1 Short-Form Media and Attention: Strategies Health Teachers Use to Rebuild and Maintain Students’ Attention by Kaytlynn Bruels A proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION with an emphasis in CURRICULUM DESIGN AND INSTRUCTION WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, Utah January 19th, 2026 Approved Katarina Anderson, Ph.D. Penée W. Stewart, Ph.D. Saori Hanaki (Feb 23, 2026 10:57:54 MST) Saori Hanaki, Ph.D., A.T.C. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 2 Abstract To better address the concerns of decreasing attention spans, we must look at how we, as educators, can combat the effects of short-form media (SFM). Identifying potential solutions for inside of the classroom will ultimately be vital to rebuilding and managing students’ attention spans. This thesis is based on interviews and discussions with health educators teaching in the classroom. Six health teachers from Utah were interviewed to share how they manage and rebuild students’ attention spans before and during a lesson, as well as what role SFM has in that process. The findings show that building relationships with students, creating a positive classroom environment and implementing SFM into lessons are techniques used to manage and rebuild students’ attention spans. This paper describes how SFM helps educators maintain and rebuild students’ attention spans in the classroom. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 3 Acknowledgements I would first like to acknowledge my own perseverance and dedication throughout this process. Completing this thesis required countless hours of sustained effort, reflection, and growth. There were moments of uncertainty when the end felt distant and my confidence wavered, yet this journey has strengthened my resolve and deepened my commitment to becoming the most effective and compassionate educator that I can be. My second thank you goes to Dr. Katarina Anderson. Dr. Anderson has been there by my side since the beginning and has always been my biggest cheerleader and advocate. Her mentorship, encouragement, and steadfast belief in my potential have profoundly shaped both my academic growth and professional development. Dr. Anderson consistently challenged me to think critically, strive for excellence, and grow not only as a student and educator, but also as an individual. I am sincerely grateful for her advocacy and investment in my success. I would also like to thank Dr. Penée W. Stewart and Dr. Saori Hanaki for serving on my committee and for their thoughtful feedback and insightful suggestions. Their expertise and guidance strengthened this work in meaningful ways, and I am truly appreciative of their time and support. My final thank you is to my wonderful fiancé, Landon. Throughout this journey he has been my peace, encouragement, and joy. Landon, along with my dogs, kept me company, provided a listening ear to my rambling and always kept my snack drawer full. His never wavering belief in me means the world to me. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 4 Table of Contents Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 Table of Tables 6 Table of Figures 7 Introductions 8 Literature Review 9 Short-Form Media 9 Attention 10 Research on Attention in School Environments 11 Secondary Education Research on SFM Usage 14 Methods 14 Research Design 14 Setting 15 Sample and Inclusion Criteria 16 Recruitment 17 Data Sources 18 Data Analysis 18 Results 20 Research Question One 21 Research Question Two 26 Summary of Findings and Discussion 28 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 5 RQ1: Building Attention When Preparing for Teaching 28 RQ2: Managing Attention When Delivering a Lesson 32 Implications for Secondary Health Teachers 34 Limitations 36 References 38 Appendix A: Recruitment Email 50 Appendix B: Demographic Survey 52 Appendix C: Interview Questions 53 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 6 Table of Tables Table 1: Participant Demographic Information 16 Table 2: Codebook for RQ1 20 Table 3: Codebook for RQ2 20 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 7 Table of Figures Figure 1: Frequency Counts for RQ1 19 Figure 2: Frequency Counts for RQ2 19 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 8 Introduction Short-form media (SFM) and social media have taken over a large portion of our society and how our classrooms work due to their increasing consumption (Zhang et al., 2019). Increased media consumption has in turn led to an increase in undesired and disruptive behaviors and has created a challenge for teachers (Amaechi-Udogu & Ovensehi, 2020). A significant number of students have been experiencing a diminished ability to maintain attention inside of the classroom as a direct result of the rising engagement of short-form videos (Asif & Kazi, 2024; Phan, 2023; Subramanian, 2018). Students inside of classrooms are struggling to stay engaged or focused in their classes and tend to stop listening or attending after 10-20 minutes of lecture time (Asif & Kazi, 2024; Bradbury, 2016; Graff & Leiffer, 2015; Gore, 2010; Subramanian, 2018). This decrease in attention spans is not only affecting students’ learning, but it is also negatively affecting classroom management by the continual disruptions that are caused by a broken attention span (Thompson, 2024). Teachers are now more than ever needing to stop lessons to regain their student’s attention and stop undesired and disruptive behaviors. The decrease in attention as a result of overconsumption of SFM is important because students are not able to retain information, utilize their time effectively, or concentrate both inside and outside of the classroom. The following consequences of overconsumption have resulted in the diminishing of students’ mental health (Asif & Kazi, 2024; Cardoso-Leite et al., 2021; Carstens et al., 2018; Subramanian, 2018; Thompson, 2024). Students’ attention seems to be negatively affected due to the overload of quick impressions accustoming the students to fast stimulation (Phan, 2023). The inability to focus or concentrate for sustained periods of time makes it incredibly difficult for students to engage deeply with academic content (Bunce et al., 2010; Ramos & Melo, 2019; Tarng et al., 2022). Whether it is following along in a lecture, SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 9 reading complex textbooks, or working through challenging problem sets, the constant mental switching and fragmentation erode their capacity for deep, meaningful learning (Oaten, 2024; D’Aurizio, 2024 Fillmore, n.d.). This not only negatively impacts their grades, but their actual understanding and proficiency in the given subject matter, as well (Oaten, 2024). The problem that exists with decreasing attention spans and its varied effects has little to no known solutions. To better address the concerns of decreasing attention spans, we must look at how we, as educators, can combat the effects of SFM. Identifying potential solutions for inside of the classroom will ultimately be vital to rebuilding and managing students’ attention spans. Interviewing and discussing with educators who are inside of the classroom is where we will find our potential solutions and new ideas for how to manage and rebuild students’ attention spans. To that end, I will answer the following research questions: RQ1: What solutions do teachers find to be effective for rebuilding students’ attention when they prepare for teaching a lesson in a secondary health class in schools? RQ2: What solutions do teachers find to be effective for managing students’ attention when they deliver a lesson in class in a secondary health class in schools? Literature Review Short-Form Media Short-form media (SFM) consists of short videos that provide entertainment and information to its viewers and can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, allowing for increased consumption (Sang-Seol et al., 2024; Yan et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2019). TikTok, Instagram reels, Facebook, X (previously known as Twitter), YouTube and YouTube Shorts are all examples of SFM where the users can view, create videos of their own and share videos with others (Sang-Seol et al., 2024; Vera et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2019; Yan et al., 2024; Zhang et SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 10 al., 2019). SFM has risen in popularity due to its hand-held mobile phone convenience and simplicity