That red dot. It's calling your name. Emails, Slack messages, voicemails. Family and pets. Distractions! If you're distracted, chances are your students are distracted. Perhaps they are distracting themselves from having to deal with the reality of the world right now. But you really want them to not be distracted while in class because you really want them to be learning!
This semester you're invited to join us as we explore James Lang's latest book, Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. The book explores why and how we get distracted, and shares ways instructors can encourage the practice of attention in the learning environment.
What Can You Do?
Studies have shown that academic procrastination is real, and some ways to counter it are found in the cognitive and behavioral strategies to increase executive functions, such as self-regulation in students (Rabin et al., 2011). But author James Lang provides a different perspective, one that involves you as the instructor. Perhaps small changes in what we do in our courses can help to limit distractions and foster the attention to learning that we so desire in our students?
One suggestion Lang makes is that we should focus our full attention on the students. He explains in the article, Distracted Minds: 3 Ways to Get Their Attention in Class from The Chronicle of Higher Education, how people give their attention more often when they are receiving attention back. For example, instead of seeing students as lacking in skills at the start of the semester, try focusing on what they bring to the classroom, by asking students about their skills and strengths they may have on the topic already. Lang also cites a research study by ASU School of Life Science professors, Sara Brownell and Katey Cooper, about using student names in the classroom!
Check out Lang's other articles in The Chronicle series about distracted students (login with ASU Library's full access):
- Distracted Minds: Why Your Students Can't Focus
- Distracted Minds: The Role of Tempo in Good Teaching
- Distracted Minds: Why You Should Teach Like a Poet
- Distracted Minds: Your Classroom Can Be a Retreat in Dark Times
Why Read and Discuss?
This is the fifth semester of the SOLS TIC Reading Group, and we have had excellent exploration of several books. We read a few chapters per month and then gather to discuss key takeaways, as well as the next steps for implementing what we've read into our courses or making a change to our teaching style.
It's nothing new or fancy that participating in a reading discussion group will provide you with motivation, as well as connection to colleagues. However, we have found that one of the most important features of the reading group is challenging our own assumptions about teaching and learning, and finding ways to get better.
Join us!
Interested in being part of this semester's reading group! We will meet on select Fridays, once per month: February 5th, March 5th, April 9th, and May 7th, from 1pm-2pm Arizona time. Sign-up here, and we will send you invites for your calendar.
Thanks for reading this post! Now, get back to your work!
References
- Lang, J. (2020). Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. Basic Books, New York.
- Heggestad, J. (2020) Joining a Reading Group. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/joining-reading-group
- Rabin, L., Fogel, J. and Nutter-Upham, K. (2011) Academic procrastination in college students: The role of self-reported executive function. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 33: 3, 344-357.
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