Measurement and evidence of computer-based task switching and multitasking by ‘Net Generation’ students

Logs of on-campus computer and Internet usage were used to conduct a study of computer-based task switching and multitasking by undergraduate medical students. A detailed analysis of over 6000 individual sessions revealed that while a majority of students engaged in both task switching and multitasking behaviours, they did so less frequently than ‘Net Generation’ rhetoric implies. The incidence and intensity of task switching and multitasking among students ranged from low to very high but infrequent and low-level multitaskers easily outnumbered inveterate multitaskers. Male and international students were significantly more likely to task switch and multitask than their female and local counterparts. Students who entered University directly from secondary school were significantly more likely to multitask than graduate students, as were first year compared to second year students, suggesting that post-secondary experiences may temper students’ propensity or inclination to multitask.