of use (Chen et al., 2023; Sang-Seol et al., 2024; Vera et al., 2024; Yan et al., 2024). As stated before, Vera et al. (2024) and Wang et al. (2019) both explain how SFM does not only provide entertainment videos to its viewers, but also instructional, DIY, and how-to videos for its users, posing as a source of informal learning. The communities that SFM platforms have created have fostered a sense of belonging to their users (Wang et al., 2019). The additional benefits of using SFM range from providing a sense of community and belonging, to facilitating and promoting creativity and providing an easy-to-use format, etc. (Wang et al., 2019). Attention Attention is described as the completion of essential and evolved brain processes that act in unison with one another to result in a variety of effective behavioral selections (Hommel et al., 2019; Krauzlis et al., 2023). Maintaining one’s attention and not losing concentration on any given task for an appropriate amount of time is known as an attention span (Fillmore, 2015; Parashar et al., 2021). Attention span for most students is equal to the age of the student (in minutes) plus or minus two minutes, but it is never more than twenty minutes long (Pugh, 2017). In other words, attention is fragile and limited and being able to utilize the power of one’s varying and limited attention span is crucial to completing goals and tasks (Fillmore, 2015). In addition to being limited and fragile, attention is also selective. Selective attention is the cognitive process of ignoring misleading and irrelevant sensory inputs while attending to a small and select number of sensory stimuli (Bater & Jordan, 2019; Hommel et al., 2019; Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977). Shiffrin and Atkinson (1969), the creators of the most well-known information processing model, discussed how information processing theory is a cognitive process that explains how information is encoded into one’s short-term and long-term memory. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 11 The process of information making its way to short-term memory requires a stimulus input, which then moves to the sensory register (Lutz & Huitt, 2003; Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977). The sensory register is a temporary holding space for the information while it is being processed and transferred to the individual’s short-term memory (Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977). Attention must be present for information to move from the sensory register to the short-term memory (Lutz & Huitt, 2003; Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977; Shiffrin, 1982; Shiffrin & Atkinson, 1969). In this study, I will be focusing on two aspects of teachers’ work with student attention: rebuilding and managing. When I say “rebuilding”, I refer to the educational tools and techniques educators are currently using in their instruction to help increase students’ attention and attention duration before lessons. When I say “managing”, I refer to how educators are maintaining students’ attention during lessons. This includes identifying distractors amongst the classroom and even within the lesson itself. Research on Attention in School Environments Research on Attention in Elementary Education Environments The large majority of research on attention most frequently takes place in an elementary education setting (e.g., Ainley & Luntley, 2007; Kohler, 2023; Lai & Chang, 2020). Some of the research that has been conducted in an elementary environment put a large focus on digital games and virtual reality as a method of improving attention inside of the classroom (e.g., Ramos & Melo, 2019; Tarng et al., 2022). The results of the studies conducted by Ramos and Melo (2019) and Tarng et al. (2022) found that the use of digital games and virtual reality resulted in increased attention, attention spans and a higher engagement rate during classroom lessons. The students who have engaged in VR activities in the classroom also showed increased engagement and attention when inside of a busy classroom (Tarng et al., 2022). SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 12 Other studies that have been conducted inside of an elementary education setting and had a focus on attention shed light on using mindfulness and short physical activity breaks as methods to rebuild students’ attention inside of the classroom (e.g., Mahar, 2011; Napoli et al., 2005). This area of research showed that implementing mindfulness and physical activity into your classroom routine can increase your student’s attention and participation (Mahar, 2011; Napoli et al., 2005). Physical exercise was proven to be beneficial for young learners and resulted in an increase in engagement with schoolwork and was linked to a decrease in childhood obesity and depression (Archer, 2024). Additionally, research on the effects of SFM on attention were primarily conducted in China (e.g. Chen et al., 2023; Lin et al., 2024; Yan et al., 2024). These studies reported that increased usage of SFM resulted in decreased attention and difficulties maintaining attention inside of the classroom. The same authors agreed that the frequent and reoccurring usage of SFM led to a higher susceptibility to being distracted when completing a task. Lin et al. (2024), for instance, conducted a study that focused on how the duration of short form media consumption correlated with sustained attention. The data that was received displayed a strong correlation between short form media consumption and poorer daily sustained attention. In the study, conducted by Yan et al. (2024) the results displayed a negative relationship between the mobile phone short-form video addiction tendency and self-control. These results indicate that excessive usage and dependency on SFM can negatively affect one’s self-control, decision making, and attention. Chen et al. (2023) conducted a study that aimed to investigate the effect of addiction to short-form videos on users’ attention, including attention while watching videos and the degree of attentional concentration after watching time. The results showed that addicted users reported decreased concentration, were easily distracted, and did not show interested in other things in SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 13 comparison to the consumption of SFM. The results also suggest that addicted users may suffer maintaining attention, have more attention deficits while watching short-form videos, and have impaired attentional concentration for processing interference. Research on Attention in Secondary Education Environments When researching the attention of secondary students there were many gaps that have yet to be filled with research, one of the most notable ones being the actual scarcity of research on secondary students’ attention span duration and factors that may influence their attention inside of the classroom (e.g., Allison, 2020; Bunce et al., 2010; Ellah et al., 2019; Lufi et al., 2011). A study conducted by Bunce et al. (2010) resulted in reports that were supported by Allison (2020) who stated that students alternate between attention and nonattention cycles of varying lengths as class lectures proceed. The same authors stated that the duration of nonattention cycle was often reported to last less than one minute before regaining attention. When students are in the nonattention cycle they are not currently engaged with the lesson, which can lead to missed information. This is important for educators because students may be missing crucial information, such as assignment instructions, within their nonattention duration. Another study that was conducted in a secondary education environment was managed by Lufi et al. (2011). This study took a deeper look at delaying schools starting time by one hour and its effects on attention levels in adolescents. Many researchers agree that sleep serves many purposes, such as, physical and psychological restoration and recovery, memory consolidation and the discharge of emotions and brain functioning (Lufi et al., 2011). The results of this study indicated that students not only felt less tired during the school day but scored higher on tests that required attention. These results are important for our education system because by simply delaying SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 14 school start times by an hour students were able to feel rested and perform better academically