Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Attention
Early in the chapter you saw that learning and development depend on learners'
experiences. They are gathered through everything we see, hear, touch, taste, or
smell. This process is represented in Fig. 5.6 as stimuli entering our sensory mem-
ories. However, we remain unaware of the stimuli until we consciously attend to
them. For instance, we likely do not “pay attention” to the whisper of an air condi-
tioner until we are made aware of the fact that it is running. This is illustrated in the
model by fewer arrows coming out of “attention” than enter it. Our attention acts as
a screen, allowing us to filter out unimportant information.
Two characteristics of attention are important. First, while individual differences
in people exist, everyone's attention is limited, both in capacity and in duration
(Curtindale, Laurie-Rose, & Bennett-Murphy, 2007; Zhou, Hofer, & Eisenberg,
2007). So, for example, students are likely to pay attention to parts of teachers'
explanations but miss others.
Second, our attention easily shifts from one stimulus to another; people in general
are easily distracted (Zhou et al., 2007). This helps us understand why students seem
to derive less from teachers' explanations that they should. A myriad of distractions
exist in classrooms—students whispering, noises outside the room, and people in
the hallway, among others. Any one or more of these can cause students to miss
parts of teachers' explanations.
Attracting and Maintaining Attention
Because attention is where learning begins, maintaining attention is essential when
we are attempting to learn new material and attracting and maintaining attention
are essential when teaching (Curtindale et al., 2007; Valenzeno, Alibali, & Klatzky,
2003). We are more likely to pay attention when we are actively involved in an
learning experience, and technology is often effective because of its ability to hold
our attention. Effective teachers plan their lessons so students attend to what is being
taught and ignore irrelevant stimuli. On the other hand, listening passively to a lec-
ture often results in lack of attention, which helps us understand why lecture is a
generally ineffective teaching strategy (Dolezal, Welsh, Pressley, & Vincent, 2003;
Taylor, Pearson, Peterson, & Rodriguez, 2003).
Perception
We often think of perception as the way we interpret objects and events. This is the
way it is commonly used in our everyday life, and it depends on factors such as
learners' dispositions and expectations (Huan, Yeo, & Ang, 2006; Way, Reddy, &
Rhodes, 2007). For example, consider the following:
“How was your interview?” Lenore, a job applicant asked her friend, Kelly, who was also
applying for a job at the same school.
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