Paper Info
Title
Does multitasking in the classroom affect learning outcomes? A naturalistic study
Abstract
University students often engage in multimedia (e.g., texting or social networks) and nonmultimedia (e.g., chatting with neighbors) off-task multitasking behaviors during courses. The aim of the present study was to describe these off-task multitasking behaviors and analyze their effects on learning performance in a real teaching session. More specifically, 187 students attended a cognitive psychology tutorial as usual, taking notes either on paper or on a laptop. In an effort to preserve the ecological setting, they were not informed of our research on multitasking. After 20 min, students had to report the number and duration of off-task multitasking behaviors they had engaged in and complete a learning questionnaire. Results showed that multimedia and nonmultimedia multitasking behaviors were frequent but also additive, especially among students who used a laptop. These behaviors had a negative impact on students’ memorization of course content, although we found no significant effects on comprehension. Our study also showed that students who used a laptop had lower memory scores. A mediation analysis confirmed that this deleterious effect was partly attributable to multitasking. These results are discussed in terms of interference between off-task behaviors and the cognitive processes essential for learning.
Year
DOI
Venue
2020
10.1016/j.chb.2020.106264
Computers in Human Behavior
Keywords
Field
DocType
Multitasking,Real-course settings,Learning,Off-task behaviors
Social psychology,Social network,Mediation (statistics),Laptop,Naturalistic observation,Psychology,Human multitasking,Cognition,Memorization,Applied psychology,Comprehension
Journal
Volume
ISSN
Citations 
106
0747-5632
0
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.34
0
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Éric Jamet1388.61
Corentin Gonthier200.34
Salomeacute Cojean300.34
Tiphaine Colliot400.34
Séverine Erhel500.34