How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers

Bunce, Diane M.; Flens, Elizabeth A.; Neiles, Kelly Y.

doi:10.1021/ed100409p

Cited by 330 publications

(269 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

212

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

Section: Mind Wandering During Lecturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Classroom investigations that probed students' thoughts during lectures, discussions, or other activities, have focused on contrasting the rates of different thought types across different contexts. Off-task thoughts unrelated to course content occur 10-35% of the time, with lower TUT rates during movies, demonstrations, and problem-solving activities (Locke & Jensen, 1974;Schoen, 1970) and higher TUT rates during lectures and student presentations (Bunce, Flens, & Neiles, 2010; Cameron & Giuntuli, 1972;Locke & Jensen, 1974).TUT rates are not trivial (15-25%), however, even during "active learning" contexts designed to maximally engage students (Geerlings, 1995;Shukor, 2005).Only two classroom studies have examined the association between mind wandering and learning. Lindquist and McLean (2011) found that TUT rate during a single lecture correlated significantly but weakly with exam scores and final grades in the course (Kendall's τ ≈ -.13).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture.

Kane

Smeekens

Bastian

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A combined experimental-correlational study with a diverse sample (N = 182) from two research sites tested a set of five a priori hypotheses about mind wandering and learning, using a realistic video lecture on introductory statistics. Specifically, the study examined whether students' vulnerability to mind wandering during the lecture would predict learning from, and situational interest in, the video, and also whether longhand note-taking would help reduce mind wandering, at least for some students. Half the subjects took notes during the video, and all were subsequently tested on lecture content without notes. Regression and mediation analyses indicated that: (a) several individual-differences variables (e.g., pretest score, prior math interest, classroom media multitasking habits) uniquely predicted in-lecture mind wandering frequency; (b) although the note-taking manipulation did not reduce mind wandering at the group level, note-taking still reduced mind wandering for some individuals (i.e., those with lower prior knowledge and those who took notes of high quality and quantity); (c) mind wandering uniquely predicted both learning (posttest) and situational interest outcomes above and beyond all other individual-differences variables; (d) moreover, mind wandering significantly mediated the effects of several individual differences; and, finally, (e) not all types of mind wandering were problematic-in fact, off-task reflections about lecture-related topics positively predicted learning. These results, which were generally robust across the two sites, suggest that educationally focused cognitive research may benefit from considering attentional processes during learning as well as cognitive and noncognitive individual differences that affect attention and learning.Keywords: mind wandering, note-taking, learning, education, situational interest, media multitasking Mind Wandering, Lecture Learning, and Situational Interest 3 A Combined Experimental and Individual-Differences Investigation into Mind Wandering During a Video LectureHow can teachers and students optimize learning? Cognitive psychologists are increasingly applying laboratory findings to this educational problem. Principles from the memory literature, such as the benefits of spaced practice, testing, and metacognitive selfevaluations, have been most successfully employed and broadly disseminated (for reviews, see Benassi, Overson, & Hakala, 2014;Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014;Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan, & Willingham, 2013). We suggest that this education-focused research should also embrace two additional domains: (a) individual differences in cognitive abilities and domain experience (e.g., interest and knowledge) and (b) the functions-and dysfunctions-of attention in learning contexts.Stable cognitive-ability differences, such as those in working memory capacity (WMC), predict many indices of academic achievement (e.g., Alloway & Alloway, 2010;Cowan et al., 2005). Educational psychology has further identified personality and experi...

show abstract

Section: Mind Wandering During Lecturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture.

Kane

Smeekens

Bastian

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is a commonly held belief that students do not pay attention *Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Health & Human Performance, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244, USA; Tel: +1(336) 278-5862; Fax: +1(336) 278-4143; E-mail: ebailey@elon.edu during an entire classroom period and some authors suggest that an unmotivated student is unlikely to pay attention beyond 20 m [6]. Work by Bunce and colleagues [7] indicate that college-aged students experience ever-shortening cycles of engagement vs. non-engagement during a traditional 50 m lecture as well.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coordinated and Aerobic Exercise do not Improve Attention in Graduate Students

Bailey¹,

Douglas²,

Wolff³

et al. 2014

TOSSJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Acute coordinative exercise, represented by various sports skills requiring bilateral use of hands or feet, has been shown to improve attention in school age children in a classroom setting. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if acute aerobic and coordinative exercise improves attention in graduate students in the same setting. Twentyeight students (19 Women, 9 men; Age=24±1 years; BMI=22.9±0.6) enrolled in a graduate education program completed 3 sessions, each separated by 7 d. Immediately before a 1 h classroom lecture, subjects completed either 15 m of quiet sitting, aerobic exercise (walking), or coordinative exercise. Coordinative exercise consisted of a sequence of bilateral activities requiring gross and fine motor movement using balls of various sizes and types. Prior to and immediately after the lecture, subjects completed the d2 Test of attention. Subjects did not exercise or drink caffeine prior to participation. Heart rate was similar during aerobic and coordinative exercise. The total number of items processed (TN) and concentration performance (CP) increased from immediately post exercise to post-lecture in all conditions. The number of errors following coordinative exercise before the lecture was greater than the other conditions. The results of this investigation suggest that aerobic and coordinative exercise do not influence attention in graduate students.

show abstract

“…The CI with the use of ICTs, and the application of active teaching methodologies, play a fundamental role in the levels of attention of the students. [2] in their research, demonstrated a positive interrelation between levels of attention and active teaching methodologies, they found that periods of concentration of students increased if the teacher applied active teaching instead of lectures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Fostering the Classroom Attention Using Collective Intelligence Education Tools

Ortiz¹,

Meza²,

Simó³

et al. 2017

EDULEARN Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.Keeping students' attention in class remains a challenge in the teaching-learning process. The consumption of time trying to focus the attention of the student on the tasks of the class generates fatigue to both teacher and students. Several researchers conclude that using technology in the classroom has proven to be a distraction element of care rather than becoming a supportive element. From the scenario raised emerges the question: Could the ICT tools be used to improve attention and learning in class?This research explores the application of a web tool called Flash Learning (FL) using Problem Based Learning approach (PBL). Flash Learning allowed implement a strategy with a real-time learning activity that helps in the process of concentrating student attention during a class.Flash Learning was designed with the aim of integrating classroom management with the attention of its students and allowing self-reflective analysis of students in front of their classmates. On the other hand, the teacher allows him to obtain real-time clues about the tendencies of understanding and learning of the subject matter.Based on the results, we consider that the use of new forms of teaching and learning based on the emerging paradigms is necessary. Therefore, the combination of Flash Learning could become an effective way to keeping students' attention in class and fostering the collective intelligence.

show abstract

How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers

Cited by 330 publications

References 5 publications

A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture.

A combined experimental and individual-differences investigation into mind wandering during a video lecture.

Coordinated and Aerobic Exercise do not Improve Attention in Graduate Students

Fostering the Classroom Attention Using Collective Intelligence Education Tools

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About