Multitasking can impair students memory

How multitasking impair memory?

-Under most conditions, brain cant do two complex tasks at same time
-Multitasking can happen when both tasks are very simple and not
compete with each other for same mental resources
Eg: folding laundry and listening to weather report
Eg: listening to lectures while texting/ doing homework and FB is very
demanding, uses same brain area-prefrontal cortex
-Researchers found that when students multitask, assignment takes longer
to complete, as time spent on distracting activities & have to refamiliarize
himself with the material when switching tasks
-Mental fatigue caused by repeatedly dropping and picking up a mental
thread leads to more mistakes
-Students subsequent memory of what they are working on will be
damaged if attention is divided
-The moment of encoding is what matters most for retention of memory
-When doing multitasking, brain process and store information in less
useful ways
-Brain scan during Poldracks experiment revealed that brain engaged in a
different form of memory when focusing to two streams of information, we
can concluded even though it doesnt decrease overall level of learning,
but result in acquisition of knowledge that can be applied less flexibly in
new situations
-Researchers found that media multitasking while learning is negatively
associated with students grades
-Depth of their processing of information is considerably less, because of
all the distractions available to them as they learn
What to do with them?
-Studies shown that the kids who were better are able to delay
gratification no only achieved higher grades and test scores but were also
more likely to succeed in school and their careers
-Students should take tech breaks to satisfy their cravings for electronic
communication, after they laboured on their schoolwork uninterrupted for
15 minutes, then allow themselves to text, check websites and post to
their hearts content, then turn off device for another 15 minutes and go
study
-Parents can separate the time between homework and studying for their
kids, telling them to concentrate on just one thing at a time
-Dont harass them for how much they play video games or surfing FB, but
just make sure when they are doing homework or studying, they are not
disturbed by their phone