In-class Multitasking among College Students

The use of mobile devices in class has become a common scene on the college campus. The negative effects of in-class multitasking behaviors have been identified in many educational settings, including colleges. This study investigates the factors that drive college students to multitask and seeks to understand the relationship between learning engagement and multitasking behaviors in the classroom. This study also explores whether polychronic traits relate to multitasking behavior. A total of 282 survey samples were collected from college students in Taiwan. The results confirmed our hypotheses: (1) Students’ multitasking motivation, including social and emotional needs, positively relates to their in-class multitasking. (2) Polychronic traits positively relate to in-class multitasking. (3) Learning engagement negatively relates to in-class multitasking behavior. (4) Polychronic traits negatively relate to learning engagement. (5) Low course difficulty level relates to more frequent in-class multitasking behaviors. The implications of the study are also discussed

Chunk Learning Media for Cognitive Load Optimization on Science Learning

The sudden shift in the education world due to the pandemic of Covid-19 bring both challenge and opportunity at the same time. Since decades ago, the understanding of the importance to manage cognitive load for effective learning had been applied in multiple methods. Having said that, only a few addresses the opportunity to combine it with the latest trend attractive for today's young learners to minimize more extraneous cognitive load. This research discusses the matter by proposing the adoption of the combination of chunk learning, animation, and super short video in social media platforms to convey learning materials on nervous system science, which has been stamped as a hard subject for high school students. The adaptation of super short video animation on nervous system science successfully helps students cope with the daunting pile of materials align with the cognitive load theory

Enseñando a los estudiantes cómo mejorar su atención y gestión del tiempo

En este artículo se describe un estudio empírico realizado para cuantificar las interrupciones a las que se ven sometidos los estudiantes a través de las aplicaciones de sus portátiles y teléfonos móviles, normalmente redes sociales, que tantas veces utilizan en el aula. En base a los resultados obtenidos en el mismo, los estudiantes realizaron un taller de gestión del tiempo, los pensamientos y la atención. Se evaluó la participación en este taller y los efectos que tuvo sobre sus participantes. Los resultados obtenidos, bastante optimistas, se describen en este trabajo para animar a otros centros universitarios a llevar a cabo iniciativas similares.This article describes an empirical study conducted to quantify the disruptions students are subjected to through the applications on their laptops and mobile phones, usually social networks, which they often use in the classroom. Based on the results obtained in this study, the students carried out a workshop on time, thought and attention management. Participation in this workshop and the effects it had on its participants were evaluated. The quite optimistic results obtained are described in this paper to encourage other university schools to perform similar initiatives

Digital Devices: Blessings or Curses to University Students’ Learning Effectiveness in the Classroom

Students use of digital devices (DDs), and the disruption of their attention in class is generally considered a cause for considerable concern regarding how it affects their performance in the classroom. Based on students' perceptions, this study aims to determine whether these DDs positively impact learning effectiveness. Using a qualitative exploratory design, the study sought to better understand the subject matter under investigation through the students' experiences. Before submission of the data to software for analysis, another person reviewed the transcribed text independently. ATLAS.ti version 22 software was used to analyze the data by an independent analyst. Findings showed that personal computers, tablets, mobile phones, and iPads are classrooms’ most commonly used DDs. Even though the advantages of using DDs in the classroom are significant, it was suggested that appropriate and responsible use of DDs is crucial for students to develop digital literacy, online safety, and responsible technology use habits, teachers and schools should establish guidelines and provide digital citizenship education. The study conclude that teachers need to implement strategies that minimize distractions while helping students

The influence of digital distraction on cognitive load, attention conflict and meeting productivity

