Minimize Visual Distractions to Keep Young Learners On Task

Source: Godwin, K., & Fisher, A. (2011). Allocation of Attention in Classroom Environments: Consequences for Learning. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 33(33). https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15c4w7zg

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Overview: 

Many young, elementary school students are prone to distraction, and it is estimated that they can spend as much as 25 to 50 percent of their time in school off task.  While many studies have noted that instructional time spent off task is a problem for students, very few studies have identified specific sources of distraction and attempted to mitigate them.  This research study examined the visual environment of a kindergarten classroom and determined that classrooms with high levels of visual distraction (HVD) promote off-task behavior in young students, whereas classrooms with low levels of visual distraction (LVD) are significantly tied to a stronger academic performance and better learning outcomes.

Younger children, as many a parent will tell you, are more prone to distraction than older children, which is in keeping with growing up and our natural stages of cognitive development.  But paradoxically enough, it is also young learners’ classrooms that have the most distracting visual environments – filled to the brink with posters, bulletin boards, art projects, alphabet charts, and maps.  In this study, a kindergarten class was given lessons in an HVD environment and an LVD environment (in the low visual distraction environment, materials not relevant to the instructional lesson at hand were removed).  They were then given pictorial exams over the lesson that tested both their recognition and application skills.  Students in the LVD classrooms performed significantly higher on the exams.

More specifically, it was found that in both environments, young students did engage in off-task behavior, however; the amount of time spent off task differed, as did the impact on academic performance.  Young students did spend some time off-task in LVD environments, but here, distraction was directed toward the self and peer interaction rather than the environment itself.  However, the LVD classroom setting also consistently produced the following results: the children spent significantly less time off task and their scores on the learning assessments were markedly higher across the board.  

Key Insights: 

Navigating the vibrant landscape of a kindergarten classroom, this groundbreaking study reveals the significant impact of visual distractions on young learners’ academic performance. The research indicates that a high-visual-distraction (HVD) classroom fuels off-task behavior, while a low-visual-distraction (LVD) environment fosters improved learning outcomes and engagement. Educators can reevaluate their classroom settings as potent tools that can optimize attention allocation and propel learning assessment scores.

Action Steps:

This seminal study suggests that the allocation of attention for young students can be heavily affected by the classroom environment and its level of visual distraction.  It also paves the way for educators to consider their classroom environment, and attenuation to its level of visual distraction, as a tool that can be utilized to induce higher scores on learning assessments.

Full Study: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15c4w7zg