And the answer is: it all depends! As usual with human behaviour, it depends on the context.
Ophir, E., Nass, C., and Wagner, A. (2009) Cognitive control in media multitaskers Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 106, No. 37
I don’t want to oversimplify the results from this careful study, so I recommend you read the article yourself. For me, it raises more questions than it answers, but it is a useful addition to our knowledge of information processing in information-rich environments. You need to make some large assumptions though before you can make the jump to teaching implications.
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
