Purposeful (self-inflicted) interruptions might be beneficial to work focus and learning.
Last time, I wrote about designing courses & training to maximize student attention, focus, and retention. Today, I want to address interruptions. Why? Not all interruptions are bad for learning & focus. Yes, there are good and bad interruptions.
For instance, if I hear a dog barking or call to attend an unplanned meeting, it could take me a few minutes to half-and-hour to regain my work focus and concentration on the task. [Worst case: Being interrupted by an enticing social media advertisement or video game could take me longer since I will probably fall into an eternal scrolling trap.]
Nevertheless, if I stop playing the guitar to "feel" if I am playing the right melody, that may help me focus even more on the piece; if I pause reading to re-read or review a paragraph. And ponder the content; the purposeful interruption could help me remember a lesson for a more extended period. Or if I intentionally stop what I am doing to attend a planned meeting related to my subject which can be beneficial: That can help me regain my focus and concentration quicker. And perhaps, help me make mental associations that allow me to recall the content later on.
Purposeful (self-inflicted) interruptions might be beneficial to work focus and learning.
Think about how many book chapters or video series end a chapter or episode with a cliffhanger. That is, purposely interrupting the episode and leaving you wondering about what would happen next. In this way, our mind remains engaged in the content as we try to anticipate what comes next.
I usually like to finish a class with a cliffhanger or an assignment that will make my students stay engaged on the topic after the class is over.
What if we could design course lessons that leave our students wanting to learn more about the subject? How about assigning small group assignments that require students to apply what they have learned in their daily lives or work.
Further, think about The Zeigarnik Effect, which states that people remember unfinished or incomplete tasks better than completed ones. To recall: Zeigarnik experienced that waiters in a café could place the orders they had not yet delivered better than those they had distributed.
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