Digital multitasking during academic lectures: Did the Covid-19 lockdown change the students’ behavior?

[EN] This paper explores digital multitasking during lectures for university students, attending to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital multitasking is conceptualized in this research as engaging in a digital task (T1) during academic lectures (T2). This paper has three main goals: 1. Analyze the variations in digital multitasking in three different moments – pre-pandemic (M1), during the lockdown (M2), and after the Covid-19 pandemic (M3); 2. Explore the purpose by which students engage in digital multitasking – exclusive educational (ED), exclusive non-educational (NED), and combined (COMB), combining educational and non-educational purposes; 3. Explore the digital resources – between 16 categories – used in multitasking during lectures and their relationship with the different purposes – ED, NED, and COMB. This quantitative research appeals to the survey and descriptive, comparative, and correlational analysis. Results show that multitasking during lectures is expected among university students and has changed with Covid-19 to a more educational purpose.This paper was supported by the Digital Media and Interaction Research Center (DigiMedia), Department of Communication and Art, University of Aveiro, Portugal.Mendes, R.; Veloso, A. (2023). Digital multitasking during academic lectures: Did the Covid-19 lockdown change the students’ behavior?. En 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'23). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 455-463. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd23.2023.1627845546

CYBERSLACKING : A LITERATURE REVIEW OF NON-ACADEMIC MEDIA MULTITASKING OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

AbstractUniversity students use internet in daily life ranging from learning, socializing and recreation purposes. Cyberslacking in the campus relates to the topic of non-academic media multitasking among university students. Media multitasking defines as connecting to more than one media simultaneously and cyberslacking is activities with media multitasking in the context of non-academic internet access during lectures. This present study will review some researches on cyberslacking and non-academic media multitasking in the context of university students. The review findings conclude that cyberslacking is also media multitasking in the context of non-academic internet access during lectures. Media multitasking could be distinguished between learning related activities and unlearning related activities and cyberslacking is regarded as unlearning related activities. Students who do cyberslacking mostly engage in social networking sites during media multitasking behaviors. Some studies discuss the impact of cyberslacking and non-media multitasking to academic performance. Other studies also mentioned about self regulation and self efficacy as important variables that relate to cyberslacking and non-academic media multitasking. Further researches on cyberslacking should be considered building theoretical model of cyberslacking in the educational setting as well as the development of measurement tools for academic cyberslacking behaviors. Keywords : cyberslacking, non-academic media multitasking, university students

Perilaku Multitasking Media Akademik dan Binge-Watching pada Mahasiswa Universitas Padjadjaran

Lebih dari 70% mahasiswa terlibat dalam aktivitas mengakses layar lain di tengah menyelesaikan tugas akademiknya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mencari tahu sesuatu yang mungkin memengaruhi perilaku multitasking media akademik dan binge-watching pada mahasiswa. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan uji korelasi dan uji regresi hierarki. Responden yang terlibat sebanyak 175 orang. Hasil penelitian terbagi ke dalam tiga variabel dependen, yaitu frekuensi multitasking media akademik, frekuensi binge-watching, dan durasi binge-watching. Ditemukan bahwa kenikmatan (enjoyment) menjadi faktor yang paling berpengaruh terhadap seluruh variabel depende

Gen Z and Digital Distractions in the Classroom: Student Classroom Use of Digital Devices for Non-Class Related Purposes

A 2019 survey of college students examined classroom-learning distractions caused by their use of digital devices for non-class purposes. The purpose of the survey, part of an on-going study, was to learn more about students’ behaviors and perceptions regarding their classroom uses of digital devices for non-class purposes. The survey included 986 respondents in 37 U.S. states and 47 respondents in Alberta, Canada. A significant feature of the study was its measurement of frequency and duration of students’ classroom digital distractions as well as respondents’ motivations for engaging in the distracting behavior. Respondents averaged 19.4% of class time using a digital device for non-class purposes. The average respondent used a digital device 9.06 times during a typical school day in the 2019 survey for non-class purposes. On a weighted average, survey respondents indicated they would turn-off all non-class digital distractions if their instructor gave them 7.8% extra credit on their final class grade

The effects of distance learning on adolescents’ relationships and emotional well-being.

In this study, conducted on over 1300 students from second level secondary schools in the province of Udine, investigate the impact of distance learning (DAD) on relationships and emotional well-being. The analysis of two questionnaires filled out anonymously by students, highlighted a significant experience of suffering that opens up a critical reflection on the challenges that the school system is called to face since the end of the pandemic

Constantly Connected: What are the Biggest Challenges to Communication?

