This post contributed by IUB instructors Kirsten Prange and Tehanee Ratwatte, Lecturers in Kelley School of Business
What is the attention economy?
In a world of constant notifications, multitasking, and digital distractions, attention has become one of the most precious—and elusive—resources in our classrooms. As educators, we often ask students to “pay attention,” while we at the same time struggle with our own attention mastery.
The concept of the Attention Economy shines a light on the many demands for our attention. With the overabundance of easily accessible information at our disposal, our attention has now become a scarce and valuable commodity. Add in the age of social media with instant sharing capabilities, and we struggle to determine where to direct our precious commodity of attention.
The Stronghold of Social Media
Social media has several unique strongholds over traditional methods of information sharing. In an attempt to capture as much consumer attention as possible, these methods often leave users with decision fatigue.
- 24/7 access – some studies indicate we spend 2 hours and 23 minutes on average a day scrolling on social media
- Social control – inspiring a generation reeling from FOMO (fear of missing out)
- Personalized, targeted algorithms that influence behavior
Another consequence of the attention economy coupled with social media is that we end up in a cycle of scrolling, often called doom scrolling. This act of compulsively scrolling through negative or upsetting news online, often leads to increased anxiety and sadness. These emotional stressors can impact a student’s ability to focus and retain information in the classroom.
Strategies To Reclaim Attention
With the gamification of education in K-12 classes, students arrive at college classes expecting an environment that gives them the immediate dopamine fix that gamified learning provides. Faculty are grappling with how best to steer students’ attention to course content and ensure learning outcomes are met all while students are distracted by their electronic devices, social media, games, and other digital media.
How do we re-focus our attention? Instead of fighting against the dopamine loop, educators can strategically incorporate similar principles in a healthy way.
Attention Refocus Strategies
- Interleaving and Spaced Repetition: Instead of long, uninterrupted lectures, educators can break up content delivery with short, focused activities. This provides a mental reset and allows students to engage with the material in different ways.
- Micro-Quizzing: Use quick, low-stakes questions or polls at regular intervals to prompt active recall and provide small, immediate rewards (the satisfaction of getting an answer right).
Minimize Extraneous Cognitive Load
Designing for Cognitive load theory posits that our working memory has a limited capacity. When students have fragmented thinking, like checking digital devices and then trying to re-focus their attention on schoolwork, they are exceeding this capacity. This often can lead to poor learning outcomes.
When students are constantly interrupting their stream of attention and then trying to refocus, they are exceeding this capacity, leading to poor learning outcomes. This concept directly connects to the problem of divided attention.
- The Flipped Classroom Model: This model moves content delivery (e.g., lectures) to outside the classroom, where students can engage with it at their own pace. Classroom time is then used for active, collaborative problem-solving, which naturally captures and holds attention through engagement.
- Use of Multimedia Principles: Instead of overwhelming students with a text-heavy slide while you speak, use visuals that complement the information. This dual coding (visual and auditory) reduces cognitive load and improves retention.
Change the Classroom Mindset: Build a Community of Practice
Instead of viewing technology as the enemy, faculty can reframe the classroom as a community of practice where attention is a shared responsibility, and students develop a sense of accountability to their peers.
- Norm-Setting: Begin the semester by collaboratively establishing “classroom norms” around technology use. Instead of a top-down “no phones” rule, ask students why they think paying attention in class is important and what distractions they face. This co-creation of rules increases buy-in and sustainability.
- Active Learning and Deliberate Practice: Implement strategies that require continuous, active engagement, such as think-pair-share, case studies, or problem-based learning. When students are actively doing something, there is no space for their attention to wander to their phones.
Would you like to learn more strategies to reclaim attention in your classroom?
Join us for an engaging and reflective workshop (Wednesday 9/24 at 10am in Wells Library E243) designed to help faculty cultivate attention—for themselves and their students. This session will explore:
- Our own struggles with attention: Through guided reflection, we’ll consider how attention shows up (or doesn’t) in our teaching lives.
- Practical strategies: Learn what has worked—and what hasn’t—for fellow educators. We’ll share real-world tips for fostering focus, presence, and engagement.
- Actionable planning: You’ll leave with a personalized plan to implement attention-cultivating strategies in your own classroom, tailored to your teaching style and student needs.
Whether you’re teaching large lectures or intimate seminars, this workshop offers tools to help you, and your students reconnect with the power of focused learning.
Let’s reimagine attention not as a demand, but as a practice—one that begins with us.
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