because of their better attention levels. Secondary Education Research on SFM Usage According to the Pew Research Center (2025), 96% of teens aged 13-17 use the internet on their smartphone and 46% of teens self-report that they are “almost constantly” online. In 2024, Hong et al., conducted a study that resulted in a significant positive correlation between smartphone users and SFM addiction, as well as social networking service usage and SFM addiction. These results indicate that if a high school student has a smartphone there is a strong possibility that they use social networking services, like Facebook or X, and consume SFM. Every 2 out of 3 teens in the United States of America spend on average at least one hour per day using TikTok and 22% of teens spend 2-3 hours per day on TikTok (Duarte, 2025). This is important data, because it highlights that the majority of teens are using SFM in excess. This data also highlights that 21% of teens use TikTok more than 3 hours per day, with 8% consuming more than 5 hours of it daily (Duarte, 2025). While researching SFM and its use inside the classroom, to my knowledge, there are no studies that discuss SFM in an educational setting, let alone any benefits to using SFM in lessons. Most research about SFM on students focuses on its negative effects, particularly when SFM is consumed outside the classroom. The effects of SFM in a classroom setting are not wellexamined. There is a significant gap in the literature pertaining to the benefits of SFM and its benefits inside of the classroom. Methods Research Design SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 15 This study is designed as a qualitative research study seeking a deeper and in-depth understanding of real-world problems within their natural setting (Tenny et al., 2022). “It focuses on the "why" rather than the "what" of social phenomena and relies on the direct experiences of human beings as meaning-making agents in their everyday lives” (Quantitative and Qualitative Research, n.d.). I collected demographic data of the teachers to establish inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study and then I conducted semi-structured interviews to study the solutions teachers find to be effective for rebuilding and maintaining students’ attention span when they prepare and deliver a lesson. Setting In Utah, the secondary education system is comprised of junior high and high schools. The grades that attend junior high consist of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. The high school system includes 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. Health classes take place during a student’s 8th and 10th grade year in school. According to the Public Education Infrastructure Profile (2021), across Utah there are 41 school districts and 945 schools. For my study, I interviewed secondary education health teachers who either teach at a Title I school or at other schools where students often face economic challenges. A Title I school is a federally funded education program that provides financial assistance to school with high percentages of students from low-income families (Lang, 2025). There is a strong link to higher media usage for individuals who come from a low-income households as research shows that of the 96% of teens who use the internet, 51% come from a low-income urban family (Skogen et al., 2022; The National Association of Secondary School Principals, n.d.). The same association states that low-income families often experience housing and food insecurity along with other struggles that someone from an upper-class family typically does not experience. These struggles can often result in a decrease in attention and school SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 16 attendance, poor grades and increased stress (The National Association of Secondary School Principals, n.d.). The Utah State Board of Education (n.d.) reports that there were 322 Title I schools in Utah as of the 2022-2023 school year, 66 of which are secondary. Sample and Inclusion Criteria I recruited six secondary school health teachers throughout the Utah education system who currently teach in a Title I school or at a non-Title I school where students often face economic challenges. The educators were required to have worked in the education system as a teacher for a minimum of five years and a minimum of three years at a Title I school or similar to ensure that they have a deep understanding of pedagogy, student behavior, and curriculum implementation. A minimum of five years allows for educators to have experienced a variety of students, which will provide me with their deep insight into the topic. Table 1 Participant Demographic Information Participant District Education Licensed Pseudonym Employed at Level Harper Charter Masters Yes School CTTO YS YTO GCT CT Yes 11 4 7-9th Health Education & Health Science Health Education Medical Science Health & Physical Education Science & Health Intro to Health Science, Sports Medicine, Jude Davis Masters Yes No 2 0 10-12 Theodore Charter School Davis Other Yes Yes 15 152 9-12 Masters Yes No 10 5 8-9 Charter School Davis Masters Yes Yes 18 18 7-8 Masters Yes No 3.5 0 Margot Reid Vienna 10-12 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 17 Emergency Medicine Note. CTTO=Currently Teach at a Title I School; YS=Years in School Setting; YTO= Years of Title I Experience; GCT= Grade You Currently Teach; CT=What Do You Currently Teach. Recruitment For this study, I started my recruitment of secondary health teachers by assigning a number to each of the 66 Title I secondary schools from the list generated by Utah State Board of Education (n.d.). Using a random number generator, I used the given random numbers to examine the faculty page on the corresponding schools on the generated list. Once on the corresponding web page, I used the information available to contact their teachers via email (see Appendix A for a template of the email) described my study and asked if they were willing to participate in an interview. I recorded every number that was provided from the random number generator and listed the corresponding school as well as the staff’s information. When the participants agreed to an interview, I emailed each health teacher a demographic survey (see Appendix B) to ensure they qualified to participate in my study. Each participant signed an informed consent after qualifying for participation. Through email with the participant, a Zoom interview was scheduled. Once the interviews were conducted, the participants were compensated with a $10 Amazon e-gift card. This process resulted in many challenges from websites not having staff information to lack of response from potential participants, despite the hundreds of emails sent during the recruitment process. One reason for this could be that some districts block outside email or categorize it as spam. There were also school websites that did not identify what subjects were taught by their teachers. The inconsistencies across many districts websites made it challenging not only to identify what subjects were taught by what teacher but also to contact teachers. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 18 During the recruitment process I kept record of what schools did not have their teacher’s information available online as well as schools that did not list their teachers at all. I was able to recruit three participants through this process and the remaining three participants were recruited using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling by contacting three health teachers, via email, who my mentor teacher and I knew previously that satisfied the above-mentioned criteria (Patton, 2002). Data Sources In addition to collecting the demographic information described above, I conducted a semi-structured interview with each health teacher. These interviews were conducted on Zoom. During the interview, via Zoom, I asked a different set of questions pertaining to how they rebuild and manage their students’ attention before and during lessons (Appendix C). I audio recorded each interview via Zoom and saved the data in a secure location to protect private information. Data Analysis After the interviews were conducted, I transcribed the audios verbatim and looked for the utterances where the interviewees answered my research questions. Those instances were highlighted using an open coding approach (Patton, 2002). Their length varied and ranged from a few words to a few sentences. This process resulted in 142 codes for RQ1 and 113 for RQ2. The identified codes were then arranged into related themes using a thematic analysis (Patton, 2002) approach. This process resulted in three themes for RQ1 and two themes for RQ2. Figure 1 and 2 show frequency counts for each of the themes inside RQ1 and RQ2 respectively, while Table 1 and 2 show the codebook I used with definitions and examples for each RQ. