The human attention span is now just 8.25 seconds! Let's say that again, just in case you drifted off halfway through the sentence: the average human attention span is now just 8.25 seconds.
Are you still with us?
If so - and you obviously are (for now at least) - here's another fun fact to consider: back in the year 2000 (can you remember that far?), the average human could focus on a single thought for an entire 12 seconds!
In short (and short is always better now), humans can't focus for as long as they used to.
Is it any surprise?
From the beep of a news alert to the ping of an incoming WhatsApp message, we're constantly (and often subconsciously) alert for the next new notification or update that demands our attention immediately.
So is it all social media's fault?
Social media must bear significant responsibility for our ever-decreasing attention spans. Its app designers and developers have already 'fessed up!
In 2018, Silicon Valley whistle-blowers revealed how much effort goes into grabbing, holding, and, yes, manipulating our attention.
"Behind every screen on your phone, a thousand engineers have worked on this thing to try to make it maximally addicting,"
said former Mozilla and Jawbone employee Aza Raskin.
"It's as if they're taking behavioural cocaine and sprinkling it all over your interface, and that's the thing that keeps you coming back and back and back."
The cocaine reference isn't an exaggeration. Numerous studies show that swiping, clicking, and scrolling release little hits of dopamine in the brain, the same feel-good chemical that cocaine and other drugs stimulate.
And the more we scroll, the more pieces of information we consume, and the better that sweet dopamine hit feels.
It's why we find ourselves checking our phones obsessively. It's why we can lose an hour of our limited lifespans watching dog videos on YouTube (although whether that's a 'waste of time' is still up for debate.) It's why we experience a wave of anxiety when we realise our phone is at home instead of in our pocket.
Social media and smartphone addiction are real, And, to various degrees, pretty much every single one of us is hooked. And this addiction is completely changing how we think and how long we can think.
Is the future of education short-form?
Teaching and learning are constantly evolving, and methods that were once scorned (like actually having fun when we learn) are now common sense.
So, bear that in mind while discussing how short-form video and TikTok could become a model for the bite-sized learning platforms and educational technology tools of the future.
Let's get a few things out of the way first. Some people (no, many people) would probably say that the words TikTok, higher education, and edtech should never appear in the same sentence - and they do have a point. So apologies for cramming them all into that last one.
TikTok lip-syncing videos are cringe. The most watched TikTok videos are not packed with what anyone could describe as 'cerebral' content. And finally, with a 60-second video limit, TikTok seems to embrace all of the worst IQ-sucking social media stereotypes.
But over 1 billion people use TikTok. It's the fastest-growing social media platform ever. People want and demand this short-form content.
It's why educators are exploring how they can leverage this shift to short form.
In a recent paper titled 'Short Video Platform and Education,' Tongxi Zhang, an edtech marketing researcher from the University College London, explained how short-video platforms like TikTok could facilitate a collaborative learning environment based on the exchange of ideas, as well as the compression of complex topics into easy-to-consume content that inspires students to pursue their own line of research. Zhang writes:
"Short videos can be integrated with creative instructional materials as well as features allowing users to ask questions, post comments, and provide feedback, thus, reshaping a new environment,"
In a separate study, Toni-Jan Keith Monserrat, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, found that short-form videos are the preferred format for internet users when trying to figure out how to do something. Moreover, these videos are an effective way to demonstrate practical skills and knowledge with real-world applications.
And guess what?
The research suggested that shorter videos lead to better learning outcomes.
Short-form educational videos in the classroom
Short-form videos are becoming one of the most valuable digital tools in today's classrooms. Over 99% of US teachers now include some type of short-form video content in their classroom learning.
And students love it. More than 90% of teachers say that the videos increase student satisfaction and engagement. More importantly, they're leading to better learning outcomes. 85% of teachers surveyed said student grades had improved since integrating videos into the curriculum.
So why is short-form video so effective in the classroom? The answer is obvious: because it's short. Students are far more likely to watch short-form educational content to the end, and, crucially, they're far more likely to pay attention.
In a recent study, 100% of participants watched a six-minute educational video to the end. That number fell to 60% when the video was nine minutes long. And just 20% of students had the patience to sit through a 12-minute video.
The potential benefits of short-form education
Short-form video content has several educational applications that could benefit students and teachers.
The format is ideal for highlighting the most meaningful and relevant information. That could save everyone a lot of hassle, and students might start to enjoy their homework assignments. Imagine that!
For example, teachers and educators could create short study videos that break down the curriculum into bite-sized, easily digestible chunks. And what sounds like a more appealing homework assignment? Watching a few YouTube-style videos on your smartphone or pouring through a 500-page textbook to find the relevant paragraphs? That one is a no-brainer.
Videos could deliver micro lessons on the fundamental principles of key learning areas, like mathematical formulas or basic grammar rules. Students could watch them as many times as they needed. They could even 'click on' for a quick refresh session while completing a homework assignment.
Then there's the potential for user-generated educational short-form content, i.e. asking students to create and share their own viral educational videos. Education is meant to be fun, engaging, and relevant. Class projects where students make their own content would be a perfect way to inspire and motivate the world's first smartphone generation who grew up on social media.
Teaching on TikTok
Claudine James, a middle-school English teacher in the US, started creating TikTok videos on the basic grammar rules. The videos focused on simple stuff, including where to put commas and when it's time for a full stop, like now. And the kids loved them. James' @iamthatenglishteacher TikTok account has over 900,000 followers from all over the world.
In the Philippines, teachers asked their students to produce TikTok videos highlighting COVID-19 safety measures. Grades were based on the accuracy of the content, creativity, and the most 'viral-sounding' hashtags. #whatacoolidea
More further education professionals recognise the potential of short-form TikTok-style learning content in the classroom.
"The mistake adults make is they say TikTok is terrible—they only see that negative side—but it's not a binary thing,"
says Shauna Pomerantz, an associate professor of child and youth studies at Brock University in Southern Ontario, Canada.
"TikTok can speak to younger people in a way that other kinds of lessons haven't spoken to them. I don't think all education needs to be in a TikTok, but there's a profound place for that kind of media."
According to educators like Pomerantz and James, TikTok-style content can be an adaptive learning tool benefiting students with learning styles that aren't conducive to the traditional classroom environment. James said:
"I had one student who said to me, 'When you explain something in class, and I don't understand it, I love the fact that I can go home and watch your TikTok on it as many times as I want to and nobody will know,'"
So what do you think now?
Have we convinced you? Does TikTok have a place in the classroom?
Why not? Because anything that helps young people learn is a good thing for everyone.
And, finally, thanks for making it this far. You've proved that you still know how to concentrate. The question is, how many times did you check your phone? Top marks if you forgot it even existed.
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