students are continuously meeting deadlines, whether that be finishing homework, coursework or revision in time. but do deadlines actually help students stay on track and motivated, or does it result in them rushing everything at the last minute?
One essential element to consider in all of this is our working memory. due to its limited capacity, deadlines can help us remember to complete the task Camiseta ACF Fiorentina before we forget about it. However, there are drawbacks to this, as it can lead us to prioritise the wrong things.
Let’s take a look at what our working memory is and why we ought to keep this in mind when setting deadlines…
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What is working memory?
Working memory is where information is stored and processed in the short term. It is very limited and can only store around 7 things at a time (though some researchers puts this number even lower, at about 3-4 items). too much new information presented at one time can cause a cognitive overload, making it challenging for students to concentrate and complete the task at hand, as well as learn the information they’re working on for the long term.
The benefits of having deadlines
To find out whether a deadline helped people stay on task, researchers sent out vouchers for the dentist to participants with a short, long or no use-by date. They then recorded how numerous people used the vouchers and found that:
Participants who were given a deadline were much more likely to use it compared to those with no deadline.
Those with shorter deadlines showed the greatest response.
Therefore, this suggests that deadlines not only have a positive influence on performance, but shorter deadlines are much more helpful than longer deadlines. This links with other research that found that deadlines can help students conquer the planning Fallacy (and as such, manage their workload Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Suiza better).
But why else may deadlines help? Well, due to our limited working memory, deadlines can help us focus on the task before we forget it. This is also the reason why shorter deadlines are much more effective. It is also helpful in offering implicit incentives, encouraging students to plan and structure their timing much more effectively.
The drawbacks to setting deadlines
The main drawback of deadlines is caused by the “Mere urgency Effect”.
To discuss this effect, it is essential to highlight the difference between essential and urgent tasks. essential tasks matter in relation to the goal we want to achieve, whereas urgent tasks have a time limit. based on this, tasks can be divided into four main parts:
Important and urgent
Important but not urgent
Not urgent but important
Not urgent and not important
Usually, people will give their priority to the essential and urgent tasks and leave the not urgent and not essential tasks to the end. but if they have to choose between an urgent and an essential task, Camiseta Bologna FC 1909 which do they prioritise?
In one study, researchers found that people tend to prioritise urgent but not essential tasks over those that are essential but not urgent. Therefore, any task that requires a deadline will affect how students organise their time, as they will give priority to this.
But why is this? Well, our limited working memory is to blame again. Our attention is typically pulled towards deadlines, for that reason giving much more priority to this task.
Final thoughts
So, ought to we be setting deadlines or not?
Well, according to the research, deadlines help students pay attention and increase the possibility that they will complete a task. This is even much more effective with short deadlines.
However, it is worth considering setting these deadlines for the essential tasks. If the task is not essential but has a deadline, students might shift their focus on this task when they ought to be completing a much more essential but non-urgent task.
So, like numerous things in education, it depends. keep the bigger picture in mind, make a clear distinction between what is urgent and what is important, and know what you expect from a task you set your students, and this ought to help you choose when and how to set deadlines.