Education needs to adapt to declining attention spans
Students may consume information differently, but they still want to learn
What’s the biggest change over the last decade?
No, it’s not your growth spurt, rather, the rise of short-form video platforms. Many educators believe that since the COVID-19 pandemic, attention spans have decreased.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have dramatically changed the speed of produced, delivered, and consumed information by users. Many students replace long readings with quick summaries to learn new material.
While some research finds that people switch between tasks more often, their ability to concentrate has not disappeared and can improve when distractions are removed.
The issue is not biological, but behavioural.
The modern digital environment keeps competing for our attention by offering immediate rewards. External interruptions like instant notifications, messages, recommendations, and videos encourage switching between tasks, interrupting deep thinking or focus.
Research also suggests that internal interruptions, such as the urge to check our phones, have increased even when external forms decrease.
Distraction and switching between tasks becomes part of our routine.
This distinction is important because educators can play a role in helping students rebuild their focus and deep thinking rather than accepting its decline.
Universities should adapt teaching methods and styles for shorter attention spans, not lower academic standards.
If expectations are lowered, shortened assignment lengths and oversimplified complex concepts will poorly prepare students for their future careers.
Doing research, reading articles, and solving problems cannot be replaced by a short video. Changing teaching methods is the best solution.
Interactive learning motivates students to actively participate in the classroom rather than simply listen, EU Business School reports. Debates, case studies, simulations, and group discussions can engage students and increase their concentration.
Smaller class sizes, like at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, allow more personalized instruction and promotes hands-on learning. It improves the classroom environment to feel relaxed and comfortable for students to participate in.
Technology’s usage in education should not be seen as a threat, but as an opportunity.
A Pew Research survey found that nearly 75 per cent of teachers believe the internet and search engines have a “mostly positive” impact on students’ research skills.
While “doomscrolling” is becoming more commonplace, monotasking is the act of focusing on a single task until it’s complete or for a dedicated amount of time, to encourage mindful practices.
The goal is not to make the university education fit into the length of a TikTok, but to use modern teaching methods to help students focus deeply again. Interactive learning is not meant to replace deep learning, but become a tool that helps students return to it.
