O1-Module1
Attention
Keeping learners' attention is a real challenge for the trainer. The use of digital tools in class allows:
- to give rhythm to the lesson,
- to use many senses (visuel, sound, movement..).
- and to better engage the students/apprentices.
The importance of attention to learn more effectively
Attention is the starting point of learning
Without attention, the comprehension is not possible. And without comprehension, we cannot learn and the memorization is heavily penalized.
It is therefore very important for teacher-trainers to capture the attention of their student-apprentices from the first minute and to implement strategies to retain it.
Attention curve
Example of attention curve during a lecture course with a regular voice in reading mode and a powerpoint with lots of texts:
When the class starts, attention rises the first few minutes to reach a peak around the tenth minute.
If nothing happens, the attention will quickly fall to a low level. The mind begins to wander.
This state continues in plateau until a few minutes before the end.
Attention wakes up at the moment of synthesis.
Innovative practices, rooted in the digital area
Discover below examples of innovative practices, used in class in order to capture and keep the attention of the learners.
Give rhythm to the lesson and engage the students with Plickers
The interests of this practice
This stragegy allows to :
give rhythm to the lesson
maintain a good level of pressure
engage the learners
and act directly in the process of memorizing information.
Maintain a good level of pressure with Mentimenter and Office 365
The interests of these practices
In addition to give rhythm, these playful practices stimulate the reward circuit and generate enough pressure for an optimal level of attention.
Attention and level of pressure
There is a direct link between the level of pressure generated by the challenge/the quiz and the quality of attention.
It is therefore important for teacher-trainers to find the right level of pressure, neither too much nor too little to maintain the attention of their learners.
Capture attention with visual and sound animations (PowerPoint)
The interests of this practice
Attention is very selective. By picking up only what seems relevant, our selective attention can make us miss a lot of information. To overcome that, it’s necessary to help the learner focus on what’s important, and to communicate in the most efficient way.
Some advices from Cognitive sciences
- Put priority on the visual : Human being is firstly visual. But all visual signals do not have the same impact on our attention. For example, a text stimulates little attention because of the necessary decoding. A drawing or graphic representation is more stimulating because it is more meaningful for the brain.
- Associate keyword and image / drawing / diagram : by associating an image and a word, it stimulates two different areas of the brain, which reinforces the level of stimulation.
- Put motion : illusion, animations, videos : putting motion is even more effective to attract our attention.
FORTRAINERS SPOC : To deepen O1- Module 1 and to be supported...
To deepen this module and be supported in the appropriation of these new practices, register for the next training session of SPOC Fortrainers.
For more information about Fortrainers SPOC, please, click here.
About the key competences mobilized by the learners
