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12 Queensland U. Tech. L. & Just. J. 45 (2012)
Managing Distraction and Attention in Diverse Cohorts: 21st Century Challenges to Law Student Engagement

handle is hein.journals/qutlj12 and id is 47 raw text is: MANAGING DISTRACTION AND ATTENTION IN DIVERSE COHORTS: 21ST CENTURY CHALLENGES TO LAW STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ANNE MATTHEW* It is imperative that we consider the use of current and emerging technologies in terms of the nature of our learners, the physical environment ofthe lecture theatre, and how technology may help to support appropriate pedagogies that facilitate the capturing of student attention in active engaging learning experiences. It is argued that a re-evaluation of pedagogy is required to address the tech-savy traits of the 21st century law student and the extent to which their mobile devices are capable of not only distracting them from learning but also enhancing face-to-face learning experiences. I INTRODUCTION 21St century students of law who choose to attend face-to-face lectures typically come armed with an array of digital, internet enabled devices. These devices are a double-edged sword in that they may simultaneously distract students from their learning while having the potential to enhance the face-to-face learning experience. This article considers the notion of managing distraction as a barrier to law student engagement and explores how teaching 21 st century law students requires a fundamental re-evaluation of pedagogy in order to assess the extent to which technology in teaching can redirect distractive energy into greater student engagement in active learning experiences. The purpose of this article is not to discredit traditional lectures. Given the extent of institutional commitment to the infrastructure of lecture theatres, and the economies of scale they present in offering face-to-face learning to large cohorts, lectures appear to be a fixture in higher education. Rather this article focuses on possibilities for transforming the lecture through opportunities for student engagement. The first part (Part II) of this article considers the extent to which some technology embraced in teaching and learning to date has reinforced passive learning opportunities and, while supportive of more flexible attendance modes, has contributed to declining attendance in face-to-face lectures. The misfortune here is that technology offers greater possibilities than mere content delivery. The opportunity presents itself to exploit those features of technologies, such as social *LLB (Qid), LLM (QUT), Associate Lecturer, QUT Faculty of Law. The author gratefully acknowledges Mr Richard Evans, Learning Designer, e-Learning Services, Queensland University of Technology for his helpful comments in the preparation of this article.

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