Work

Capturing students' attention: An empirical study

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: College students (N=846) enrolled in a general education course were randomly assigned to either an arousal (experimental) or no-arousal (control) group. The experimental group was exposed to a topic-relevant, 90-second external stimulus (a technique used to elevate arousal and focus attention). The control group listened to the instructor take roll. Both groups then listened to the same 30-minute lecture followed by an exam. An independent-samples t-test found a significant difference in exam scores measuring information retention between arousal (M=13.36, SD=1.5) and no-arousal (M=12.85, SD=1.4) conditions; t (844)=5.20, p < .001. Results suggest introducing a lecture with an external stimulus increases information retention.

Source: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Authors: Erik Rosegard, Jackson Wilson

Institution: San Francisco State University

Language: English

Topic: Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W2118972186

FWCI: 1.788

Cites: 100

Cited by: 37

Related to: 10