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Active vs passive media multitasking and memory for lecture materials.

Jeremy Marty-Dugas1,2, Robert J McHardy3, Brandon C W Ralph1

  • 1University of Waterloo, Psychology, Anthropology & Sociology Building, Room 2257, 200 University Avenue West Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.

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PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Engaging in volitional media multitasking (MMT) during online lectures by playing a game did not impact quiz performance. Increased MMT in the active group did not correlate with lower scores, suggesting no performance decrement.

Keywords:
Distance education & online learningDistributed learning environmentsMedia in educationMedia multitaskingPost-secondary education

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Technology
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • Media multitasking (MMT) is prevalent in digital environments, particularly in education.
  • MMT is often perceived as inattention, but its impact on learning requires further investigation.
  • Understanding volitional MMT in online learning is crucial for optimizing educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of volitional media multitasking on learning outcomes in an online lecture.
  • To compare learning performance between participants actively engaging with a secondary media stream and those passively observing it.
  • To examine the relationship between behavioral and self-reported measures of MMT and academic performance.

Main Methods:

  • 222 participants were randomly assigned to either an Active (playing a game) or Passive (watching a game) condition during an asynchronous online lecture.
  • Media multitasking was measured behaviorally (time spent on secondary media) and subjectively (self-report).
  • Learning was assessed via a multiple-choice quiz following the lecture.

Main Results:

  • Participants in the Active condition exhibited significantly higher media multitasking behavior (higher snake time percentage) than the Passive condition.
  • No significant differences in self-reported MMT or quiz performance were found between the Active and Passive groups.
  • Correlations between MMT measures and quiz performance were non-significant.

Conclusions:

  • Increased volitional media multitasking during an online lecture did not lead to a measurable decrease in learning performance.
  • Behavioral engagement with a secondary media stream does not necessarily equate to impaired academic outcomes.
  • The study suggests that learners may be able to engage in some level of volitional MMT without compromising their understanding of lecture material.