Background Meetings are important for organisational functioning and the co-ordination of people, tasks and processes, and an everyday reality of organisational life. As mobile communication technology, such as smart phones, tablets and laptops gets smaller and more powerful, these devices have become more pervasive in every aspect of personal and work life. Increasingly, organisations allow mobile devices to be used during meetings in an effort to be more efficient and save time. However, for a meeting to achieve the desired meeting outcomes, those that participate in the meeting need be actively engaged and focused. It is widely accepted though that mobile communication technology is distracting and can easily draw away one’s focus. This begs the question then as to whether employees should in fact be able to use mobile devices in meetings, or not. Rationale for the research study Research into the effect of mobile communication technology as a source of digital distraction on meeting performance, given individual differences in cognitive processing, is limited. Moreover, no experimental studies could be found that have investigated these relationships. It is hoped that the results of the present study will address the gap that was identified in the literature, as well as provide a useful practical contribution for organisations. The findings of the present study may further be used to inform organisation policy and practice concerning the use of mobile communication technology in meetings. Aim of the research study The aim of the present study was to investigate if the presence of digital distraction in meetings, i.e. the presence of mobile communication technology or mobile devices significantly negatively influences selected cognitive processes (i.e. cognitive load and attention conflict) and ultimately meeting performance (assessed as the time it takes to make a decision; as well as the number and quality of decisions made). Research design and method A two-group post-test only, quasi-experimental research method was utilised to investigate the causal effect of the presence of digital distraction on selected aspects of cognitive processing and meeting performance. For an experiment to be valid, no systematic bias should exist in the comparison groups before the manipulation or intervention, otherwise, one would not be able to deduce that any difference that is observed after the manipulation or intervention was due to the manipulation or intervention. Therefore, to ensure that two equivalent treatment groups were available, individuals were randomly assigned to two meetings. The composition of the two groups was then assessed using the demographic variables that were collected and were not found to be significantly different from one another. The average level concentration performance or attentiveness was also measured and not found to be significantly different. This suggests that the average level of distractibility was the same for the two groups. Two equivalent meetings were held with only the availability of mobile communication technology being different between the meetings (i.e. mobile devices were present and used during the meeting or not). After the meetings were concluded, respondents were asked to complete an online questionnaire that consisted of closed- and openended questions designed to measure the concentration performance, cognitive load and attention conflict constructs. Meeting performance was further evaluated by two independent subject matter experts using a decision-rating scale. Sampling and sample As meetings in organisations was the focus, the study targeted employed individuals, a convenient sample of employees were obtained (n=15) that were randomly assigned to one of two participant groups in two separate meetings. Results The inferential data analyses revealed that cognitive load and attention conflict were both statistically significantly higher in the meeting in which the use of mobile devices were available and used, compared to the meeting in which mobile devices were not present. Moreover, it was found that meeting performance was lower in the meetingwhere mobile communication technology was present. The members of the two meetings made a similar number of decisions, which the independent assessors rated as being of similar quality, however, the group in which mobile communication technology was available took 30 per cent longer (120 versus 90 mins) to come to a similar outcome. Findings The results of the present research study suggest that the presence of digital distraction placed significant (additional) demands on the cognitive processing of individuals, who in meetings are required to fulfil cognitive decision-making tasks. As a direct or indirect result, the presence of digital distractions had a marked negative impact on meeting performance and productivity. Based on the findings, it is argued that restricting digital distractions in meetings can greatly reduce the time spent in meetings, while still achieving desired meetings outcomes. Meetings are essential to effective organisational management and coordination but are also resource intensive with managers spending substantial amounts of their available work time in meetings. Organisations operating in resource constrained environments need to be increasingly efficient in their use of scarce resources and, arguably, time is the most precious resource of all. Managerial Implications Based on the findings of the present study, it is recommended that unless mobile communication devices are required to achieve meeting outcomes, managers should declare meetings as technology free zones. Doing so may lead to shorter more productive meetings giving those that often attend meetings more time to attend to other matters

The Effects of 1:1 Technology on African American Students\u27 Achievement in Algebra and English

Abstract Many educational leaders have questioned whether the increased availability of technology in classrooms helps to increase student achievement and narrow the persistent achievement gap between African American and White students in the United States. School leaders have made large investments to provide every student with an Internet-capable mobile device. These 1:1 initiatives have grown in popularity in the U.S., and specifically in Texas. The research on 1:1 technology programs, however, has been mixed and sometimes contradictory. The purpose of this study was to determine if a 1:1 technology program increased student achievement for African American students and if it helped to close the persistent achievement gap. The research design for this study was a quantitative research methodology that included a causal-comparative model. The study focused on 18 high schools in Texas. Nine schools had a 1:1 computing program where every student received a laptop. Nine schools did not have a 1:1 computing program. Independent t tests were run to determine statistical significance. Cohen’s d tests were used to determine practical significance. The results of the study indicated 1:1 technology had a statistically significant negative impact on Algebra I scores. Mean scores were lower in English I, but not at a statistically significant level. Results suggested technology saturation within the classroom did not increase student academic success on standardized tests. These findings contributed important information for schools and districts striving to increase student performance on state-mandated standardized assessments

