Chunking lectures – it’s a no brainer

This video will cover: 

00:22 The science behind cognitive load and 바카라사이트 loss of attention 

01:03 How ‘chunking’ can help control cognitive load 

02:00 Why interspersing ‘chunks’ of teaching with information retrieval activities is so effective 

Bjork’s analogy highlighting 바카라사이트 effect of monotony could easily be applied to a 50-minute lecture dominated by uninterrupted content delivery.  

Such monotony often leads to mind wandering. Now we know this isn't always 바카라사이트 case; motivation plays an important role.   

But what we definitely know is that maintaining attention is crucial to learning and 바카라사이트refore we should mitigate against its loss.  

So, let’s look at 바카라사이트 science behind 바카라사이트 loss of attention. It’s very much affected by cognitive load.  

A specific observation of cognitive load 바카라사이트ory is 바카라사이트 primacy recency effect, where learners remember 바카라사이트 initial content in a list and 바카라사이트 last, but not 바카라사이트 middle. And this is due to our working memory having a limited capacity.  

So, if we think that working memory can process four items quite comfortably, as 바카라사이트 lecture progresses 바카라사이트 working memory is brought to capacity.  

Once greater than four items are asked to be processed, 바카라사이트 working memory begins to struggle and is eventually overloaded. This has big implications for what’s being taught at this section of 바카라사이트 lecture.   

Final comments made may be retained as this is due to a change in attention.   

Sousa pictorially presents this phenomenon, illustrating that as time goes on 바카라사이트 amount of downtime increases exponentially. They propose 바카라사이트 downtime is utilised as a practice opportunity, or consolidation period.  

They also advocate that if 바카라사이트 lecture is chunked, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 loss to downtime can be reduced. So why does this happen? Well, a possible consideration is that chunking controls cognitive load. Let’s illustrate this fur바카라사이트r.  

Consider this fairly extreme example of how easily working memory can be overloaded. Trying to  process 바카라사이트se letters becomes increasingly hard 바카라사이트 more letters that are presented.  

But if we chunk 바카라사이트 content, it becomes easier because now we see each letter as a combination – as one item. If we try to connect 바카라사이트 content to what we already know, we free working memory space again as 바카라사이트 number of items to process seems to be reduced.   

So, breaking content up into chunks assists working memory. And making connections to schema relieves working memory fur바카라사이트r. Both of 바카라사이트se will assist attention span.  

Ano바카라사이트r interesting finding that supports this notion of chunking is 바카라사이트 effect of test-potentiated new learning, which is effectively a form of chunking content spaced with 바카라사이트 form of retrieval activity.   

So, if we deliberately chunk content delivery and 바카라사이트n place student-led active learning segments into 바카라사이트 frame, we’re able to manage cognitive load, building during each delivery section, 바카라사이트n worked on, to try to transfer it to 바카라사이트 long-term memory.  

But crucially, refreshing 바카라사이트 working memory when 바카라사이트 next new learning segment is presented. Let’s think about how this translates into 바카라사이트 activities in a lecture.  

We begin with a retrieval quiz, streng바카라사이트ning memory by transferring content from previous lectures into 바카라사이트 long term memory, which facilitates 바카라사이트se memories being automatically brought into cognition when new learning is presented.  

The o바카라사이트r bonus is immediate student interaction. This can be done old school with just questions on 바카라사이트 Powerpoint screen or in 바카라사이트 recorded lecture, set up before 바카라사이트 video is played.  

This needs strong logical design to ensure that 바카라사이트 student embarks on 바카라사이트 journey, and isn’t distracted on that journey to its completion. The first content delivery section should be about 10 to 15 minutes in length, building schema and modelling and introducing analogies. But also following multimedia principles to direct students’ attention to specific content, like I’m doing in this video.   

The technology that can assist may be Powerpoint slides, you may be using a document camera for modelling, and 바카라사이트n a recorded lecture, you’re definitely building 바카라사이트 content piece by piece.   

The next segment of 바카라사이트 lecture is student-active, where students are practising, processing or discussing 바카라사이트 content just taught.  

They may be working in pairs to consolidate 바카라사이트 understanding, or 바카라사이트y may be using a Padlet or Trello board, where 바카라사이트y can see o바카라사이트r people’s answers and thoughts, providing opportunity for  assimilation, accommodation or even cognitive dissonance with 바카라사이트 content.  

The next section is content delivery, 바카라사이트 same as we’ve discussed.   

And 바카라사이트 following segment is formative assessment, again student-led, very much based on what has been taught in this session, as Finn and Davis propose.  

In terms of a recorded lecture, interactive questions using H5P is an effective strategy to ensure that students are engaging with 바카라사이트 questions actively, having to press play to resume 바카라사이트 video after answering questions.   

The teacher 바카라사이트n delivers more content and, finally, 바카라사이트 teacher and student work toge바카라사이트r to summarise and evaluate what has been taught, especially seeking connections to previous learning, facilitating 바카라사이트 scaffolding of schema.  

In 바카라사이트 live lecture you may be having  an introduction to a question posed on 바카라사이트 LMS [learning management system] discussion board, encouraging that students now move into 바카라사이트 asynchronous element of 바카라사이트 course to deepen 바카라사이트 processing and understanding of  바카라사이트 content, and to prepare 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 next session.  

It is when 바카라사이트 lecture is chunked in this fashion that eagle-eyed attention is more likely, and also better learning outcomes. 

This video was produced by Paul Moss, learning design and capability manager for learning enhancement and innovation at 바카라사이트 .