Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) Lab at Utah State University

Some of our students have difficulty remaining on task until the job is finished.  This can be a problem, but first make sure that it is not simply their learning style.

Some people will read one book at a time, while others prefer to switch among several they are reading at the same time.  They will read each book completely but the variety actually helps them continue their efforts.  There are students who will not simply go from A to B.  They will work on A to B of one task for a while, then on D to E on another task they have been working on for a while, then on B to C on a third task, and return to the initial task.  This may make no sense to highly linear people who need rapid closure to their activities, but it is very comfortable for these students.  Such students must learn strategies for moving among tasks while making the progress necessary to meet deadlines and commitments.

Some people are sprinters while others are marathoners.  The sprinters can go the distance, too,  But, they get there in a series of spurts rather than one sustained run.  The trick is not to turn everyone into a marathoner, but to help the sprinters develop strategies for completing tasks of longer duration.  The slow and steady tortoise won the race against the quicker rabbbit because the rabbit did not have good strategies.

 

Strategies for Sustaining Attention

• The Pomodoro Timer

• Environmental Organization

• White Noise

• Self-Monitoring of: Time ON-TASK

 

sm_ontask.doc

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group_contingency_on-task.doc

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cogbehon-task_behavior_intervention.doc

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