Attention Spans
Since an average adult's attention span is between 15-18 minutes, how often should breakes be provided? How long should the breaks be? What should the class do when the instructor starts losing the students?
Hi Charles,
Good point about the "millenia" generation and how they perceive things. Their use and misuse of technology is integral to how we conduct our classes. We have to be able to engage them in the learning process in such a way that they see relevancy and application. A challenge but one that allows us to be creative in our approach to teaching.
Gary
this "millenia" generation can be very easily distracted i have noticed. many of the students in our school fit into that age group and are often trying to do 2 or 3 things at once. all students have laptops and other devices that they can communicate on. i find that i have to remind them to focus when it comes to class time. the first few meetings with a class i usually try to set an example by obviously taking my phone out and turning it off to reinforce the "it's time to focus" point.
Gary, I agree with you. Our instructional methods have to be such that it meets the students needs and their learning styles. If we know the attention span is 15-18 minutes then we have to provide media and other educational tools to acknowledge this. Videos, power points, overheads, group/team assignments and handouts all will help keep the student focused. variety is the spice of life they say. Thanks Gary, Sharon
Gary thanks for the response and the support. I really do like the career minded,more mature student They seem to take college more seriously because they want it more and understand what the money means. They are juggling jobs and families unlike our children (I have a daughter 19 in college now) who only has to think about her school and a part time job. The money is not an issue and time management is not one of her strong skills. Thanks Gary for the response. Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Right you are with your comments about variety and pace of instruction. I know many of us teach in the late afternoons and evenings and we have to work even harder to keep our students focused and engaged in the learning process.
I admire these students due to their willingness to work hard all and try to improve their futures through going to school at night so I want the instructional process to be such that they see growth and relevancy.
Gary
Response to Gary, I agree that we as instructors have to break things up. Since we have such a small attention span, different learning tools, breaks and group interaction keep things interesting. As instructors we have to be open to the needs of our students, especially those who have probably worked all day and need to keep them interested in the course content. Sharon
I find that by having them do activities that are hands on it 1) helps them understand what you are talking about and 2) they don't seem as bored and they will also teach themselves. Most students seem to want to explore and figure out what they want to learn. You need to find a way in which to have them apply what they need to learn.
I have recently seen research regarding attention span within the so called "millenia genration", they would consist of the generation who grew up bombarded with visual stimulation, i.e., video games and the like.It is difficult to keep the attention of these students focused on a "white board power point". I think we ned to move our educaional practices into a more updated environment to assist this generation of visual learners.
That is the direction we are moving in for the lecture portion of our three week program. Plan a "state change" activity in relation to the subject of lecture so we can address the subject from a demo or hands-on angle and try and reach a different type of learner. Then return to the classroom and move on to a new subject. Sometimes it can be a bit awkward since our classroom and lab are physically seperate. There are other electives on this campus where the classroom and lab are one and the same. I prefer this environment because it's different than a traditional classroom environment - a place where many of our students have failed to succeed.
I teach the theory class wich has absolutely no lab activity to it at all. What I do to keep the students at attention, is to lecture for a short period of time, then ask the class abstract questions about the subject we just covered. I usually pick up the sign in sheet and select students off of the list to answer the questions. Not knowing if you are going to be called to answer makes them more apt to pay attention. This process of abstract questioning also generates questions from the rest of the students as well.
I am having the same problem and the time is always and issue, it would be great to have some feedback on how best to keep them interested in some of the subjects that are to them boring...
Hi Nahid,
You can plan breaks around the time span you have for class. For example you can go for an hour of lecture and then take a ten or fifteen minute break. So the student can leave the classroom/lab for a bit. The key on the attention span is to go for the 15-18 minute period of time and then introduce an activity. Share with them some content and then have them break into small groups and work on a case study or trouble shooting problem. The point is learners need change and diversity in their learning pathways. By using a lecture activity model you can keep their interest for both the lecture and the activities.
Gary
