Students and Media Multitasking - Digital Nation Essay

Students and Media Multitasking

     What is media multitasking? Media multitasking is the simultaneous use of television, computer, iPod, eReader, radio, phone, print or any other type of media. This is relatively recent phenomena that began around the turn of the century, around 2000. Media multitasking is especially prevalent with young people and students. It not only has an impact on the students but it also affects those around them. Media multitasking is a detriment to learning and should not be allowed in the classroom. Students, teachers, and classmates are negatively affected by media multitasking.

     Ask any student if they are successful at media multitasking and their response will be a resounding ‘Yes’. The fact is that they are not nearly as successful as they believe. When trying to do several things at once, attention will be divided. Attention to a single task decreases as the number of tasks increase.  Studies have shown that dividing attention reduces total brain activation and could "recruit" brain regions normally involved in habit or rote learning--the striatum--rather than regions such as the hippocampus that are necessary for acquiring the type of knowledge that's critical for academic success (Rekart 61). Such studies signify the importance of students needing to focus and reducing or removing extraneous stimuli while studying and attending class. However, there are those who claim that the younger generation or digital natives, growing up with new media and technologies, are operating at faster-than-normal speeds, are comfortable and capable of parallel rather than sequential or linear access to information, are capable of accessing information randomly, and are capable of multitasking (Lin 37). While there is a time and place that media multitasking is appropriate, it is counterproductive in relation to learning and studying.

     Teachers are also impacted by media multitasking students. They struggle with students’ decreased attention spans and lack of focus. It is also disrespectful for students to not pay attention in class. What actions can teachers take to control or even eliminate media multitasking by students’? Based off research teachers can use more course based quizzes and tests to assist the student’s ability to learn, retain, and retrieve information (Rekart 62). Keeping a classroom free of clutter and removing distracting stimuli can assist the teacher with minimalizing student distractions. To keep students engaged throughout class a teacher can use multiple instructional techniques such as lecture, film, role-play, and debate to deliver a lesson. Teachers are also banning laptop use in their classrooms. Yet, other teachers believe that banning laptops is wrong since students should develop self-monitoring skills and should learn how to juggle online and offline worlds, a challenge they will face later on throughout their careers (Hammer).  Whether the teacher bans laptops or not, they are ultimately responsible for setting boundaries and guidelines regarding acceptable behavior in their classrooms (Hammer).  

     Teachers are not the only ones impacted, classmates are also affected by students that media multitask in the classroom. Older returning college students tend to believe that using a laptop during a lecture should not be allowed. Students who are paying their own way through college, wanting to focus all of their attention on the teacher, believe they should not be distracted by students who are using their laptop, cell phone or both. A number of studies have been done that shows students who do not media multitask during class outperform those who do. A student who is media multitasking is making a conscious choice to split his or her attention, but a classmate sitting next to or behind does not have a choice. If teachers are going to allow media multitasking in their classrooms they should consider placing those students at the back of the classroom.   

      Media multitasking is a relatively recent phenomena that will require numerous studies to determine the short and long term effects on a student’s ability to learn. Media multitasking impairs the student’s attention span, is disrespectful to the teacher, and distracts classmates. Educational institutions and students need to work together to provide an environment conducive to learning. Like any good thing in life moderation and self-control are key to minimizing the negative impacts of media multitasking.

 

 

Works Cited

Hammer, Ronen, et al. "Mobile culture in college lectures: instructors' and students' perspectives."  Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects 6 (2010): 293+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Lin, Lin. "Multiple dimensions of multitasking phenomenon." International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction 9.1 (2013): 37+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Rekart, Jerome L. "Taking on multitasking: students will continue to media multitask--to their own detriment. Nonetheless, teachers can limit the multitasking effect and improve learning." Phi Delta Kappan 93.4 (2011): 60+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Digital Nation Journal

 

     The Digital Nation documentary talked about the different aspects of a ‘wired in’ generation. The documentary talked about college kids multi-tasking; using laptops, cell phones, and attempting to listen to the professor’s lecture. It also discussed the use of technology in the armed forces, the use of lap top computers in a failing high school, treating technology addiction, and the use of virtual meetings for business. I was drawn to the effects of technology on the students.

     In the beginning of the documentary a group of MIT students were asked if they were good at multi-tasking. Of course, they all believed they were good at multi-tasking. As an experiment the professor gave a simple quiz that the class should score 90% or higher if they had paid attention and not multi-tasked. The median score was 75%. The students were shocked when they received their scores and had to admit that maybe they were not as good at multi-tasking as they originally thought.  

     The documentary also focused on a failing high school with gang activity. The principle decided that every student should have a laptop computer. The teachers used technology to deliver their lessons. The student’s grades improved dramatically and the gang activity decreased dramatically.            

     I have been in the Information Technology field all of my working adult life. Many of the people I work with are ‘wired in’ 24X7. I have never felt the need to stay connected. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it should be used in moderation.