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 19 Figure 1 Frequency Counts for RQ1 Research Question 1 Amount of Code 84 (59%) Instructional Practice 29 (20.5%) 29 (20.5%) Learning and Learners Classroom Safety Category Figure 2 Frequency Counts for RQ2 Research Question 2 Amount of codes 73 (64.6%) 40 (35.4%) Classroom Climate Classroom Engagement Category SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 20 Table 2 Codebook for RQ1 Theme Definition Example Instructional Practice Instructional practice is defined as anything that helps teachers keep students engaged during their lessons. This includes a variety of different methods or pedagogies and online resources. “Every 15-20 minutes, we're changing pace, because, if not, eyes glaze over, they get bored. So, it's let's get up and moving. Let's do something audio. Let's do something visual. Let's do something technology based.” Learners and Learning Learners and learning is defined as a technique or resource that is used to enhance the student’s relationship with the teacher and the materials that are used during the lesson for the same purpose. “I tell the students, if there's something that's, you know, interesting to you, bring it up, because if I can work that into the class, it's going to be much more interesting.” Classroom Safety Classroom safety is defined as a behavior, routine or rule that supports a developmentally appropriate and safe learning environment while consistently following through with clear expectations, procedures, norms and protocols. “Establishing rules like first day class, then also revisiting those as the year goes by” Table 3 Codebook for RQ2 Theme Classroom Engagement Definition Example Classroom engagement is defined as anything an educator does during a lesson “I have different types of fidgets for different types of kids and how their brains SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION Classroom Climate 21 to keep students engaged, attentive and on task. This includes a variety of different methods or pedagogies and online resources. work. So, some of them are just they put it in their hands and they move, and it's noiseless… sometimes it's me walking around and standing next to them as I teach” Classroom Climate is defined as any tools, techniques, or procedures used by the teacher with the intention of benefiting their classroom climate. “Back when we had no school wide cell phone policy, and I did have to address, you know, cell phones more often. That's what I would tell them. I was like, clearly, you're getting more dopamine from your Instagram or your Tiktok reels, and you're getting from me. And I would tell them… that highly offends me, because I think I'm hilarious, and I think that I am. I have really great things to say.” Results As a reminder, RQ1 investigated solutions teachers found to be effective for rebuilding students’ attention when they prepare for teaching a lesson in secondary schools with high diversity both socially and economically. Collected data was analyzed and categorized into three themes: Instructional Practice, Learner and Learning and Classroom Safety. RQ2 inquired into solutions teachers found to be effective for rebuilding students’ attention when they deliver a lesson in secondary schools with high diversity. The collected data were analyzed and categorized into two themes: Classroom Engagement and Classroom Climate. In this chapter, I will describe those themes in detail. Research Question One Instructional Practice SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 22 Instructional practice is defined as anything that helps teachers keep students engaged during their lessons. This includes a variety of different methods or pedagogies and online resources. As we know, no two classrooms are the same and that can be observed in the coding data by the large variety of differing pedagogies used. The most reported practice of teaching amongst the participants was utilizing a seating chart for their students. Seating charts allow teachers to organize the students away from “distractions” and put “them next to [students] they’ll work well with”. The following testimony from Margot illustrates the importance, balance and necessity of seating charts and their effects on students’ attention. “I do try to sit [students] next to people that they'll be successful with. So, right now, my desks are single desks. When I put them in groups at the beginning of the year, it's okay because [the students] don't know each other quite yet, but then [the students] get comfortable with each other. So, (…) seating charts [are] really important to me, [in] making sure [students are] in the right places so that they aren't distracted, they can participate and they can pay attention.” As it can be seen from this quote from Margots interview, seating charts were designed with the students’ best interest and “personality” in mind. Throughout the school year and as each student developed relationships with their teachers and their peers, their teachers would learn where students can sit in the classroom and still be “attentive” and successful during the lesson. Another instructional practice that was important in preparing for a lesson was “switching tasks” and taking “brain breaks” during the lesson. Students “[got] bored” and “[stopped] paying attention” when the lesson was “no longer interesting”. The majority of teachers also reported that using an “increased pace”, “direction instruction”, and “chunking information” was crucial for “keeping [students] interacting and engaged”. When students were observed losing interest in the lesson, teachers would have their students “get up and moving...[or] do something [with] SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 23 audio...[or] do something visual...[or] do something technology based”. The following excerpt from Vienna illustrates the participants overall stance towards breaks and how to address them. “[I] see where natural breaks are in the content. Like, okay, we've covered this, whatever example of information. This is a natural break. And then I'll throw in one of the Nearpod activities, whether it's like a matching game for them to match up the content, or whether it's, you know, free answer question that [students] have to write [in]. Just something to break it up and get them thinking for a moment before we move on to the next content.” In other words, “engaging activities” were an important requirement in planning a lesson. “If [the students didn’t] relate to what they [were] learning, then they [were] not interested.” All of the teachers agreed that “finding natural breaks” in the lesson and utilizing a variety of instructional methods result in more “engaged” students. Instructional methods also included using “worksheets”, “hands on activities”, “role play”, “escape room tests”, and “a lot of [group] discussions”. Teachers were also increasing their usage of online resources in their lessons to “relate to their students” and keep them engaged. These online resources included, but were not limited to, “YouTube shorts”, “TikTok”, “Nearpod”, “Instagram reels”, and “AI….to create posters and videos to show their learning”. All the teachers stated using online resources and “short-form media” in their lessons the majority of the time. Learner and Learning As many educators know, the relationship that is developed between their students independently and as a class, sets the tone for their classroom and the school year. “Knowing” your students “makes a huge difference” in how they interact and engage with lessons. “Storytelling”, “listening”, and “relating to [students]” were all methods that participants reported using within their classrooms. As important as the relationship is between a student and a teacher, it was also equally important for the students to develop a “relationship” amongst one another. As mentioned before, “seating charts” had many benefits, which included fostering SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 