Multitasking In Classroom

Technology has had an incredible impact in the classroom setting. It allows students access to a different kind of note taking, allows students to follow along on PowerPoint slides, as well as a portal to search information if necessary. However, if a student has access to their laptop, smart phone, or any other technological device, this provides students with the opportunity to log on to social media sites, text, or be exposed to other distractions. This brings up the issue of multi-tasking in the classroom setting and its affect on a student’s learning. “Wood et al. (2012) define multitasking as ‘the inability to simultaneously perform two or more overlapping tasks when each requires selecting a response (i.e., a decision task) due to a general slowing in the performance of the second task’” (p. 366). Multitasking is therefore when a person divides …show more content…
Specifically, they look at “how frequently are college students using Facebook and other technologies in general and how frequently are college students engaging in multitasking during class and while doing homework.” Participants were students at a large northeastern university, which was unspecified, in a communications course. The sample size was 361 students, 156 males and 204 females. They were asked to complete an online survey using QuestionPro where they were asked questions about checking Facebook, engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously at home as well as during class. Researchers discovered that the students who reporter multitasking with technology in class had lower GPAs than students who did not multitask with other technology in class. This also supports those who use technology in class took less detailed notes and was not attentive during class lecture