Social media (SM) are websites and applications which allow individuals to engage in social networking (Stevenson, 2010). This allows for friends and family to stay connected (Gemmill & Peterson, 2006), thus changing the dynamics of communication between people. However, little has been documented on the effect SM use has had on face-to-face communication. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students to explore how the use of SM has changed face-to-face communication. Additionally, whether the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) impacted on social interaction, and how university students’ understanding of this phenomenon was also explored. Findings from this study show that SM use has varying effects on face-to-face communication ranging from an effect on the relationship between individuals in the conversation, to an effect in the context of a social situation. This led to identification of a social etiquette for using SM in face-to-face communication. Links to social constructionist theory, as well as FoMO, were also identified in this research. Further research into the effect of FoMO on face-to-face communication and how SM use influences face-to-face communication skills would be beneficial

The association between valence of social media experiences and depressive symptoms

Background: Social media (SM) may confer emotional benefits via connection with others. However, epidemiologic studies suggest that overall SM is paradoxically associated with increased depressive symptoms. To better understand these findings, we examined the association between positive and negative experiences on SM and depressive symptoms. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,179 full-time students at the University of West Virginia ages 18–30 in August of 2016. Independent variables were self-reported positive and negative experiences on SM. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms as measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures Information System. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between SM experiences and depressive symptoms controlling for socio-demographic factors including age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, relationship status, and living situation. Results: Of the 1,179 participants, 62% were female, 28% were non-White, and 51% were single. After controlling for covariates, each 10% increase in positive experiences on SM was associated with a 4% decrease in odds of depressive symptoms, but this was not statistically significant (AOR=0.96; 95% CI=0.91-1.002). However, each 10% increase in negative experiences was associated with a 20% increase in odds of depressive symptoms (AOR=1.20; 95% CI=1.11-1.31). When both independent variables were included in the same model, the association between negative experiences and depressive symptoms remained significant (AOR=1.19, 95% CI=1.10-1.30). Conclusion: Negative experiences online may have higher potency than positive ones because of negativity bias. Future research should examine temporality to determine if it is also possible that individuals with depressive symptomatology are inclined toward negative interactions

“I finally felt i had the tools to control these urges”: empowering students to achieve their device use goals with the reduce digital distraction workshop

Digital self-control tools (DSCTs) help people control their time and attention on digital devices, using interventions like distraction blocking or usage tracking. Most studies of DSCTs’ effectiveness have focused on whether a single intervention reduces time spent on a single device. In reality, people may require combinations of DSCTs to achieve more subjective goals across multiple devices. We studied how DSCTs can address individual needs of university students (n = 280), using a workshop where students reflect on their goals before exploring relevant tools. At 1-3 month follow-ups, 95% of respondents still used at least one type of DSCT, typically applied across multiple devices, and there was substantial variation in the tool combinations chosen. We observed a large increase in self reported digital self-control, suggesting that providing a space to articulate goals and self-select appropriate DSCTs is a powerful way to support people who struggle to self-regulate digital device use

Concepciones de ingresantes universitarios sobre la multitarea en entornos digitales

This research aimed to characterize the conceptions of multitasking in university students and describe the practices associated with it. An online questionnaire was applied to 331 participants from different areas, enrolled in a first-year reading and writing course at a private university in the city of Cali (Colombia).. The questionnaire mostly included closed-ended multiple-choice questions about young people’s multitasking practices when faced with academic activities, and open-ended questions about their perceptions of this phenomenon. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis techniques using Atlas.Ti 8.0. Among the results, the majority of students have multitasking practices on screens, although this is not an exclusive activity of the digital environment. Multitasking is conceived, on the one hand, as an “innate” skill, characteristic of today’s youth and, on the other hand, as a response to the demands of the Information Society. For students, multitasking is a big advantage if it is properly regulated.Este artículo tuvo como objetivos caracterizar las concepciones sobre la multitarea en estudiantes universitarios y describir las prácticas asociadas a ella. Se aplicó un cuestionario en línea a 331 ingresantes de distintas carreras, matriculados en un curso introductorio de lectura y escritura en una universidad privada de la ciudad de Cali, en Colombia. El cuestionario incluía, en su mayoría, preguntas cerradas de opción múltiple sobre las prácticas de multitarea de los jóvenes cuando se enfrentan a actividades académicas, y preguntas abiertas que indagaban sus percepciones respecto de este fenómeno. Los datos se analizaron a partir de técnicas de estadística descriptiva y de análisis de contenido mediante el apoyo del software Atlas.ti 8.0. Entre los resultados destaca que la mayoría de estudiantes tienen prácticas de multitarea en pantallas, aunque esta no es una actividad exclusiva del entorno digital. La multitarea se concibe, por un lado, como una habilidad “innata”, característica de la juventud actual, y por otro, como una respuesta a las exigencias de la sociedad de la información. Para los estudiantes, la multitarea representa una gran ventaja si se regula de forma adecuada