Attention span
I thought it was very interesting that the average attention span for an adult is only 15-18 minutes.
Actually, I was surprised it was that long. What were we discussing, anyway? :-)
i agree my thinking was that adults should stay focued for a longer time period.
From other sources I have read, the attention span of an adult is closer to 7 minutes
what was the subject about and pertaining to
I was very surprised myself, goes to show you why my wife never gets an answer from me. I'm learning an awfull lot from these educational forums. Forgot what I was going to say. Thanks.
Ryan;
I have heard the 7 minute stat also, but I think it was for teens and young adults. Either way, our challenge is to present a 1-2 hour lecture in a manner that addresses that number by keeping them interested in what we are giving them. Even if we just pause to ask some specific questions and revisit what we just went over, it changes their state from that of "input" to "output". The main objective is to make that adjustment and keep them focused.
Hi All,
There have been a number of forum responses going back and forth about the attention span of adults. Based upon research the adult attention span is around 10-15 minutes. That is the adult can keep focused on the topic/lecture for that time without their brains wanting them to drift away. Keep in mind this is the average so it can vary greatly either way. If you teach a class that runs for a number of hours you have to engage and reengage the learners within this 10-15 minute time frame. What this means is variety. It can mean a pause, Q&A session, demonstration, worksheets, and/or small group work. Anything to get the learners to redirect their brains even for a brief time. None of these activities need to be disruptive to the learning process. They are just little changes in pace that lets the learner relax a bit, take a breath and then refocus back onto the topic. By using these methods you will see the learners staying focused for longer periods of time.
Gary
I would have thought it was shorter.
Thank you for the advice. I find that the information you gave is very helpful. I know from my own experience as an instructor and as a student, the short attention span of adults is a real challenge to overcome. That's why instructors need to be creative and versatile in order to capture their students' attention.
I agree with Doug, I will go over a power point for 20 minutes or so then ask them to read a chapter out of thier student books, answer the questions that follow. Go back to the power point for a while, then continue with the student books. The questions they are answering are the same topic as the power point, just a defferent angle.
Remember the gold fish. 2 seconds is all they have. Never feel sorry for the fish. By the time he turns around in his bowl, its all new.
i tend to agree with you, 10 to 15 minutes seems a little long, but i guess it varies from person to person.
If I'm interested I'll take notes.I tend to subconciously remember something if I write it down.That didn't work for me in 6th grade when I was at the board writting a thousand times why I wouldn't do "something".I just wasn't interested.
I used to break my longer lessons up and stop at a good point to just "talk." It may be a five minute conversation about the lesson or even some sports talk. Then, you flow right back into the lesson by saying something like "OK, now we were just talking about so and so, can anyone give me a recap on our topic. We recap our topic and continue with the lesson.
Luis,
I like the idea of changing the mode from input to output. There are times that everyone finds it difficult to concentrate or stay focused. There are students that will find a subject so challenging that they are overwhealmed while others are subject to loss of focus in that they are quite familiar with the subject. Sometimes it may be possible to capture the attention of all by interjecting a story or learning "tool" that is amusing or interesting to those familiar with the topic while explanatory to those finding it difficult. There is another attack I use, pose questions to the more advanced students that may challenge them - possibly diagnostics, then emphacise the lesson with the answer- everyone wins. What a challenge!
