Emails, text messages, notifications, and calendar appointments: distractions are ubiquitous. Students will encounter a variety of interruptions to their learning, so how do we create learning environments that support online learners’ focused attention? In interactive, small group conversations, we will generate concrete, implementable strategies for helping learners stay focused in online learning experiences.
Emails, text messages, notifications, and calendar appointments: distractions are ubiquitous. Our lives are full of technologies that pull our attention in multiple directions and keep us checking our phones. We call it multitasking but all of this cognitive switching has significant implications for learning. When learning happens online, and technologies are central to the experience, sustaining attention can become even more difficult. Online learners, who are often working concurrently with their studies, have to balance a wide range of demands on their time and attention. In addition to reviewing content in the LMS, learners are often checking social media feeds, answering emails, checking messages, chatting with peers, and looking up information to better understand concepts presented within the learning experience. As another challenge, online learners complete coursework in spaces that have other uses like their homes, offices, or public places, which may invite further distractions. How do we, as faculty and course designers, establish a culture of attention within online environments to support meaningful learning?
Join us in an interactive, small group conversation to examine the relationships among attention, learning, and values and identify the challenges students, faculty, and course designers face in dedicating focused attention within online learning environments. We will collaborate to create strategies to meet these challenges and identify implementable solutions for constructing a culture of attention within online learning environments. Themes and strategies generated during these conversations will be collected and shared back on the conference website along with citations to extend exploration.