Learning while multitasking not a good idea

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How many programs are open at this moment on your desktop?

Exactly! We all multitask, often out of necessity, sometime under pressure, regularly, if we are bored (better multitasking than having one more cigarette or bar of Mars), occasionally, because it might be fun.

It is, of course, a bad idea that may grow into a bad habit, especially if you're trying to learn something new or difficult. Concentration rhymes with attention. It is, by definition, single-minded.

All this is rather trivial, but if anyone needs scientific evidence to support what common sense already knows too well, you may wish to check this recent summary. Here are some pearls:
  • "The best thing you can do to improve your memory is to pay attention to the things you want to remember".
  • "Our results suggest that learning facts and concepts will be worse if you learn them while you're distracted".
  • "Our study indicates that multi-tasking changes the way people learn".
  • "Concentrate while you're studying".
Sounds all very reasonable.

The next question is whether multitasking increases efficiency. I'm afraid there is further bad news. But at least this time the findings are interesting, because just a bit less obvious. The scientific evidence is here. But in this case too, it is old news really.

To conclude: multitask if you have but singletask when you can.

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