How to Focus for Learning

Original Editor - Robin Tacchetti based on the course by Michael Rowe
Top Contributors - Robin Tacchetti, Jess Bell and Kim Jackson

Introduction

Attention is fundamental to learning. It is a cognitive process that requires a state of mental alertness. Once in a focused state, the mind can concentrate and does not engage in unnecessary details. At this point, the individual acquire information and learn. Attention is a catalyst to learning.

Research has shown that people who have a good ability to focus are creative and critical thinkers. However, it is not always feasible to be aware of everything at the same time. This is especially true in the school setting which requires students to be attentive to various methods and speeds at which material is presented. Additionally, students need to be focused in order to understand problems and subsequently develop solutions to solve them.

In the classroom, students will expend a large amount of cognitive effort keeping their concentration for long periods of time. One aspect of staying focused is preventing distractions from taking their attention away from the learning process. This can be particularly hard in a digital world. The more attention and focus on learning, the greater the knowledge will be. Furthermore, increased concentration during the learning process leads to a decreased chance of losing or forgetting the presented material.

Environment

The efficiency of learning and focus can be affected by the environment. Conductive learning environments are ones in which the learning place is quiet and not easily disturbed by external stimuli. However, even under the best conditions, the individual may find their mind wandering. Setting up a conducive environment has been proven to be a positive influence on concentration. Increasing concentration leads to increased learning.

An effective learning environment is created with a multitude of elements. Some of those attributes are listed below:

• the condition of the school building
• the teacher-student relationships
• the student facilities
• having upright seating and not a reclined seat
• keeping a quiet atmosphere
• having the right amount of students per room and not too crowded

Technology and Learning

With emerging technology, information can be accessed anywhere and anytime. Technology and mobile devices have made obtaining information very quick and easy. This is especially true for students and the younger generation that have grown up with technology. However, many scholars believe that there is a negative impact on students capacity to learn, understand and interact with each other as a result of these technological advances. In particular, the one key factor that scholars believe to be negatively influenced by technology is attention.

Multitasking

Multi-tasking sometimes referred to as switch-tasking or task-switching is when an individual attempts to do multiple attention-requiring tasks at the same time. For students, multitasking or distracted learning facilitate negative outcomes in learning. Students who do multi-learning tasks will require more time to complete tasks for multiple reasons. When multitasking, students will need to refamiliarise themselves with the assignment after coming back to it, increasing the overall time to complete the task. Secondly, switching back and forth between tasks causes mental fatigue lending itself to a longer periods to complete the assisgnment. Thirdly, when attention is divided during the encoding process, long term retention is weakened. Lastly, during distracted learning, the brain processes information differently that is less useful to the student.

** The only time true multitasking can work is if both tasks are very simple and do not compete for the same mental resource.

Attention

There are five different categories of attention. See the list below for a brief description of each category:

1. Focused attention:
   • the ability to directly respond to specific auditory, visual or tactile stimuli
2. Sustained attention:
   • referred to as concentration or focus
   • the ability to maintain consistent behavioural responses during repetitive activities over time
   • supports more complex forms of attention, (divided, selective) and other cognitive domains (memory, learning)
   • example: reading a book
3. Selective attention:
   • the ability to maintain cognitive or behavioural focus when faced with competing or distracting stimuli
   • stimuli can be external or internal
     • external stimuli examples include: sounds, activity, scenery
     • internal stimuli examples include: internal thoughts, worries or contemplations
4. Alternating attention:
   • the ability to shift between tasks with different cognitive requirements
     • the two tasks have different cognitive requirements
   • this form of attention is common for students as they alternate between listening to lectures and writing notes
5. Divided attention:
   • the ability to simultaneously respond to multiple tasks
   • attention alternates rapidly and continuously
   • example: preparing a meal and talking to family at the same time

Sustained Attention

As stated above, sustained attention is what we think of when we think of focus or concentration. Having sustained attention means you can stay in that state over time even during periods of repetition and monotony. Common characteristics of sustain attention are that performance tends to decline over time and the attention fluctuates from moment-to-moment or waxes and wanes. Sustained attention is determined by the dynamic interaction of emotional, motivational, cognitive and arousal factors. A deficit in one of these domains can cause the individual to disengage from the task.

