The Myth of the Digital Native, Part 3--Multitasking

In part 2 of this series, we began examining the assumptions that are made about "digital natives."  Assumption #1, was that they had some kind of super-technology prowess due to their immersion in technology from a young age.  Having sufficiently shot holes in that assumption, we will now move to assumption #2--that is that their learning styles and/or preferences differ significantly from earlier generations of students.

The most often touted learning preference/style difference is that "digital natives" are consummate multi-taskers, able to work on many tasks simultaneously without a loss of either concentration or productivity.  I have heard this repeated ad nauseam.   Because students do try to talk, text, play games, and work on a research project all at the same time, it is assumed that they are able to do all of these things well at the same time and that they in fact, prefer to work this way--with a scattered, unfocused energy.  Further, it has been asserted that current students will learn best in this type of environment.  Is anyone else having a flashback to the Seventies and open concept classrooms?  Those were so successful, that school districts had to go back and build walls and make regular classrooms.  I myself attended one of these new schools.  In any grade level area, we could plainly hear the third grade teacher, who had a voice which carried across the whole room.  Yes, first through sixth grade were all in one cavernous room, with book cases on wheels separating the grades.  Each grade had several homerooms, which were separated by nothing but the arrangement of the chairs.  You always knew what you would be doing in each subject, because you could hear all the other ones while you were in your first "class" of the day.  Claims about multitasking are not new.  There were similar claims made when students did homework in front of  television sets.

Psychological research shows a complex picture of human concentration and performance.  According to Bennett, Maton, and Kervin in "The 'digital natives' debate..." Multitasking "may not be as beneficial as it appears, and can result in a loss of concentration and cognitive 'overload' as the brain shifts between competing stimuli." (779)   Kirschner and van Merrienboer, in "Do Learners Really Know Best:  Urban Legends in Education," write that the structure and function of the brain only allow for switching between tasks, not for simultaneous task performance.  Although the switching may occur quickly and the tasks may appear to be occurring at the same time, that is not the case.  The only tasks which humans may perform at the same time are tasks that are fully automated (the example they use is walking and talking).  This has ramifications about cell phone use and driving, which we will not discuss here, but it is definitely food for thought.  The authors go on to say that "people are not capable of multitasking and can, at best, switch quickly from one activity to another." (172) 
So, multitasking is a myth, but let's look further.  What Kirschner and van Merrienboer contend is that "digital natives" have developed the ability to switch between tasks or media quickly.  The assumption is that this is beneficial and even that it can be a boon to learning.  The evidence does not support this assumption.  They go on to cite several studies which show that multitasking makes learning tasks take longer, often with increased errors, writing, "...there is strong evidence that multitasking and task switching impair performance and learning, and there is no reason to expect positive effects of educational methods that require multitasking." (173)
Another study to look at is  "Examining the Affects [sic] of Student Multitasking with Laptops During the Lecture" by Kraushaar and Novak.  Basically, the more distracting windows students opened on laptops during class time, the poorer their performance in all aspects of the course.

Let us put aside the idea that multitasking is beneficial, desired, or even possible (in a meaningful way) for the human brain.  Let us look for ways to engage students with content that will encourage concentration, thinking, and learning instead.  Let us look for strategies to ensure that technology use is enlightening, not merely entertaining.

Cartoon from:  http://www.booktryst.com/2012/07/women-who-read-and-write-too-much.html

Articles:

Bennett, SueMaton, KarlKervin, Lisa. "The ‘Digital Natives’ Debate: A Critical Review Of The Evidence." British Journal Of Educational Technology 39.5 (2008): 775-786. Professional Development Collection. Web. 5 May 2014.

Kirschner, Paul A., and Jeroen J.g. Van Merriënboer. "Do Learners Really Know Best? Urban Legends in Education." Educational Psychologist 48.3 (2013): 169-83. Web.

Kraushaar, James M., and David C. Novak. "Examining The Affects Of Student Multitasking With Laptops During The Lecture." Journal Of Information Systems Education 21.2 (2010): 241-251. Education Source. Web. 29 May 2014.