Schooling may build human capital not only by teaching academic skills, but by expanding the capacity for cognition itself” claims the study published June, 2022. The researchers recognized the need to combat cognitive fatigue in students as a means of future success. The test had two treatments – each with an increased amount of time in sustained cognitive activity. Some students were given academic work (math problems, for example) and others were instead given time to play non-academic games.
The results? Across the board, students that engaged in either of the intellectual activities demonstrated a:
“22% less decline in performance listening comprehension, academic problems, or IQ tests. They also exhibit increased attentiveness in the classroom and score higher on psychological measures of sustained attention. Moreover, each treatment improves students’ school performance by 0.09 standard deviations. This indicates that the experience of effortful thinking itself—even when devoid of any subject content—increases the ability to accumulate traditional human capital” (Brown, et al., p.1)
You read that right.
Effortful thinking – even when it is not directly related to academics – improves long-term cognitive performance.
One interpretation of this is that we might want to interrogate the rigor of lessons and learning experiences in our classes. Are we maximally challenging students? Not only at the content level, but at the threshold where cognition grows? This study echoes the proposals from Leo Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development. There are some things a student is capable of (boring), some things that a student cannot apprehend without help, and (according to Vygotsky), some things that are outside the ability of a student. Note that recent research into growth mindset and neuroplasticity has informed a more modern third realm – things outside the ability of a student… for now.
By the way – this is one of the main mechanisms in game design. James Paul Gee coined the term “the Regime of Competence”:
“Learning works best when new challenges are pleasantly frustrating in the sense of being felt by learners to be at the outer edge of, but within, their ‘regime of competence’. That is, these challenges feel hard, but ‘doable’. Furthermore, learners feel – and get evidence – that their effort is paying off in the sense that they can see, even when they fail, how and if they are making progress” (Gee, p.10).
If you’ve ever played a video game (then you’re in good company – there are roughly three billion video game players according to Microsoft’s Gaming Chief, Phil Spencer) you have probably experienced a moment where you can’t quite figure out the puzzle/beat the boss/finish the task, but you are confident that it’s in your ability. After a little persistence you manage to conquer that goal (and in the process acquire a bit more skill).
Using games as an analogy makes it a bit easier to see how persistence pays off. They are pleasantly frustrating. They are cognitively engaging. The player is right on the edge of their ability.
Translating that to the design of educational experiences isn’t straightforward, but it is worth thinking about as you design your next learning opportunity for your students. Ask yourself if the lesson you are providing for them is too hard. Chances are, it is not.
Image of Shackleton’s Endurance from Library of Congress
