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Homework and TV - A No NoStudy shows that kids can't multi-task while doing homeworkIt's homework time and the TV is going in one room and music pounding in another. Are the kids able to do homework under these conditions? No.
A Washington Post Staff Writer, Jeffrey Ghassemi, writes that a new study is quite impressive proving that kids can't possibly do their homework effectively with MSN on the computer screen and an iPod in their ear. While multi-tasking may be a great asset in the workplace, it is not a good thing while doing homework. An impressive study done by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles shows that multi-tasking with homework and media may actually make them learn less and to use wrong parts of the brain. How Many Multi-Task?A Kaiser study completed in 2005, shows that 60% of middle school and high school students are involved in other things while studying. What are they doing?
And, how often do they do the above? Most of the time, unfortunately. David E. Meyer, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan states, "When learning with distractions, students' brains are trying to wing it by using a region that is not the best suited for long-term memory and understanding." Meyer's own research on this topic shows that it takes students longer to learn while multi-tasking and they make more mistakes. Students may insist that listening to music or watching television helps them learn but it does not. What it does do is increase pleasure so they "think" it helps them learn. It makes it less painful or less boring. But, it does not help them actually learn. What About Background Music?The jury is still out on the effect of background music. Some studies show that soft, background music (Baroque, Mozart, etc.) may actually enhance learning and test-taking in right-brain learners. However, Mozart is not the most popular music that students have downloaded on their iPods. How we learn is still a misunderstood topic. Left-brained and right-brained individuals are different. Males and females differ in how they learn. Perhaps, one day we will be able to place our head in a scanner and be told just how we learn. Related articles: Teenage Brain Not Developed Read previous articles on Educational Issues. Copyright article 2006 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
The copyright of the article Homework and TV - A No No in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish Homework and TV - A No No in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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