DIGITAL WELL-BEING
Module 3: Multitasking
This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS MODULE
In this module, you will learn about the cognitive fundamentals of multitasking, as well as its causes and consequences. You will finish by learning about the best practices for improving efficiency on a daily basis.
COGNITIVE RESOURCES
As mentioned in Module 1, working memory can only store and process a limited amount of information at any one time. This limit is due to the fact that the brain has a reservoir of resources, known as cognitive resources, which are allocated to the mental activities or tasks in hand. But this reservoir contains a finite amount of resources. If they are all consumed, and there is not enough left for a given task, then that task will be performed less well.
Click on the image to find out more
DOUBLE-TASKING
The brain has difficulty completing several tasks at the same time. Here's an exercise to help you understand this limit. You have 30 seconds to read and understand the following text, but at the same time you must count the number of “e's” you see.
00:30
The scientific literature on interruptions seems to agree on one point: in the majority of cases, being interrupted or interrupting the task in hand leads to a loss of efficiency. This means that the interrupted task takes longer to complete, contains more errors and is not always resumed once the interruption is over. Interrupting a task involves stopping it for a certain amount of time to do something else, during which time we retain a memory trace of the goals and information from the interrupted task. Effective resumption of this task therefore depends on the quality of this "memory trace", which deteriorates over time. That's why it sometimes takes time to restart an interrupted task, because you have to remember what you were doing and what you had planned to do.
DOUBLE-TASKING
So, how did you find the exercise? Perhaps sometimes you concentrated on the text, and sometimes on counting?
We're going to add a new difficulty. The instructions remain the same, but this time you have to count separately the number of "e’s” and "s’s” you see.
00:30
It would also seem that suffering numerous interruptions on a daily basis and multitasking with several communication tools reduces our commitment to work. Our commitment is linked to our ability to regulate our behaviour, which is affected when we are interrupted by others. So the more we are interrupted, the less we feel we can control our own actions, and the less engaged we are in our activity, or our work in general.
Interruptions are therefore generally a hindrance to efficiency, and everyone tries to keep them to a minimum. But are they always counter-productive, or can they also help us in our day-to-day lives?
DOUBLE-TASKING
The second version of the exercise is supposed to be even more difficult, because you've forced your brain to divide its resources between several mental activities.
In fact, you haven't really done the tasks in parallel, your brain has just focused on each of the tasks alternately and quickly, so this exercise is really very hard on the brain!
You're double-tasking all the time, without even realising it. The effects are not always harmful if the tasks are simple or highly automated: these tasks require few cognitive resources, so the impact of a competing task is low. But if one of the tasks requires too much attention at any one time, then performance drops.
MULTITASKING
On a day-to-day basis, there are sometimes several concurrent tasks that have been started but not yet completed.
For example, you're working on a document but you receive an email, which you start to process. To respond, you need information, so you call a colleague who should have the information. Your colleague gives you the information, but makes another request, which you do once the call has ended. So you've got 3 tasks in progress!
MULTITASKING
Multitasking has many negative consequences. But that's not all!
Move your mouse over the buttons to find out more
THE NEUROMYTH OF MULTITASKING
CAUSES OF MULTITASKING
Multitasking is encouraged by various behaviours:
External interruptions
internalinterruptions
Boredom
Move your mouse over the images to find out more
MULTITASKING IN MEETINGS
Meetings are a great time for multitasking, because there's always some downtime to deal with a few emails or quick tasks. However, this behaviour is not really recommended as it reduces your participation in the meeting and you will also handle competing tasks less well.
Videoconferencing is particularly well-suited to this way of working because:
- The other participants cannot directly see what you are doing.
- You're in front of your computer with easy-access messaging.
- You can easily be invited to videoconferences even if your participation is not really necessary.
BEST PRACTICES TO AVOID multitasking
Multitasking has many harmful consequences that need to be taken into account. Although there are benefits to this way of working, it should be reserved for very specific times. Here are some good practices for reducing multitasking so that you can remain efficient on a daily basis.
Close unnecessary windows
Delete non-urgent notifications
Close your messaging apps when you start a meeting
Finish one task before starting another
Block off concentration periods in your diary
Move your mouse over the buttons to find out more
BEST PRACTICES TO AVOID multitasking
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.
DIGITALWELL-BEING
Module 3: Multitasking
WELL DONE!YOU'VE COMPLETED THIS MODULE!
This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.
The reservoir of resources
In practice, it is difficult to measure the amount of resources available to each person, and the amount of time spent on a given task. It also seems that, from one individual to another, a specific task does not use the same amount of resources. Scientific research tells us, however, that doing several activities at the same time will actually reduce the number of resources allocated to each of the tasks in hand, leading to a number of damaging consequences.
