Education

How to Avoid Distracted Learning in College

Be aware of these pitfalls and tips to steer yourself into good learning.

Posted January 20, 2019

This weekend I spent several hours completing an online “driver safety” course. I spent the time because successful completion of the course meant a discount on my auto insurance.

When I started the course, I felt resentful. I thought, “I’ve been driving for a long time, so I really don’t need all this basic and common-sense information. Grrr.” What I found, however, was that the course DID present some new information! For example, the “3-second rule” has replaced the “leave-one-car-length-for-every-ten-miles-an-hour” rule about following other cars. In addition to many fewer hyphens, the new strategy is has the advantage of being more effective and research-based.

The course started to change my perception—as good courses often do: I started to appreciate that drivers (including me) need to be more active and intentional now than they used to be. The advances in technology over the last number of years means that people can drive a whole lot better than they used to—if they put their minds to it.

The course was quite engaging for an online course, but my mind started to wander—to think about my upcoming semester and my new crop of students—some of whom are quite eager to learn but do not (yet) have the skills they need. I started to think of students as drivers, and learning as driving. Then it clicked: STUDENTS need to be more active intentional now than they used to be! Technology helps people LEARN!

Now, I was really enjoying this driving course! Even those many of the tips they included were basic, they were entirely applicable to the learning processes. I continued substituting the word “learning” for the word “driving” and much of the course made perfect sense: Even for seasoned students, it might be useful to review some basic information about learning. Learners need to be more active and intentional now than they used to.

Here are some valuable lessons and tips about learning (and driving) from the course:

Learning is a complex process that involves a multitude of skills.
You can never be too old or too experienced to improve your learning skills. Remember that there are always people who learn better than you do and can teach you the newest ways to learn well.
Make sure the equipment you use to learn is in good working order. Have it inspected at regular intervals. For example, make sure your gauges are in working order so you know when learning becomes more hazardous for you or your equipment is not at its best.
Be aware of the conditions under which you are trying to learn. Some conditions mean you have to go slower.
Make sure you are physically and emotionally ready to learn. You need to recognize situations in which your learning may be compromised. Your learning abilities can vary day to day.
Do not learn while impaired. For example, learning is much more difficult under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
Do not learn while distracted. Distractions significantly impair your ability to learn.
For example, do not text and try to learn at the same time. Sometimes even trying to learn while people around you are talking might be distracting.
Be aware of the technology that has changed in recent years. It is designed to make learning safer and more effective, but the technology can itself be distracting, especially if you are new to it.
Plan your trip ahead of time. This gives you some flexibility to use alternative routes if learning conditions are not ideal.
If you are learning in a high-speed environment, make sure it’s safe to enter, and then come up to speed as quickly as possible.
Turning or stopping too quickly can send you into a skid, at which point you lose control of your learning. Know what your vehicle can handle and learn smoothly.
If you’re having difficulty learning, pull off the road in such a way as to not impede others’ learning.
If you experience an emergency situation, always ask for help.
When in unfamiliar areas, slow down a little and scan the whole environment.
Share the road with others. Do not provoke learning rage, or respond to the provocations of other learners. Do not cut other learners off.
Finally: Slow down in a school zone.

If you follow these guidelines, you may find that your learning experience is more pleasant, you’ll get where you want to go, and you’ll avoid learning-related injuries!

Happy learning!