24 relationships between students. These relationships allowed students to “work together” effectively and “foster [class] discussions” improving the engagement of the students. Five out of the six participants mentioned the importance of students’ feedback and input towards the material they were learning. Having the students complete a “survey” gave them the opportunity to report “what they [thought]” about the lesson and allowed for adjustments to be made if necessary. In a statement from Reids’ interview, he shared his experiences and thoughts on receiving feedback from his students. “When a student brings something up that I can connect to the lesson, I really thank them, and I hyper praise them, and then I tell the students, if there's something that's, you know, interesting to you, bring it up, because if I can work that into the class, it's going to be much more interesting. And so, I have noticed …[that] the students, are much more attention focused, or, you know, just like quiet and listening, if I find some way to connect it to what's important to them.” From this testimony, we can see that allowing your students to have input in their education resulted in more attentive learning based on this teacher’s experience. When students buy into their education, they are more likely to enjoy what they are learning and can “relate” it to their own personal lives. There will always be students who “don’t have [similar or common] interests” and half of the participants mention the importance in teaching students how “valuable” their learning is and how to “change their mindset” when something is not “interesting” to them. Classroom Safety Inside the classroom, both teachers and students had responsibilities and roles to keep the class running effectively. It was frequently reported that for the class to run, teachers must establish “definite expectations…during the first day of class” and use “clear and concise instructions”. Students were “natural boundary hunters… and were going to search for boundaries”, when teachers set “boundaries”, the students knew that they were “following the SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 25 same procedures” each day. The following testimony from Jude illustrated the common procedure amongst the participants of creating rules in the classroom. “I like to have fun with [my students], but at the same time, I also prefer that they know what's expected them as well. And so, [I am] establishing rules [on the] first day [of] class, then also revisiting those [rules] as the year goes by, …cell phone policies or raising your hand when you talk, or [when] they just need to know those expectations” From this excerpt, we can see that “establishing rules on the first day of school” was vital for setting the classroom expectations. As Jude expressed a desire for having fun with his students, he also recognized the importance in “creating boundaries” and rules for the students to abide by. Jude also mentioned “revisiting the rules” with the students throughout the school year and when needed as a reminder of the expectations that were set on the first day of school. As the teachers all agreed on having “expectations” for the students, the majority of the participants mentioned the expectation for the teachers themselves of being “prepared” before and “during [their] lesson”. Being prepared for a lesson included, but was not limited to, looking “at the materials that [are] being taught” before the lesson, reviewing the “standards that [the lesson] connect to”, and searching for natural “breaks” in the lesson. Vienna shared her technique for ensuring that she met the responsibility and expectation of being prepared each day. “I make sure that I am fully confident on what I'm teaching and where those breaks are, so that I don't have any wasted time, because if I waste my time, or if I'm scrambling to look and find something, then my students disengage… [and] that's where I lose them. So, if I'm prepared, and I'm like, hey, this is what I'm doing, I'm moving right on to this activity, and then this activity, there's no breaks for them to lose interest.” As illustrated by Vienna’s testimony, “being prepared” was essential for keeping students engaged during the lesson. When a teacher was consistently prepared for their lesson, “the students [knew] what to expect from [them]”. Both the students and teacher had a variety of expectations for what was expected of them during the lesson to benefit their learning and SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 26 teachings. Three of the participants stated that when both parties followed the “rules” and “boundaries”, the class functioned better and smoother. Research Question Two Classroom Engagement Classroom engagement consisted of several different components: tools used during a lesson and steps taken during lesson planning designed to keep the students “engaged” during the lesson. All of the participants shared a variety of actions and tools they have implemented into their pedagogy with the intention of keeping their students “engaged” and “attentive”. “Each student has different needs” and the majority of the teachers agreed that it is important to “understand their [unique] needs” to best help them. All the educators agreed on several tools that appear to be more commonly used: “proximity”, “body breaks”, and “offering fidget toys”. There were a variety of more “student dependent” tools that teachers found to be helpful based on each student’s needs: “changing seats [and their] environment”, “tapping on [a student’s] desk, “giving them a piece of gum”, continuously “moving around the room”, and using “tape on [the students] desk that has texture to it”. Each teacher mentioned several times throughout their interviews how frequently “proximity” and “moving around the room” was used as their main tool to “increase students’ engagement” and redirect their attention. In a quote from Theodore’s interview, he shares the most common tools that he used to “regain students’ attention” and increase engagement. “My first tool in my toolbox, because you should have multiple tools. My first tool in my toolbox is proximity. So, proximity [in the] classroom is an is an amazing tool. So, walking around [the students], even standing by [the students]… will oftentimes be the solution. If it isn't, then I'll just tap on their desk…or I'll just point [at the board] and look up there sometimes.” SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 27 This excerpt from Theodore’s interview displays the importance of having “multiple tools in your toolbox” in regard to ways to “engage” and “regain your students’ attention”. “Proximity” can be displayed in multiple ways, for example, “walking around the room” and “standing by [the students] desk”, and even “joining [students’] conversation”. All of the participants shared their versions of “proximity” used in their respective classrooms during their interviews based on how their class needs and responds to proximity. As discovered in RQ1 category, Learner and Learning, “knowing” your students “makes a huge difference” in how they interact and “engage” with lessons. The participants also made similar statements in RQ2 that highlight how “important it is to know [your] students” and their “interests”. All of the participants mentioned on many occasions throughout their interview how much time their students spend using short-form media as well as agreeing that the large majority, “if not all of the students”, use “[short-form media] way too much”. Each educator also relayed that they use short-form media in the classroom and in their personal life, “like YouTube”, “TikTok”, and “Instagram reels”. All of the participants agreed to using “[short-form media] during their lesson[s]” and five participants highlighted how “knowing their students’ interests” assists them in choosing what short-form media to include in their lessons. Vienna stated, “if you’re not interesting, [the students] are not listening”. When looking for short-form media that is “interesting” to their students, establishing a relationship and “getting to know them” is a required prerequisite. Classroom Climate Classroom climate is defined as any tools, techniques, or procedures used by the teacher before and during a class period with the intention of benefiting their “classroom climate”. Classroom climate also includes the overall tone, atmosphere, and learning environment created SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 28 by the teacher and the students. As the participants discussed in RQ1, the classroom environment heavily influenced “how the students engage” with the lessons. All the participants shared the tools, techniques, and procedures they use in their classrooms with the intention of benefiting their classroom environment. Examples of the tools, techniques, or procedures used include having a “cell phone policy”, “walking around the room”, being “sassy with them”, “encouraging students”, having “honest conversations”, and “observing your students’” behaviors. There were many statements that were shared during the interviews by the participating educators that highlighted the value in “getting to know your students” to develop your classroom climate. A statement made during Margot’s interview provides a look into the techniques used by educators in an attempt to improve or maintain their classroom climate. “[When the mood is low] I try to break [class] up. [The students] need those brain breaks, and then I try to encourage [the students]… but yeah, trying to break [the class period] up and trying to get them refocused in a positive way, telling them how important these things are, trying to relate them to them so that they are like, oh, this is relatable to me. Okay, I want to listen. Those are some ways I try to help.” As we can see from Margots statement, it is vital to have a variety of tools in your educational toolbox. As the school year goes on and students get more comfortable with their educational environments, this may require educators to acquire more or different tools to continue to facilitate a positive classroom environment. None of the participants shared anything in regard to wanting a negative classroom climate. To maintain a positive classroom climate, educators are continuously developing “relationships” with their students to inform educators on what tools, techniques, or procedures would benefit their classroom climate. Summary of Findings and Discussion RQ1: Building Attention When Preparing for Teaching Instructional Practice SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 29 Keeping students engaged and rebuilding their attention when teachers prepare for a lesson has become increasingly challenging due to a variety of ever-changing factors. One solution agreed on by all of the participants included well planned seating charts. This is aligned with research that states that creating a productive and thoughtful seating chart can be what it takes to go from being just a physical setting tool, to a tool that facilitates the classroom culture and enables higher learning outcomes (Behan, 2019; Davenport 2023). The participants also stated that they planned their lessons around 10-15 minutes chunks, which was design that had students’ attention in mind as research shows that most students’ attention span was equal to the age of the student (in minutes) plus or minus two minutes, but never more than twenty minutes long (Bunce, 2012; Pugh, 2017). Educators were also incorporating technology into their lessons to not only provide a source of entertainment, but for educational purposes as well (Ramos & Melo, 2019; Tarng et al., 2022; Vera et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2019). Along with incorporating technology, SFM and its many additional resources, it was also observed that short breaks of movement also provided the much-needed break in attention, which was consistent with the literature which states the same (Mahar, 2011; Napoli et al., 2005). Finding any “natural breaks in the lesson” required instructor planning and preparedness and allowed for students to engage in a structured physical activity break, which was reported to help students “refocus” on the lesson (Galapa et al., 2018; Infantes-Paniagua et al., 2021; Popeska et al., 2018). Throughout the study I have seen that technology and SFM can be very beneficial for students’ attention, but it is equally important for educators to find a balance of both technological and non-technological tools to foster creativity and increase engagement during lessons. Learner and Learning SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 30 As education continues to change, I observed that the relationship dynamics of the classroom are changing too. Prior teacher and student relationships often involved a more authoritarian dynamic, whereas teachers today were seeking a relationship involving their pupils trust (Lilja & Claesson, 2018; Mainhard et al., 2018). A solution for rebuilding students’ attention when preparing for a lesson included personalizing learning to students’ interests based on background knowledge that is obtained through classroom relationships between students and their educator (Hagay & Baram‐Tsabari, 2015; Utah Effective Teaching Standards, 2022). The participants shared the techniques they used to continually develop their relationships through storytelling, relating to their students, sharing common interests, and displaying genuine interest in their students’ lives. With the information acquired through the development of classroom relationships, educators were able to use their students interests to make their lessons more engaging through selecting relevant materials and engaging SFM to add to their lessons, resulting in an increase in students’ attention. Through the participants responses and supported research, it is easily observed that relationships with their students plays a vital role in the success of achieving learning goals, increased attention and a positive classroom culture (Lilja & Claesson, 2018; Mainhard et al., 2018; Utah Effective Teaching Standards, 2022). Another solution mentioned by the participants that is supported by research includes providing and receiving timely feedback to and from students. When students were given opportunities to have an input in their education, they were likely to buy into what they were learning and feel seen and represented when teachers use their students’ feedback and opinions into their lessons. This is aligned with research that states that student feedback is important for assessing the quality of teaching along with the quality of learning (Flodén, 2017; Mandouit, 2018; Richardson, 2005). A great example included creating a suggestion box for students to SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 31 relay feedback if they were not comfortable to share their opinions openly, which ties back to Marilla Svinicki (2001) emphasis on the importance of teaching students how to give helpful feedback, because, according to her, if students did not know how to give feedback it was likely that they would not see any results from mentioned feedback and might not participate in giving feedback in the future. Classroom Safety The safety of both the students and the teacher are incredibly important and are key elements in running an effective classroom (Bernardy & Schmid, 2018; Holley & Steiner, 2005; Twemlow et al., 2002). Both the teacher and students in this study were found to have roles and responsibilities to keep the classroom running smoothly and aid in the process of rebuilding students’ attention. This finding is aligned with research that says that teachers have the responsibility of being prepared for their lessons each day to prevent uncertainty and create a routine for the students (Floden & Clark, 1988). Different authors also agree that students’ roles and expectations in the classroom often coincide with the set of rules created by both the teacher and students that are to be followed daily (e.g., Boostrom, 1991; Fink & Siedentop, 1989). The rules set the tone for the rest of the school year and show the most benefit when rules are introduced within the first days of school, according to the same authors. The results of this study are in agreeance with the findings of several different authors (e.g., Alter & Haydon, 2017; Avni-Babad, 2011; Burden, 2025; Hawkes, 2021; Kutsyuruba et al., 2015) that state that the main elements of classroom safety have components of expectations, rules, routine and safety that apply to both the educator and the students. All the concepts can easily be reduced to classroom management, which was another key solution for rebuilding students’ attention when educators prepare for a lesson in a secondary health class. In the SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 32 education field, educators