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Professional training with a guarantee of employment: "Methodologist from beginner to expert"
Find out moreA situation familiar to many teachers: just a few minutes after the start of the lesson, the lecturer notices how the students' attention is moving away from him to the screens of their mobile phones.
Reasons, The reasons why lectures often give way to social media content in the battle for student attention seem clear. However, the question arises: is it possible to successfully counter this competition for attention?
Alexey Karuna, business coach, methodologist, and author of the Telegram channel "Olds Here Are Not Trending," shared his thoughts on how to effectively teach the younger generation during a webinar titled "How to Retain Students' Attention: The Experience of Reels, Telegram, and Memes," organized by Direct Academy. He discussed the reasons why traditional teaching methods fail to capture student interest and proposed the idea of adapting tools from social media and messaging apps to increase engagement. Although Alexey's experience primarily focuses on corporate training, his approaches can also be useful in the higher education context. We will present some of his key ideas.
The Evolution of the Basics of Perception in the Modern World
Alexey Karuna argues that students often experience boredom in traditional lectures not because this format is outdated, but because it does not take into account the peculiarities of perception and attention typical of Generation Z.
In modern society, the concept of "clip thinking" is widely used, which implies short-term concentration and difficulty perceiving large amounts of information. However, Alexey believes that it would be more correct to call this phenomenon fragmented attention. This is a special approach to the perception and processing of information, developed as a result of active interaction with digital platforms, especially social networks and instant messengers.
The human mind adapts to a constant stream of new signals that quickly follow one another. These signals can evoke a variety of emotional responses and prompt immediate actions, such as liking, forwarding a message to a friend, commenting, clicking a link, subscribing to notifications, and much more.
By observing TikTok content, you can see that the most successful videos on social media use a specific approach. At the beginning of such videos, they place a "catching element" designed to grab viewers' attention—this could be something unusual or provocative. If a video fails to engage a user within the first three seconds, they're likely to simply skip ahead.
Alexey Karuna attributes the growing interest in mobile learning and microlearning to fragmented attention. This is particularly evident in courses offered via Telegram. These courses consist of small chunks of educational material delivered directly to the messenger. The user receives a notification, opens the material and studies it in free moments, without requiring a significant investment of time for a detailed study of the topic.
Another interesting aspect related to the perception and processing of information is the culture of memes. As the speaker notes, for members of Generation Z, memes are not only a source of entertainment but also a means of interaction, allowing ideas to be conveyed through concise visual images rather than lengthy explanations.
Alexey Karuna argues that social media and instant messaging apps successfully engage and retain users through the use of certain mechanisms, such as "hooks," short formats, and vibrant visual elements, including memes. According to the speaker, these techniques can be integrated into the educational process without sacrificing academic depth or requiring significant changes to educational materials.
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The impact of digital technology on our tolerance for routine tasks has become noticeable. Modern devices and applications have led to the fact that we are accustomed to quickly receiving information and instant results. This change in the perception of time and effort has made us less able to tolerate monotonous and boring activities.
Previously, people could perform monotonous tasks with greater ease, but now constant interaction with high technology creates in us an expectation of immediate gratification. We increasingly seek variety and novelty, which in turn leads to a lower tolerance for tasks that require prolonged concentration and effort but do not produce immediate results.
Thus, the digital age has had a significant impact on our perception of routine work, forcing us to seek more interesting and engaging ways to spend time.
Effective Ways to Engage Listeners in a Lecture
Alexey Karuna examines the effectiveness of attention "hooks" through the prism of physiological mechanisms that were studied by Academician Ivan Pavlov in the first half of the 20th century. Pavlov introduced the concept of the orienting reflex, which describes the spontaneous response of animals to new external stimuli. For example, when an animal hears an unfamiliar sound, it stops and listens, as its nervous system focuses attention on this stimulus, giving it priority in the information processing process. A similar mechanism operates in humans: unexpected and new stimuli immediately arouse interest and can distract from current tasks. Working memory resources are redistributed to quickly process incoming information and assess its importance. If a stimulus proves insignificant, attention to it naturally dissipates. On the contrary, if the stimulus is significant, the consciousness begins to focus on it with the help of voluntary and purposeful attention.