Developing the ability to sustain attention takes place throughout childhood. Children need this developmental skill for multiple reasons, school being a main purpose. Being able to attain good academic achievement requires the ability to sustain attention. Poor childhood sustained attention is a common problem. Moreover, certain learning and neurodevelopmental disorders are characterised by impairments in sustained attention. Studies show that attention problems in school can predict:

1. success in reading and mathematics
2. undermine traditional academic interventions
3. graduation rates

Improving Sustained Attention

There are two approaches that have been identified for improving sustained attention: cognitive attention training and state training.

1. Cognitive attention training:
   • also referred to as brain training
   • performing a cognitive task repetitively to exercise neural networks associated with attention
   • training is done through computer or a tablet as a videogame-like tasks (among other tasks) with adaptive procedures
     • the level of performance difficulty is automatically adapted to an individual’s level of performance
     • the reward system encourages motivation
2. State training:
   • performing a task to develop a brain state that is thought to influence attention and other networks
   • does not involve cognitive tasks
   • places the brain and body in optimal state for sustaining attention
   • examples: meditation and physical activity
     • meditation:mindfulness mediation
       • paying attention on purpose
       • being in the moment
       • non-judgmental to internal thoughts
       • individual selects a point of focus (for example breath) and directs their attention to it
       • if the mind wanders, acknowledge it and direct attention back to the focus point
     • physical activity
       • exercise stimulates neurotransmitters which may improve cognitive function
       • norepinephrine regulates arousal factors
       • physical activity that is more cognitively engaging (sport, having teammates) are more arousing and have an increased affect on focus versus low cognitive engagement (running)

The most common intervention approaches in school settings for enhancing focus is through the use of cognitive attention training meditation and physical activity.

Additional Tips

Oxford Summer Course recommends the following 9 tips to keep focus when learning:

1. Create a suitable study environment:
   • have a dedicated study space that is not an area of relaxing
   • needs the following:
     • clear spaces: enough space to hold all essentials
     • comfortable seating: promotes good posture for long periods of time
     • power supply: good supply or outlet nearby
2. Set clear precise goals:
   • make goals as vivid as possible
   • write them down
   • keep list visible and near workspace as reminder
3. Create a study schedule:
   • establish a routine
     • include all your goals/deadline
     • add "free time"
     • colour-code subjects and topics for a visual guide to make sure you are balancing out your studying effectively
4. Create a study ritual
   • keeps the mind focused on studying
   • may need a pre-study ritual to get mind focused (setting up desk, taking a walk)
   • trains your brain to recognise and transition into a focused state more effortlessly
   • with practice, brain associates the ritual with studying and focused attention
5. Share your study schedule with friends and family:
   • to avoid being distracted during study time
   • adds accountability for your work
6. Block out all possible distractions:
   • on average it takes 23 min to get refocused after a distraction
   • move electronic devices out of site
   • avoid social media
7. Pomodoro Technique:
   • select a task to work on, set a timer, work until it rings (completely interrupted), and then take a short break.
   • usual recommendation is: study for 25 minutes, then have 5 minutes off, and then repeat until the task is completed
   • do what time works best for you
   • short breaks increase concentration ability
   • raises awareness of how long various tasks take
8. Keep a record of the completed tasks:
   • regularly remind yourself of completed tasks
   • offers sense of accomplishment
9. Exercise regularly:
   • increases blood flow to brain which can increase focus
10. Review your study methods:
    • enables you to track progress and make improvements
    • identifies patterns
11. Give yourself regular rewards:
    • small, regular rewards can help keep focus
    • more likely to repeat behaviour if pleasant outcome
12. Find a study group
    • helps to stay focused during tougher times
    • encouraging and motivating eachother

Resources

• Creating New Habits for Learning