Information in long-term memory is stored in interrelated networks, which, in turn, form intricate knowledge structures linked to other knowledge structures. When an existing knowledge structure is activated by new information, other linked knowledge structures are also activated.

Important take-away points (note that all of the following play critical roles in CLM):

• Because of the linkage between knowledge structures within long-term memory, new information, in order to be remembered, must be encountered in a way that triggers the existing knowledge structures. Asking key questions provides just this sort of trigger.
• Short-term memory can be easily overloaded; learning in phases helps overcome this by allowing the brain to retain more detail with each phase, thereby strengthening the transfer between short-term memory and long-term memory.
• Chunking, organization, and repetition of information are essential to maximize transfer from short-term memory to long-term memory.

Information is stored in long-term memory based on relevance and meaning. Hence, meaningfully connecting key concepts maximizes transfer from short-term memory to long-term memory.

The Cognitive Process Dimension (Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning)6

Many students falsely believe that memorizing information is equivalent to learning. Cognitive psychologists, however, tell us there is a significant distinction between memorization and meaningful learning. The cognitive process dimension, which is based on educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning, is one well-recognized way to present the different levels of learning. The following diagram lists the six cognitive dimension categories and the cognitive processes within the categories (from lowest cognitive complexity to highest).