Bringing Attention Restoration Theory to the Classroom: A Nature Videos Tablet App Designed to Replenish Effortful Cognition

Publication date: Available online 26 July 2018Source: Trends in Neuroscience and EducationAuthor(s): Moreno, Baker, Vareya, Hinze-PiferAbstractMuch of the research on the use of technology with young children in classrooms concerns whether programs or apps can be sufficiently interactive so as to produce learning outcomes similar to those achieved through teacher instruction and other contingently responsive interactions. The present report describes an effort to do precisely the opposite. That is, we created a technology experience intended to involve as little interaction and effort as possible, and which has no instructional purpose within the app itself. Using the principles of attention restoration theory (Kaplan, 1995), we developed the Calm Spot app, which displays one, randomly selected two-minute nature video per usage, for the purpose of replenishing children's focused engagement in the subsequent live educational activities in their classroom. The present report has three aims: 1) To describe the theoretical model and technical features of the Calm Spot intervention, which includes a tablet app, physical space in the classroom, and teacher professional development program; 2) To present usage patterns and feasibility results from the first Calm Spot implementation within 115 kindergarten through second grade classrooms and approximately 2,300 students in a high-poverty urban center within the U.S.; and 3) To explore, on a subsample of children (n = 414), wheth...
Source: Trends in Neuroscience and Education - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research