| Student Memory Interview: Question 79: Which did the
students remember more - the objects or the books? Why? |
Conclusion: 86% (19) of 22 students gave 15 reasons why they remembered
and preferred learning from objects more than books. Many of the students cited that they
remembered the objects more because they were able look at them in detail and touch them.
Some students also said that they simply found the objects more interesting than books and
the fact that they were on display meant they spent more time with them than the books.
Summary of findings:
These findings are based on interviews with 24 primary students in Y3-Y6: 12
higher ability and 12 lower ability; 12 females and 12 males. The students were
interviewed 7 - 10 months after their use of these loans in the classroom.
- · 100% of the students asked this question (22 - not the first 2 boys) responded to
this question. This sample was made up of 10 boys and 12 girls; 11 high ability students
and 11 low ability students.
- · 86% (19) of the 22 students said they preferred learning from objects and remembered
the information surrounding the objects more than the information contained in the books.
This group consisted of: 53% females; 47% males; 50% high ability; 50% low ability
students.
- · 9% (2) students said they liked learning from both objects and books. This group was
comprised entirely of females: 1 low ability and 1 high ability student.
- · 5% (1) said they remembered pictures more. This response was from a low ability male.
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| Student Memory Interview: Question 79: Individual Student
Responses |
10 boys and 12 girls were asked this question. Here are their answers:
Students preferred learning from objects: 19
1. Student B1: Male: Low Ability: Y5
I can't remember books. I do remember we had a Queen Victoria assembly. I
remember objects because you can actually do something with them - the bell can ring.
2. Student L1: Male: Low Ability: Y6
The objects - by far - because it's interesting. Well, some people say,
sometimes when it's interesting it just goes in and stays in at the front (of the brain)
but when it's not it would go in but it stays at the back so it takes you ages to remember
it.
3. Student M1: Male: Low Ability: Y6
The objects. I think it's because we like use them and we could actually see them. But
in the book, it's only writing and information and you couldn't get a real picture. With
the objects, they're actually there in front of you. As you say, if you want to touch it,
you can touch it. I only looked at the dress in detail but I did look at the other
objects.
4. Student L2: Male: High Ability: Y6
The objects - definitely - because you get a picture in your head definitely but with
the other one there is some hard text and you don't get it straight into your head. And I
like objects - I like artefacts. And the brain takes in whatever it wants to.
5. Student H1: Male: Low Ability: Y6
Objects, it's a lot easier - you can imagine as well. You can actually feel them and
see them. Not just one (angle) In a book you can just see one angle - and you can't feel
them, smell them and get the texture of them - stuff like that.
Only some of the books…so its hard to remember. It's easier to remember one thing
that you like than loads of things that you don't.
(Do you remember the front covers equally well to the objects?) No - the objects
because they're really interesting. If you got to do work on History you got to do work on
the objects.
6. Student B2: Male: High Ability: Y4
The objects are more interesting than the books. We had more time with them.
We could sniff them, hear them and look at them.
7. Student G2: Male: High Ability: Y6
You can go inside. You can look at them from any angle as well. The teacher to do a
project on one object. I did the medipack sort of thing with the bandages. I think it said
"Ration" on the front. It was padding and very squishy. (You didn't choose that
to explain) Because there wasn't a lot to explain but I remember the helmet more vividly.
We used loads and loads of books.
(Do you remember the front covers equally well to the objects?) No - the objects because
we could look at the objects every time we came in.
8. Student H2: Male: High Ability: Y5
Real objects because on the picture you can only see the front. It might have some
marks on the back and you want to look at the back.
9. Student M2: Male: High Ability: Y6
The objects. I think probably because it was unusual to have the objects in a lesson.
It was something more fun to do. The fact we're doing something different. It was more
interesting. I still enjoy the other stuff we do but that was a change. I don't think I'd
remember every single thing (if we had them every week) but when there's one lesson that
stands out.
10. Student G3: Female: Low Ability: Y6
I think the objects. Because we saw them more often, we got to feel it and hold the
stuff and wear it - so it's easier to remember. But in the book, you never got to see the
things very often. We used to see them every day - especially for the early morning
monitors because they got to set them up and set them up that day. They come in to help
the teacher. We didn't see the books so often.
11. Student M3: Female: Low Ability: Y6
The objects. The clothes make me remember what they used to wear. They were real - not
like a photograph. You could touch them and knew that they really existed really. We
should use objects every history lesson. In Technology we could look at models of bridges
- proper bridges that have been made…(In reference to Rebecca's comment on real art
in Art lessons) Yes, proper pictures.
12. Student B3: Female: Low Ability: Y4
I looked at the objects longer than I looked at the books.
13. Student B4: Female: High Ability: Y5
We spent a long time doing the objects. I did the shoe most. They're more exciting
than looking at pictures. Looking at the real thing is more interesting than looking at a
book. Yes, I would like to use more on the Egyptians - that was fun. History was always
one of my favourite subjects.
14. Student H3: Female: Low Ability: Y5
We had to draw the objects on a piece of paper and we stuck it in our history books.
15. Student L3: Female: Low Ability: Y6
I hate reading books. The objects are more interesting. I like fiddling with them (the
objects) and feeling them. It's more interesting when you know how it feels and then write
about them. There was a time when we weighed all the bags in the class - that was fun too.
16. Student L4: Female: High Ability: Y6
I think the objects are more interesting and I like art. They are more 3D than just 2D
- you can actually see what they actually look like. I like going around and touching
things and seeing what they're like. Books are boring - it depends what books.
17. Student H4: Female: High Ability: Y5
It's easier to remember the objects - because its got lots of writing in a book and
you can't remember all that writing. With objects you can just remember what it looks
like.
18. Student G4: Female: High Ability: Y6
The objects…because we actually got a real feel of what it might be like from the
objects. But if you look at pictures you imagine what it was like for them but when you
have the objects you imagine what it would be like for you and how you would feel. (In
response to another student's comments on early morning monitors) But even the people who
weren't early morning monitors got to feel them. And they can come in at the lunch time
some time if the teacher was there and feel them and hold them. In the library, you're not
really allowed to pick them up.
19. Student M4: Female: High Ability: Y6
The objects because you can touch them and see them. You actually knew they
existed - you weren't just taking the book's word. Because you actually know that they
exist and you can see what they're really like not just a picture. (Should you use objects
more?) Quite a lot. And in Art because you just like see pictures all the time. It would
be good to see the real thing.
Students preferred learning from books and objects: 2
20. Student C3: Female: Low Ability: Y3
A book has lots of pictures if a person doesn't know what the writing is. The
objects - you know you can make something out of different things: rock, silver and gold.
Learning from books. Because they've got more information. Books and touching - feel it
then write it in.
21. Student C4: Female: High Ability: Y3
I would like touching and reading because when you touch you get to know what
it feels like and you can do something with it. And reading is good for looking for
information about it.
Student preferred learning from pictures: 1
22. Student H1: Male: Low Ability: Y5
Pictures.
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