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Human working memory is a complex cognitive system responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of information. It plays a key role in the performance of various tasks, such as problem solving, decision making, and language comprehension.
The structure of working memory includes several components. One of the most well-known is the Baddeley model, which identifies three main elements: the central executive, the visiopatial circuit, and the phonological loop. The central executive coordinates actions and distributes attention, while the phonological loop is responsible for processing auditory information, and the visiopatial circuit is responsible for working with visual and spatial data.
As for the capacity of working memory, it is limited. Research shows that the average number of items that a person can hold in working memory varies from five to nine units. This number can vary depending on various factors, such as the complexity of the task, level of attention, and individual characteristics.
Working memory is necessary for the performance of everyday tasks, and its effectiveness can affect the quality of learning and the ability to study. Therefore, studying the mechanisms behind working memory remains a pressing topic in cognitive science.
Unlike video content on social media, the structure of a traditional lecture does not focus on attention-grabbing mechanisms. Typically, a lesson begins with introductory information, which includes context, an overview of the new topic, and definitions of key terms. However, this approach fails to provide a "hook," fails to engage students' spontaneous attention, and therefore fails to lay the foundation for voluntary, focused attention.
Therefore, to attract and maintain student interest, Alexey suggests changing the approach to organizing a lecture as follows:
- Imagine that just one day after a lecture, you'll forget 70% of the information you heard. What do you think could be the reason for this? This fact may be surprising, but it underscores the importance of memorization and knowledge acquisition methods. Numerous studies show that most people are unable to retain a significant portion of information received in a short period of time. Perhaps it's worth considering how to improve the learning process and retain important knowledge longer.
- Information should be presented in compact parts. As the speaker noted, in the field of corporate training, he often divides lectures into short segments lasting 5-7 minutes. Although this approach is not always applicable in an academic environment, Alexey recommends, if possible, breaking the material for the lesson into several shorter blocks. These fragments can be slightly longer, but it is important that each of them covers a specific subtopic or answers a specific question.
- To increase the dynamics of the presentation, it is recommended to insert calls to action between sections of theoretical material. These elements will act as "hooks" to recapture the audience's attention. For example, you could ask students a question and encourage them to discuss it in pairs or vote on one of the suggested answers. In addition, to make the theoretical part more engaging, it is worth using illustrations or thematic memes, as well as providing short examples from practice that will help diversify the presentation of information.
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The Role of Microformats in Strengthening Traditional Educational Practices
Microlearning is a method in which learners acquire knowledge in small amounts and, as a rule, on an ongoing basis. Such microformats include short articles, short exercises, 5-10 minute videos, as well as cheat sheets and checklists. This approach has become popular both in corporate training and in independent study using mobile apps.
Alexey Karuna believes that the possibility of integrating microlearning via instant messengers into the educational process should be considered. This is due to the fact that this approach fits naturally into the information consumption style of Generation Z. In addition, communication in instant messengers helps create an atmosphere of equal dialogue, which is also of great importance for zoomers.
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How can microformats be implemented in classical university education? Alexey Karuna suggests three approaches:
- As noted earlier, it is useful to break educational content into small blocks and combine passive assimilation of information with active student participation. This approach can be used not only for lecture materials. For example, if a course includes an extensive test, it can be divided into small parts consisting of 1-2 questions and sent to students on different days.
- Sending questions and materials to students for review and consolidation of the material is a useful practice. After the lesson, it is advisable to share a question for reflection on the topic discussed with students in the chat, as well as provide a brief summary in the form of a reminder, card, or checklist. This format of information will be more attractive to students than traditional lecture notes.
- Regular reminders should be introduced into the educational process. To achieve this, it would be helpful to create a shared chat with students, where, for example, a question or meme related to the course topic could be posted daily. A more sophisticated option would be to integrate a chatbot that would automatically ask students questions and tasks, and collect and evaluate their responses.