ANGLAIS - Elearning - Bien-être numérique - Module 3
IMS team
Created on September 30, 2024
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Transcript
DIGITAL WELL-BEING
Module 3: Multitasking
This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS MODULE
In this module, you will learn about the cognitive fundamentals of multitasking, as well as its causes and consequences. You will finish by learning about the best practices for improving efficiency on a daily basis.
COGNITIVE RESOURCES
As mentioned in Module 1, working memory can only store and process a limited amount of information at any one time. This limit is due to the fact that the brain has a reservoir of resources, known as cognitive resources, which are allocated to the mental activities or tasks in hand. But this reservoir contains a finite amount of resources. If they are all consumed, and there is not enough left for a given task, then that task will be performed less well.
Click on the image to find out more
DOUBLE-TASKING
The brain has difficulty completing several tasks at the same time. Here's an exercise to help you understand this limit. You have 30 seconds to read and understand the following text, but at the same time you must count the number of “e's” you see.
00:30
The scientific literature on interruptions seems to agree on one point: in the majority of cases, being interrupted or interrupting the task in hand leads to a loss of efficiency. This means that the interrupted task takes longer to complete, contains more errors and is not always resumed once the interruption is over. Interrupting a task involves stopping it for a certain amount of time to do something else, during which time we retain a memory trace of the goals and information from the interrupted task. Effective resumption of this task therefore depends on the quality of this "memory trace", which deteriorates over time. That's why it sometimes takes time to restart an interrupted task, because you have to remember what you were doing and what you had planned to do.
DOUBLE-TASKING
So, how did you find the exercise? Perhaps sometimes you concentrated on the text, and sometimes on counting? We're going to add a new difficulty. The instructions remain the same, but this time you have to count separately the number of "e’s” and "s’s” you see.
00:30
It would also seem that suffering numerous interruptions on a daily basis and multitasking with several communication tools reduces our commitment to work. Our commitment is linked to our ability to regulate our behaviour, which is affected when we are interrupted by others. So the more we are interrupted, the less we feel we can control our own actions, and the less engaged we are in our activity, or our work in general. Interruptions are therefore generally a hindrance to efficiency, and everyone tries to keep them to a minimum. But are they always counter-productive, or can they also help us in our day-to-day lives?
DOUBLE-TASKING
The second version of the exercise is supposed to be even more difficult, because you've forced your brain to divide its resources between several mental activities. In fact, you haven't really done the tasks in parallel, your brain has just focused on each of the tasks alternately and quickly, so this exercise is really very hard on the brain! You're double-tasking all the time, without even realising it. The effects are not always harmful if the tasks are simple or highly automated: these tasks require few cognitive resources, so the impact of a competing task is low. But if one of the tasks requires too much attention at any one time, then performance drops.
MULTITASKING
On a day-to-day basis, there are sometimes several concurrent tasks that have been started but not yet completed. For example, you're working on a document but you receive an email, which you start to process. To respond, you need information, so you call a colleague who should have the information. Your colleague gives you the information, but makes another request, which you do once the call has ended. So you've got 3 tasks in progress!
MULTITASKING
Multitasking has many negative consequences. But that's not all!
Move your mouse over the buttons to find out more
THE NEUROMYTH OF MULTITASKING
CAUSES OF MULTITASKING
Multitasking is encouraged by various behaviours:
External interruptions
internalinterruptions
Boredom
Move your mouse over the images to find out more
MULTITASKING IN MEETINGS
Meetings are a great time for multitasking, because there's always some downtime to deal with a few emails or quick tasks. However, this behaviour is not really recommended as it reduces your participation in the meeting and you will also handle competing tasks less well.
Videoconferencing is particularly well-suited to this way of working because:
BEST PRACTICES TO AVOID multitasking
Multitasking has many harmful consequences that need to be taken into account. Although there are benefits to this way of working, it should be reserved for very specific times. Here are some good practices for reducing multitasking so that you can remain efficient on a daily basis.
Close unnecessary windows
Delete non-urgent notifications
Close your messaging apps when you start a meeting
Finish one task before starting another
Block off concentration periods in your diary
Move your mouse over the buttons to find out more
BEST PRACTICES TO AVOID multitasking
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.
DIGITALWELL-BEING
Module 3: Multitasking
WELL DONE!YOU'VE COMPLETED THIS MODULE!
This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.
The reservoir of resources
In practice, it is difficult to measure the amount of resources available to each person, and the amount of time spent on a given task. It also seems that, from one individual to another, a specific task does not use the same amount of resources. Scientific research tells us, however, that doing several activities at the same time will actually reduce the number of resources allocated to each of the tasks in hand, leading to a number of damaging consequences.