On This Day in History

On This Day July 17, 1958

     July 17, 1958 was an exciting day in history. Dannie Ray Gray was born at 5:45 am in Norfolk Naval Hospital, Norfolk, Virginia. Ok, so maybe my birth was not the most news worthy event of the day. However, there were a plethora of events that were news worthy. There were three important foreign affair events that occurred on July 17, 1958; Americans landed in Lebanon, Coup in Iraq, and Britain weighing action in Jordan.

     Amidst civil unrest in Lebanon President Eisenhower of the United States sent military troops to protect American lives and assist the troubled Beirut regime. The marines landed on the beaches of Lebanon without resistance and proceeded to the city of Beirut. The Beirut airport was used as a staging area for all of the military equipment. The intent of the invasion was to protect the pro-Western Lebanese government of President Camille Chamoun against threats from internal opposition and threats from Syria and Egypt.      

     While the United States military was landing in Beirut, Iraqi troops returned to their barracks after successfully overthrowing the prior regime last Monday. The Iraqi people and foreigners returned to the streets and shops in Baghdad. Immediately after his installation as Premier, General Abdul Karim el-Kassem issued the following order to the population: “Keep the revolt against the monarchy clean. I ask you to be most friendly and cordial to foreigners, the living guests of our country. Arabs are known to look after their guests and respect them.”

     With all of this activity going on in the Middle East, King Hussein of Jordan was requesting military assistance from Britain. With the recent coup in Iraq and Iraq’s withdrawal from the Arab Union, Jordan believed they would need assistance in its efforts to restore the sovereignty of the Arab Union in Iraq. The British Prime Minister met with the House of Commons to discuss Britain’s duty to come to the aide of the Jordanians if needed. He compared Britain’s involvement to that of the assistance the United States was providing in Lebanon. It was also pointed out that both nations, the United States and Britain, had a right to respond to such requests in accordance with the spirit of the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law.

     These are just several news worthy events that occurred on July 17, 1958. The three foreign events discussed involved turmoil in the Middle East. Hopefully, I did not cause my family too much turmoil when I was born. What events took place on the day you were born?             

         

 

Works Cited

Middleton, Drew Special to the New York Times. "BRITISH WEIGHING ACTION IN JORDAN." New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Jul 17 1958. ProQuest. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

By Reuters. "Baghdad is Returning to Normal; 3 Ex-Leaders' Deaths Confirmed." New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Jul 17 1958. ProQuest. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

By United, Press I. "MORE AMERICAN TROOPS FLYING TO MIDEAST;" New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Jul 17 1958. ProQuest. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Black and White Photography

      Black and white photography allows the viewer to see a photograph from a different perspective. Ted Grant, a famous Canadian photographer, once said, ‘When you photograph in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph in black and white, you photograph their souls!’ While attending the Florida State College of Jacksonville’s photography exhibit there were three black and white photographs that the viewer’s perspective and primary focal point would have been different had they been in color.  

       The first black and white photograph titled Jeryll was taken by Susan Mazur. The photograph was of a dead tree rising above the sand and sea and into the sky. The sand, sea, and sky were all white and provided the perfect back drop for the towering majestic dead tree which was all black. While the tree was probably majestic when it was alive, photographing it in black and white gave it another life. The dead tree was the focal point of the photograph. In contrast, if the picture had been in color the focal point would have been the clear blue sky, the crystal clear turquoise water, and the white fluffy sand. The dead grey tree would have blended in with the sand and would have been a secondary focal point.

      The second black and white photograph titled Binary Vision was taken by Lynn Pham. This photograph was of a beautiful black swan swimming in a pond. In this photograph both the swan and the water were black with a white sky. The uniqueness of this photograph was the angle at which the water was photographed, various ripples and patterns could be seen in the water. The pond was the primary focal point and the swan seemed to blend in becoming an additional ripple and pattern in the water. However, if this had been a color photograph the primary focal point would have been the majestic black swan swimming in a pond of filthy water.    
                                                                                                                                                                 
        The third black and white photograph titled Mykonos was taken by Susan Mazur. This photograph was of the Greek island Mykonos in the Mediterranean Sea. There were white houses that appeared to be hanging from the side of a cliff with the Mediterranean Sea below. The beach below the houses ran perpendicular to the cliff. There was a cement bulkhead with a handrail that ran the length of the beach. On the bulkhead was a restaurant with outdoor tables. You could see people at the tables while others were strolling along the seaside and yet others were standing at the handrail looking up at the houses on the cliff. The primary focal point was the beautiful white houses suspended on the cliff above the sea. Remember what Ted Grant said, ‘When you photograph in color you photograph their clothes.’ In contrast, if this photograph had been in color the people, in their colorful outfits, enjoying a cloudless warm day mulling around the Mediterranean Seaside would have been the primary focal point and the houses the secondary focal point.

     These are just a few examples of photographs that give the viewer a different perspective because they were taken in black and white. Each of the photographs primary focal points would probably have been different if the photograph was in color. The next time you take a photograph in color, try taking the same photograph in black and white for a different perspective. Ansel Adams, a famous black and white nature photographer, once said, ‘Photography, as a powerful medium… offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.’