Using Memes in the Educational Process
Memes function through associations and cultural contexts, and, according to the speaker, a well-chosen meme can replace an entire page with detailed explanations. For example, when explaining the topic of cognitive biases to students, you could use the meme "Expectations vs. Reality," which would allow listeners to independently grasp the essence of the concept.
Memes that rely on familiar structures and shared context allow students to perceive information with the phrase: "The teacher speaks my language." This, in turn, promotes the development of a dialogue culture in the educational process, making it more dynamic and modern.
Furthermore, each meme represents a miniature story containing characters, conflict, and a surprise ending. Such narratives have a much greater impact on engagement and memorability than simple arguments. Furthermore, memes are visual and can act as "anchors" that help cement learning material in memory. This is supported by research by Allan Paivio, who developed dual coding theory: visual images and concrete ideas are not only more easily remembered but also serve as cues for retrieving the abstract information they are associated with.
The speaker shares several approaches to integrating memes into the educational process:
- An introduction to a learning topic can be effectively started with a meme, which will serve as a hook to attract students' attention. A suitable visual element or witty phrase can not only amuse the audience but also clearly indicate the main topic of the lesson. For example, when discussing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you could use an image that presents Wi-Fi access as a fundamental human need.
- Connecting the main ideas of a text with appropriate memes can significantly facilitate the memorization of abstract concepts and terms. Vivid visual images presented in memes will help students better absorb the information and make it more accessible.
- Students can be asked to develop memes related to the learning process. According to Alexey Karuna, this method is an effective tool for assessing the level of material assimilation, since creating a high-quality meme about a topic they do not understand is simply impossible. Moreover, a meme created by a student will become a kind of "anchor" for them, promoting better memorization and understanding of the material studied.
- Using memes to obtain feedback. At the end of the lesson, you can ask students to choose a meme that most accurately conveys their thoughts and emotions. While this is easier to implement online, Alexey Karuna successfully uses this approach in live classes, using meme cards from the board games Memeclub and Memogram.
The speaker believes that teachers shouldn't worry about students reacting negatively to outdated memes. Alexey noted that for Generation Z, whether a meme is relevant isn't as critical; it's far more important that teachers are attentive to their interests, respect their shared culture, and strive to communicate with them in a language they understand.
It's worth noting that many experts, when considering the appropriateness of humor and memes in educational materials, take a cautious stance. They recommend using such elements only if you're confident your audience is on the same wavelength. The fact is that a joke that might seem funny to one generation may be completely incomprehensible to another and even cause confusion or a negative reaction. Therefore, some university professors admit that when communicating with young people from Generation Z, they have to "filter their words" to avoid misunderstandings.
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- The experience of implementing the "not-University" project has yielded many interesting observations about representatives of Generation Z. Firstly, Zoomers strive for practical learning, preferring real-world skills to theoretical knowledge. They value the opportunity to apply acquired knowledge in real life, which places an emphasis on interactive and practical learning methods.
Secondly, this generation actively uses digital technologies. Zoomers grew up in the era of the internet and social media, which determines their approach to obtaining information and interacting with the world around them. They prefer online formats and quickly adapt to new digital tools.
Furthermore, their social responsibility is an important aspect. The youth of this generation are aware of the importance of environmental and social issues, actively supporting initiatives aimed at improving the world around them. They seek opportunities to participate in projects that align with their values.
Finally, Zoomers value flexibility and variety in learning. They are interested in choice and the ability to tailor the educational process to their needs, which emphasizes their desire for an individual approach. Thus, the "notUniversity" project became a platform for studying these characteristics and needs of the new generation.
- Study: Using memes promoted understanding of biology in high school students.
- An unusual approach: a teacher asks students to create memes as homework.
- Generation Z is not particularly enthusiastic about microlearning and is inclined to choose full-fledged online education.
- 11 components that promote engagement in the learning process: a methodology from the University of Arizona.