The Difference Between Grade 7 Female and Male Test Scores Based on One-to-One Technology Access: A Causal-Comparative Study

This causal-comparative study sought to determine whether there was a relationship between the use of one-to-one technology and student achievement among female and male students in Grades 6 and 7 in public schools in South Carolina. This study adds to the body of literature that indicates academic gains occur from using one-to-one devices in classrooms and that these didactic technology tools are beneficial to all students. The current study analyzed the science and social studies achievement scores of 3,747 Grade 7 students, comparing females and males who had access to one-to-one technology to those who did not during the 2016–2017 school year. The achievement scores came from the archived scores of the South Carolina Palmetto Assessment State Standards (SCPASS) tests in science and social studies. The study resulted in a rejection of the null hypotheses in favor of the alternative hypothesis that one-to-one technology had a statistically significant influence on test scores across all samples; however, with weak effect sizes, the practical significance of these results should be explored further. Recommendations for future research include conducting additional studies in more geographical areas, grade levels, and subjects and investigating the influence of distraction while using one-to-one technology

The lived experience of undergraduate students using tablet devices

With the ever-increasing influence of technology on everyday life, the perceived need to integrate technology into education has never been greater. Contemporary research into education technology is predominantly teacher- or institute-driven, with equivocal evidence as to the efficacy of such technology. With the proliferation of personal devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, an increasing number of studies focus on such devices in an effort to measure the impact on education. However, what appears to be missing from the literature is the impact of using tablet devices, framed within the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). In this context, learners are facilitated in utilising their personal devices through wireless connectivity, but such devices are not a requirement for the programme of study, nor are they supported in any way either from a pedagogical or technical perspective. This study aims to investigate the lived experience of students in higher education who utilise tablet devices of their own volition, both on- and off-campus, during their learning journey

A Change Laboratory:A collective approach to addressing issues in laptop-mediated English language classrooms

This thesis describes a Change Laboratory (Engeström et al., 1996; Virkkunen & Newnham, 2013) intervention carried out by a group of English Language Teaching (ELT) professionals with the aim of improving teaching and learning in laptop-mediated English language classrooms. The research was carried out in the English preparatory course at a federal institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Following the methodology of the Change Laboratory, the project first identifies a number of historical and current contradictions, manifesting as dilemmas, conflicts, critical conflicts and double binds, which may be causing unintended outcomes of attrition and failure among students on the preparatory English course. Using the principles of expansive learning, the participants, a group of eight English language teachers, propose, model and examine a number of solutions to the contradictions identified. These solutions are presented as a proposed future model of the activity system. The results are specific for the English preparatory course, but the solutions proposed provide a model for effective device usage, increased student collaboration and sound pedagogical practice that could be applicable in other university teaching environments where one-to-one devices are deployed. Rather than proposing a state-of-the-art solution focusing on hypothetical possibilities, the Change Laboratory has focused on the state-of-the-actual, and proposed a new model of teaching that is effective in this context and could provide a starting point at least in other contexts where technology is being used to enhance learning. This project contributes to knowledge using Change Laboratory methodology and in particular the insider Change Laboratory, activity theory, ELT and technology enhanced learning (TEL) in face-to-face teaching environments. Opportunities for future research are also identified

Memorias de los Proyectos de Innovación Docente: 2021-2022. Innovar para crecer

Los Proyectos de Innovación Docente de la Universidad de Valladolid reflejan la mejora en la docencia universitaria. Estos proyectos nos permiten visibilizar el mapa de acciones que en la Universidad de Valladolid se están llevando a cabo (individuales o colectivas) para la mejora de la calidad docente, apostando en última instancia por mejorar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes de las diferentes titulaciones de dicha universidad