy Resident Editor, Odisha Siba Mohanty and TNIE deputy general manager, Odisha Prasanna Panda were present.
HCG Panda Cancer Hospital, Poddar Motors and Tyres, Adventz (Paradeep Phosphates Limited) and Jayram Lenka were the associate partners of the event.