Perception is the process by which people attach meaning to experiences. (Eggen, 2001) Perception is critical because it influences the information that enters working memory. Information in working memory is in the form of "perceived reality" rather than "true reality." If students misperceive the teacher's examples, the information that enters working memory will be invalid, as will the information they transfer to long-term memory. (Eggen, 2001)
An effective way of checking students' perceptions is to review by asking open-ended questions. (Kauchak, 1998) For example, after writing the equation below on the chalkboard, the science teacher may say, "Look at the equation. What do you notice about it?"
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CaCo3 + CO2 + H2O => Ca + 2HCO3
If students can't identify essential information, such as the elements involved, the numbers of each in the compounds, and what the arrow means, the teacher knows that their perceptions are inaccurate or incomplete, and she can then adjust her review to cover these features. (Eggen, 2001)