The Brain, Learning, and Multitasking

This week focused on the brain: it's structures and how learning occurs. One aspect that intrigued me about the readings was that of encoding and retrieval. Students know that there are a variety of ways to practice encoding and retrieval, such as flashcards and mnemonic devices. The average person can also hold about 7-9 items in working memory at one time, about the number of digits in a phone number. In some additional readings, however, the idea of multitasking comes up. How does multitasking affect encoding, retrieval, and working memory?

In order for learning to be accomplished, the learning environment must be active (Dam, 2013). Students who are not active within their learning environment are at risk for not absorbing the information and are not able to use it. Multitasking prevents being fully active within the learning environment. The article suggested keeping learning sessions short (about 20 minutes) and incorporating active engagement within the session rather than strictly listening.  Kushniryk and Levine, in a 2012 study on multitasking found that participants who were given two tasks to focus on did not perform as well as participants that only focused on one task at a time. However, they also did find that participants who multitasked were able to complete the tasks more quickly, indicating that in some cases multitasking may be useful.

In thinking about these concepts, I also wonder about the implications for today's educational situation. Many students who were in more traditional face to face environments have suddenly been brought into a virtual environment. The social presence (Kushniryk & Levine, 2012) of an in-person presenter is now gone, and students of many ages will have difficulty focusing on what the primary task is. While some students will adapt quickly, others will find many ways to become distracted by other tasks within their environments.

References

Dam, N. (2013, April). Inside the Learning Brain. TD Magazine. https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/inside-the-learning-brain  

        

Kushniryk, A., & Levine, K. J. (2012). Impact of Multitasking on Listening Effectiveness in the Learning Environment. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, 3(2), 1–11. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2012.2.7

Hello,

In this post I will be discussing three blogs that I recently began following regarding instructional design. All three are very different in their approach to the field and the information they provide. 

The E-Learning Coach: http://theelearningcoach.com/

In this blog, the author discusses various concepts in instructional design and learning theory. One of her recent posts about creating analogies for learning relates to our discussion post about constructivist theory. If learners need to have a way of relating concepts to prior learned knowledge, how do you as an instructional designer, create those analogies? This blog covers practical concepts and strategies that can be used quickly. This blog is useful for anyone who is looking for quick tips, but also wants to learn “why” something should be done, rather than simply taking the resources and ignoring the bigger picture. This is absolutely a blog I will continue to follow, as the resources are easy to understand and grasp.

The Rapid E-Learning Blog: https://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

This blog, run by an experienced training and development specialist, focuses on helping professionals in e-learning work through issues quickly. Posts on this blog focus not only on strategic communications, but also useful tools for creating graphics, stock photos, and more. I believe this blog is useful for a designer that knows what they’re doing and just needs some quick resources, or for someone who is in a rush to get a project done. This is not necessarily a blog that will delve deep into the “why” of a strategy, but simply showcases the tips. Regardless, I do think this is a useful blog with tips and tools.

E-Learning Provocateur: https://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/

This is a very interesting blog that’s most recent post focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic and work from home situation will affect learning and development. It was very interesting to read through how others believe the field will move forward and pivot based on our current situation. Reading additional posts, I don’t know how useful it will be, however. One posts focuses specifically on Australia, and while I can look up information that applies to me directly, there haven’t been many posts since January. This may be one that I keep an eye on every once in a while, but not something I follow directly.

First Post

Welcome to my blog! This is a place where I will explore Instructional Design. I'm coming to ID from working in student services within higher education, as well as teaching ESL to children.

Katy