The Effect of Multitasking and Grade Performance of Undergraduate Nursing Students

The use of technology in social and educational settings has expanded over the last decade. Millennial students are more likely to multitask, using a variety of devices, in social and classroom activities. The aim of this study was to determine if in-class multitasking, specifically texting, had an impact on test scores of beginning nursing students. In this experimental study, ninety-one students enrolled in a first level nursing course were randomly assigned to texting and non-texting groups during a class lecture. The students listened to a twenty minute lecture on the concept of infection and a sexually transmitted disease. The texting group was asked to send three text messages to the instructor during the lecture. All students completed a ten question quiz that pertained to the lecture content and two questions on demographics following the lecture. Most students who participated in the study were females and had a grade point average of between 3.0 and 3.5. The results identified significant differences between the groups, with lower scores in the texting group. One may conclude that multitasking during class affects outcomes in terms of grading.