tl;dr

Problem: Digital-device attention span has dropped to ~40 seconds within just the past 8 years (Duke, 2023).

Solution (for IDs and LDs): Context Challenge Activity Feedback

Dr. Gloria Mark’s research indicates that our screen-based attention spans has dropped from ~75 seconds in 2012 to ~40 seconds in 2020 (Duke, 2023). However, that’s only part of the story. True, there’s a reduction in average attention durations on digital devices, but other things are true too: binge-watching is on the rise (cite), we spend more time on our devices than before (cite), etc. So, what’s the deal?

There are 5 types of attention, and in education:

Information is in abundance, and distractions abound. So, how do Instructional and Learning Designers prevent attention drifting? Answer: Michael Allen’s Content Challenge Activity Feedback (Allens Interactions, 2021).

Context Challenge Activity Feedback

As IDs and LDs, we know behavioral changes require us to define what learners should be able to do by the end, and we know the knowledge learned along the way is a natural part of the scaffolding. CCAF takes it a step further by giving learning a purpose: it wraps activities within the a context and a challenge (or puzzle).

It answers the question why do these things.

1. Context

The situation, or environment, in which learning occurs. Depending on the learning need, this may include some background and relevant circumstances.This way, learners relate to the material and understand its application in real-world scenarios, which provides some motivation. Ideally, create a context the learners are deeply invested in already.

2. Challenge

Allen defines this as the problems or tasks learners must confront within the context. However, I like to frame these as puzzles to solve. The goal is to stimulate critical thinking and problem-solving skills. With meaningful challenges, it stimulates active engagement. Pro-tip: highlight the reward that comes with solving the puzzle. This shifts the mindset from solve this “or else” to the mindset of solve this “and get”.

3. Activity

Defined, specific actions or tasks learners do to solve the challenge. Simulations, deliverables, role-playing, and discussions are some common activities. Bonus, keep learners interactive and collaborative to increase a sense of community among learners.

4. Feedback

Clear feedback that celebrates wins and provides guidance areas that need improvement. I emphasized “need” here because it’s human nature to provide areas of improvement regardless of level of proficiency; things can always be better than what they were. The trick here is to only provide areas of improvement that are necessary. fight the desire to point out every areas of improvement.

Final Thoughts

Philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, (2007, After Virtue, pp. 216) who called humans “story-telling animals”, believed that our ability to tell stories or place moral identify within contexts and scenarios, is what made us truly human. I like this idea that stories are what give us the human condition. Our brains, which learn by comparing and contrasting new things to what it already knows, build themselves on past context — aka stories and memories.

CCAF creates a story wherein the learner becomes the hero of the story. No wonder it works to prevent someone’s attention from drifting.

 “It is no longer believed that neurons in the brain are incapable of being regenerated. It was once wildly believed that we are born with our full conpletement of neurons and that new neurons are not gerneated. This idea is now untenable, at least in a region called the dentate gyrus.” ~ Jamie Ward (2015) Student’s guide to cognitive neuroscience.  

This means you need to work your brain out to keep it healthy just like your heart. You do this by learning something that’s just beyond the reach of what you think you can do. 

Charlotte Danielson’s article in Education Week has been on my to-read list since it came out, and I’m glad I finally got to it. Chalked full of ideas and thoughtfulness, it’s a must read for any administrator looking to create a better culture around the profession of learning.  

My favorite spot:  

“There is professional consensus that the number of teachers whose practice is below standard is very small, probably no more than 6 percent of the total, according to the Measures of Effective Teaching study and others…

Given this landscape, it makes sense to design personnel policies for the vast majority of teachers who are not in need of remediation. And, given the complexity of teaching, a reasonable policy would be one that aims to strengthen these educators’ practice. Personnel policies for the teachers not practicing below standard—approximately 94 percent of them—would have, at their core, a focus on professional development, replacing the emphasis on ratings with one on learning.”

Yes! Teachers are masters of the social science of learning. Our profession of understanding learning is twofold: one is student-facing and one is profession-facing. It’s like a good psychologist: they know how to navigate a session and what to prescribe for a patient to improve their mental health & at the same time they are constantly learning more about the science of psychology in their field. 

Looking forward to new ways to support this profession as it grows into a respected field.  

IBM is working with a Texas school district to pilot a one-stop-shop for student data, both qualitative and quantitative. IBM’s powerful Watson is spending the year gathering loads of data entered by systems and humans (like teachers) about the students with the hope of providing insight into students that is more comprehensive than traditional assessment scores. 

If this proves to work, this could free up brain space for teachers and staff to take that data and make use of it. 

Read more at EdSurge.

Woohoo! Apple’s 13″ MacBook Air now comes with 8G RAM standard! This will make it so much easier for more people to do powerful things.  

 https://cdn.ampproject.org/c/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2016/4/19/11456598/apple-13-inch-macbook-air-8gb-ram-standard

“Education is one of the formative technologies of human civilization, a constructed system of logically ordered parts intended to be the bedrock of social and political advancement.”

– Michael Thomsen  

I don’t agree with his arguments against digital tech in the classroom, but this little nugget I love. 

 “…imagination lets us live in the past and in the future, and by escaping the present moment we can use our memories of the past to predict what will happen in the future; ie: I know from past experience that fire burns skin, so I know inside my minds-eye that if I stick my hand into a fire I will lose my flesh. This is so instinctual we don’t even recognize it’s constantly happening with every symbol that we’re perceiving in our day-to-day moments. But it is this ability that allows us to navigate the complexity of our society. Even more exciting is the fact that this skill also works with emotions, not just situations.

The premise, again, is quite simple: When we see someone experiencing an emotion ( be it anger, sadness, happiness, etc), our brain “tries out” that same emotion to imagine what the other person is going through. And it does this by attempting to fire the same synapses in your own brain so that you can attempt to relate to the emotion you’re observing. This is basically empathy. It is how we get the mob mentality, where a calm person can suddenly find themselves picking up a pitchfork against a common enemy once they’re influenced by dozens of angry minds. It is our shared bliss at music festivals, or our solidarity in sadness during tragedies.” (1)

Such an important bit of knowledge. Think on this the next time you get stressed out in a situation: remember that people are watching you and will mimic your neurons. 

It can work the other way too: if you have a confrontation, be aware of how your own brain and body are trying to mimic their frustration. Own that, learn from it to understand where they are coming from, but don’t let that emotional mirroring seep into with how you approach or resolve the problem. Again: their neurons are watching yours – modeling cool, calm behavior is necessary to get them to trigger their own neurological mirroring. Articulate your empathy through direct words “I can see how you are frustrated by this and here’s why I can see that…” But everything else should be how you want them to act: cool, calm, and professional.

1. From:  http://soulanatomy.org/the-neurology-of-happiness-how-complaining-is-literally-killing-you/

People ask from where I got my business prowess and growing leadership skills. I did what anyone in my shoes would do: surrounded myself with people who could help me. A collection of curated friends and colleagues with whom I could feed my learning to fill in the holes. 

I’m so excited that my most influential mentor – who has grown into a good friend – has set up shop, called Leader 180, to help other leaders and businessfolk grow. If you are looking to develop as a leader or get some strategic perspective on your business, you need to reach out to Leader 180. Dr. Cindy Larson has escorted me through every turn in my career, and I know I’m better for it. She’s assembled a powerful team: I know and have worked with most of her team, and they are the best human beings around. They listen to you and get excited about helping you solve problems. 

Take advantage of this team. I cannot recommend them highly enough.