Parkin

Boredom occurs when people become aware of time passing.

Research studies are often quoted as saying that the average adult can "listen with understanding" for approximately 90 minutes, and "listen with retention" for approximately 20 minutes. The lower the education level, the shorter the "listen with retention" period is. But, of course, listening is not the same as reading or watching or participating.

While the studies quoted (or their interpretations) are frequently corporate myth, they contain a lot of common sense.

Bob Pike suggests the 90/20/8 rule: "No module we teach ever runs more than 90 minutes, the pace is changed at least every 20 minutes, and we try to find a way to involve people in the content every eight minutes." But how much of that concept is based on research and how much on experience is debatable. And the rule was created for classroom learners in the 1990’s, not online learners in 2005.

It’s generally accepted that online learners have a shorter attention span than those held captive in a classroom, and that you need to turn up the pace to keep them engaged. But that attention span really depends on the topic being taught, the learning model being used, and the learning style and motivation of the individual. People’s eyes start glazing over after more than 90 minutes of a webinar, largely because they’re not actively engaged. But they might be able to wrangle with a simulation for days without noticing the time go by.

I have known many learners to run through eight to 12 hours of online work, pausing only for bathroom breaks and food, and achieving really good results. Others need to go off and do something completely different after an hour or so. Those engaged in small-group syndicate work online tend to be less aware of time than those working on linear page-turner learning.

I don’t believe you can learn much of value in less than an hour—knowledge perhaps, but not skill. I have always designed e-learning so that it is micro-modular, allowing a learner to dip in for a few minutes or stick with it for a few hours, but structured so that what feel like natural breaks occur every 20 minutes or so.

As a rule of thumb, I try not to put more than 130 words or 60 seconds of audio on any single screen, and have no more than a dozen screens before a change in mode requires more active mental engagement. That keeps things moving while still allowing the inclusion of meaningful chunks of information.

There’s quite a lot of research into cognitive theory and attention spans, but most of it is rather dense. There’s a good list of potentially useful references at www.csuohio.edu/uctl/biblio.htm.

Voci

I suggest that instead of focusing on the length of time, you make the central issue the learner's motivation. How immediate is his need for the knowledge and skills he will acquire from learning? What circumstances, internal and external, are affecting his desire to learn? What will result from his learning?

Let me offer a scenario to show what I mean:

Two learners are each taking the same series of courses on skydiving. Learner A is studying the topic because he thinks he might like to pursue it as a hobby someday. His best friend Harry is a skydiver and talks about the pursuit with enthusiasm.

Recently, Learner A has gone to see Harry jump a few times and it looks like something he might enjoy doing as a shared pasttime with his friend. He is in no particular hurry to learn the subject, and it competes for his attention with many other priorities, such as his job, wife, and children.

Learner B is studying skydiving because he's in the military and is required to learn how to jump before being transferred overseas in six weeks. He’s focused on learning how to survive a jump and has some additional anxiety because he doesn't want to appear wimpy in front of his colleagues, some of whom are experienced divers who live for the adrenaline rush.

Time is of the essence because Learner B has to pass the written test before moving to the next level: making actual jumps. He finds little to distract his attention right now because he's away from his wife and family, and the military has made skydiving his number 1 priority before he leaves the United States.

I suggest that Learner A might find two hours of instruction too lengthy, while Learner B might study and work actively for eight hours a day and never complain. Their responses differ because of the difference in their motivation.

Studies have shown that eye strain can result after several uninterrupted hours at a computer screen, and that each person's body has a 90-minute biorhythm cycle that requires a break in order to maintain focus and concentration. Most e-learning companies provide modules with durations of 90 to 120 minutes for those reasons.