Unique distractions are present in nonclassroom environments, and many students attempt to multitask while learning online. This study examines the effect of six distractions (folding laundry, playing a computer video game, texting on a cell phone, engaging in conversation, watching a low-arousal video, and watching a high-arousal video) on learning and subsequent recall as assessed by a posttest. Compared to a baseline no-distraction condition, all six of the distractions significantly impaired posttest performance, from a baseline average of 87% correct to a distraction average of 62% correct, t(202) ϭ 15.30, p Ͻ .001, Cohen's d ϭ 1.30. In addition to objective measurements of learning, students self-reported their own assessments of learning during the distractions. Judgments of learning were poor for the high-arousal video. We discuss these findings both theoretically and for their practical application to learning in online environments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.