LEARNING CENTRE Cogmed – a new addition to the Learning Centre’s toolbox
A new initiative which aims to help College boys improve their working memory has proven to be a real learning “game changer” for Year 11 student Luke Hamilton.
Educationalists know how important working memory is for effective learning. So for boys such as Luke, who have experienced difficulties in remembering things and listening to instructions, the five-week Cogmed programme has given them a real improvement in their retention and retrieval of information. College’s Learning Centre is the only one in the South Island using the programme, which works to form and strengthen new neural pathways. Learning Centre HoD Lesley Anderson-McKenna says they are thrilled with the outcomes of the Cogmed programme, the efficacy of which has been consistently shown in numerous independent peer-reviewed academic journals. Boys who have been identified as having deficits in their working memory come to the Learning Centre for an hour each morning before school for a period of five weeks. Each training group consists of 10–12 boys and the programme is offered to students at all year levels. After discovering Cogmed, Learning Centre staff soon realised the possibilities of the programme and contacted Working Memory New Zealand to find out more.
They have had extensive training as Cogmed coaches to act as mentors to the boys. “The exercises are repetitive and it is an intensive programme, so our challenge is to keep the boys motivated,” says Lesley. “We meet with them individually once a week for a coaching session
to help them see the progress they are making. After five weeks, we have a final wrap-up session where we go through the data and the boys discuss their personal experiences. There is no doubt the majority of boys who complete the programme have noticed an improvement in several facets of their life.’’
16
Christ’s College Canterbury
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