🤯 We are constantly bombarded with information:
👀 Sensory stimuli: The image in front of you, surrounding sounds, or even a muscle tension reminding you it’s time for a break.
💭 Thoughts: "Don’t forget to stop by the shop," "I need to check my emails."
However, our processing capacities are limited—it’s impossible to give equal attention to everything at once. A selection process is required, and this is precisely the role of attention.
🕵️♀️ Attention in action: selective sorting
Attention filters what you perceive, prioritising:
What’s relevant to your goals (e.g., the book you’re reading).
What’s attractive (e.g., a notification or the smell of chocolate cake).
What’s difficult to ignore (e.g., the sound of a smoke alarm).
Much like a nightclub bouncer, attention lets certain elements through to be consciously processed and remembered. Others, like a forgotten coffee cup or birdsong, remain unnoticed.
⚠️ This selection has a cost, especially when there’s competition between information.
🍰 Attention: a finite resource
The more elements to process:
The smaller each slice of attention becomes.
If a presentation mixes definitions, examples, jokes, and complex tasks, it quickly overwhelms attention.
💡 Some information demands more attention than others:
New concepts.
Complex ideas:
Learners will require a large share of attention to analyse these effectively.
👩🏫 Enhancing encoding: the ingredients for effective learning
1. Highlight the essentials 🌟
Focus on what matters most in your teaching.
Boost visibility through:
Colour contrasts.
Repetition in multiple forms (text, diagrams, examples).
2. Eliminate distractions 🚮
Streamline the content: save nuanced details and "extras" for later.
Optimise the environment:
Choose uncluttered spaces.
Plan breaks to minimise distractions.
3. Balance the effort ⚖️
Adjust difficulty according to your learners’ levels:
For beginners: Break down complex ideas into smaller steps.
Review individual components before connecting them into a bigger picture.
💡 Help learners focus by:
Minimising search time by providing necessary information upfront.
Strengthening guidance: structure steps clearly, especially during group activities where attention is divided between learning and interactions.
Your recipe for capturing attention
🎯 Prioritise and highlight key points.
🚮 Remove distractions and simplify the environment.
⚖️ Adapt difficulty and guide learners throughout their journey.
Keywords: pedagogical recommendations, encoding, learning
Have additional questions? Feel free to contact us at [email protected]. Our team is ready to support you with your projects! 💬