comprehend how classroom management is directly related to how your class runs and your students behave (Korpershoek et al., 2016; Postholm, 2013). Each educator has their own classroom management system, and each system has their pros and cons. Finding a system that works well for each individual classroom is essential because “effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom” (Marzano & Marzano, 2003, p. 1). RQ2: Managing Attention When Delivering a Lesson Classroom Engagement Classroom engagement is defined as anything an educator does during a lesson to keep students engaged, attentive and on task. This includes a variety of different methods or pedagogies and online resources that assist teachers in managing students’ attention when they deliver a lesson. Keeping students engaged in their lessons was reported as a challenge that every educator experienced in their educational career but was essential for student success. This finding is aligned with literature that states that many educators want their students to succeed, and a prerequisite of success and learning is engagement (Al-Shalabi, 2015; Moosa, 2019). With students’ limited attention span, it is vital to keep classroom engagement high (Bunce, 2012; Moosa, 2019; Pugh, 2017). As a reminder, the students that are considered in this study come from schools where the majority of students experience economic diversities. Research showed that external challenges can lead to cognitive lags, decreased effort, emotional and social challenges, and chronic stressors, which can result in decreased engagement (Ford & Grace, 2017; Jensen, 2009; Jensen, 2013; McKinney et al., 2006). Each participant in the study shared a variety of methods and pedagogy used to keep the students engaged, from having the students change seats, tapping on their desk, giving them a SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 33 piece of gum, offering fidget toys and simply moving around continuously. Along with the prior examples, designing engaging lessons based on their students’ interests was also mentioned. Several participants made similar statements that emphasized the importance of an engaging lesson. One participant made a remark during her interview, which other participants supported in their statements, that if the instructor or the lesson was not interesting, the students would not pay attention or be engaged. They also reported that students were interested in social media and SFM, which can be reflected by the heavy increase in schoolwide cell phone policies and bans (Gao et al., 2014; Kessel et al., 2020). While banning phones and creating cell phone policies have appeared to help decrease distractions based on participant responses, utilizing SFM in their lessons may be a helpful tool to keep students engaged without the additional distraction of cell phones. Classroom Climate According to Barr (2016), classroom climate is a broad construct, one that consists of students' feelings about their instructor and peers. As observed through the participants’ responses in this study, which was aligned with other research, classroom climates have a direct link to students’ academic and psychological wellbeing (Anderson, 1970; Anderson et al., 2004; Erdem & Kaya, 2023; Wang et al., 2020). There are many techniques and tools that an educator can use to manage students attention when they deliver a lesson, but the participants in this study highlighted the importance of using techniques and tools based on their students’ needs, personalities and interests. This is tightly connected to RQ1, where participants reported acquiring information about their students’ needs, personalities and interests through the development of appropriate relationships within the classroom. Teachers need to develop such relationships with their students in order to be able to make student-dependent decisions about SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 34 their classroom climate (Lilja & Claesson, 2018; Mainhard et al., 2018). Through these responses in this study, it is noted that each educator strives to have a positive and beneficial relationship with their students, one that benefits the classroom. Along with developing relationships with our students, classroom safety was also highlighted as a key component of the classroom climate. The participants demonstrated elements of classroom safety through organization, and growth orientated practices: establishing clear rules, maintaining consistent expectations, encouraging perseverance and respect towards one another. Implications for Secondary Health Teachers So, what does this mean for secondary health teachers and where do they go from here? An excellent start is reviewing and actively following the Utah Effective Teaching Standards (UETS) (2022). The Utah Effective Teaching Standards (2022) highlights what teachers should be able to do, including understanding learners and learning differences, mastering content knowledge, using effective instructional practices, and creating a positive learning environment. The standards also emphasize professional responsibility, ethical practice and ongoing reflection to improve teaching and student outcomes. Many components of the UETS align with several aspects of this study based off of the participants’ responses. Changing One’s Mind about Using SFM Along with following the Utah Effective Teaching Standards, changing one’s mindset about using SFM in their lessons may be the next important step towards increasing students’ attention and engagement. When an educator takes a step back from looking at the negative effects of increased SFM usage, they are able to see that the harsh reality is that students are going to continue to use SFM and are not likely to decrease their SFM usage. Due to SFM short SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 35 duration, simplicity of use and its convenience of usage on a hand-held mobile phone, overconsumption is a frequent and likely outcome (Chen et al., 2023; Sang-Seol et al., 2024; Vera et al., 2024; Yan et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2019). With the probable assumption that students are likely not going to change their usage relationship with SFM, it is important to think about how teachers can use SFM to their benefit inside the classroom. When teachers use SFM in their lessons, they need to choose material that is relevant and appealing to the students, because “if you’re not interesting, [the students] are not listening”, and this applies to the materials used during lessons as well. To know what appeals to their students, educators must develop relationship with their students. Through these relationships, educators can foster a positive classroom climate, build trust and use this knowledge to make studentcentered decisions: seating arrangements, learning materials, rules and routines, etc. As mentioned in the discussion section, creating an opportunity for feedback is beneficial for both students and teachers. When rules, routine, and feedback come together, they can be utilized to allow students to share SFM that they find interesting and would like to see them implemented in their lessons. Now, this can only exist when rules have been established regarding appropriate submissions and when it is acceptable to submit videos. SFM does not appear to be going away, and educators need them to benefit their classroom. Along with teachers incorporating SFM into their lessons, facilitating opportunities for students to create SFM for educational purposes is another great tool to increase attention and engagement. SFM has drawbacks, but teachers have the opportunity to use their affordances as a means to increase student attention, engagement, foster positive relationships, and allow for students’ voices to be heard and represented. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 36 In conclusion, educators need to utilize every tool they have available and utilize students’ feedback to provide them with more tools geared towards their needs and interests. Yes, increased usage of SFM outside of the classroom has resulted in students’ decreased attention during lessons, but it is time we use SFM as a tool inside the classroom. Through the development of positive classroom relationships, rules and routines, and feedback, educators can implement SFM into their lessons as a means to increase students’ attention, engagement and foster a positive classroom environment. During my search for research on the positives of SFM inside the classroom, I was left empty handed as not much has been published on this topic. SFM is an old resource that has taken a new shape in our society due to its convenience of use, user-friendly design, and creation of many online communities. Future research needs to look at the many ways SFM can be used inside any classroom. Due to SFM vast variety of use, there are many aspects that can be utilized for a variety of subjects. For example, an art class could have the students complete a time lapse of their creations or create a DIY video of how they made their project instead of a traditional essay. SFM could not only be utilized by educators as a means to teach and increase attention, but it could be utilized by students as a means to show their comprehension of knowledge. SFM does have its cons, but it’s time that educators take a look at its pros. Limitations This study has two important limitations which need to be considered: non-Title I participants and recruitment difficulties. To begin with, the sample from this study includes participants that do not currently work at a Title I school. This resulted from an extreme difficulty during my recruitment process, causing me to seek additional participants who do not SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 37 currently work at a Title I school. Despite over two hundred sent recruitment emails, I was only able to obtain three participants out of six that currently work at Title I schools. A key factor to my recruitment difficulties includes a substantial lack of information on prospective school websites. There were many schools that did not have any information about their staff including contact information and the identification of teaching subjects. Although three participants do not currently work at a Title I school, they are employed at schools with a lot of diversity where many of the students face many of the same challenges that are frequently seen in Title I schools. This limits the findings because Title I schools often face additional struggles that non-Title I schools do not face, such as many students coming from low-income communities, not have access to required learning materials, external stressor, etc. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 38 References Ainley, J., & Luntley, M. (2007). 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Exploring short-form video application addiction: Sociotechnical and attachment perspectives. Telematics and Informatics, 42(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2019.101243 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 50 Appendix A: Recruitment Email Dear [Participant’s Name], My name is Kaytlynn Bruels and I am currently a Masters student at Weber State University located in Ogden, Utah. I am conducting a research study titled “Short-Form Media and Attention: Strategies Health Teachers Use to Rebuild and Maintain Students’ Attention” as a requirement for my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Design. I recently got my Health Teaching license and I wish to learn from other Health teachers in the state as I prepare for my own classroom. The purpose of the study is to better understand teaching practices in connection to student attention in a Title I school and learn from experienced Health teachers such as yourself. My hope is that interviewing and discussing with educators who are inside the classroom is where I will grow as a teacher and find many potential solutions and new ideas for how to manage and rebuild students’ attention spans before and during lessons. Your insights would be incredibly valuable to this research. Participation in this study involves completing the demographic survey along with sending an email to kaytlynnbruels@mail.weber.edu to state that you are interested in participation in the study after completing the demographic survey. Once it has been determined that you are eligible to participate in the study, a Zoom meeting will be scheduled where I will ask you a few questions. I will need 30-60 minutes of your time for this interview. The zoom meeting will be recorded as data for my study, but only the audio file will be saved and all information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will be stored in a secure location. Participation is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time without consequence. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 51 If you’re interested in participating or would like to learn more, please feel free to respond to this email after completing the demographic survey or reach out to me directly at Kaytlynnbruels@mail.weber.edu. I’d be happy to provide additional details or answer any questions you may have. Thank you for considering being part of this study. Your time and input are greatly appreciated, which is why teachers who end up participating in the interview will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Warm regards, Kaytlynn Bruels Graduate Studies in Education student Weber State University Kaytlynnbruels@mail.weber.edu *This email was generated with the assistance of ChatGPT. SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION Appendix B: Demographic Survey Demographic Survey 1. Full name 2. Email 3. What is your educational level? a. Bachelor’s degree b. Master’s degree c. Ph.D. d. Other 4. Are you a licensed health teacher? 5. Do you currently teach at a Title I school? 6. What school do you currently teach at? 7. How many years have you worked in a school setting? 8. How many years of Title I classroom teaching experience do you have? 9. What grade or grades do you currently teach? 10. What subject do you currently teach? 52 SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 53 Appendix C: Interview Questions Before class 1. When thinking of some typical attention struggles students have in your classroom, how do you prepare your lesson plans in order to scaffold student attention spans? Prompt: Do you find that varying the format of your lessons (e.g., multimedia, group work, hands-on activities), choice of assignments/activities, technology you use etc. helps re-engage students? Anything else? 2. What roles do students' interests and prior knowledge play in managing their attention? How do you incorporate these into your lessons to keep them engaged? 3. How do you create an environment that minimizes distractions and encourages sustained focus, both physically (classroom setup) and behaviorally? 4. Do you use strategies that are like short-form media in your lessons or activities? Prompt: Do you have your students create videos or skits? During Class 5. Tell me a little bit about some issues that you are facing with students’ attention span inside and outside your classroom. 6. When a student is struggling with attention, what specific techniques/strategies do you use to help students refocus? Prompt: What role do breaks, physical movement, classroom management strategies etc. play in your approach to rebuilding attention, and how do you incorporate them into your teaching routine? Anything else? 7. How do you assess whether a student’s attention is improving or if they still require additional support? SHORT-FORM MEDIA AND ATTENTION 8. How do you handle students who struggle to stay focused for extended periods, especially during longer lessons or lectures? 9. Do you as a teacher use short-form media? 10. Do you think your students use short-form media and how much? 54 Kaytlynn Bruels Cover Page Final Audit Report Created: 2026-02-23 By: Ellynn Raynor (ellynnraynor@weber.edu) Status: Signed Transaction ID: CBJCHBCAABAAYuROQ4o5Dmt4iLXvTHNaCuqoV2Agr_P_ 2026-02-24 "Kaytlynn Bruels Cover Page" History Document created by Ellynn Raynor (ellynnraynor@weber.edu) 2026-02-23 - 5:47:54 PM GMT- IP address: 137.190.72.248 Document emailed to Saori Hanaki (saorihanaki@weber.edu) for signature 2026-02-23 - 5:48:30 PM GMT Email viewed by Saori Hanaki (saorihanaki@weber.edu) 2026-02-23 - 5:56:56 PM GMT- IP address: 66.249.84.199 Document e-signed by Saori Hanaki (saorihanaki@weber.edu) Signature Date: 2026-02-23 - 5:57:54 PM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 137.190.70.183 Document emailed to Penee Stewart (pstewart@weber.edu) for signature 2026-02-23 - 5:57:57 PM GMT Email viewed by Penee Stewart (pstewart@weber.edu) 2026-02-23 - 7:14:18 PM GMT- IP address: 66.102.6.228 Document e-signed by Penee Stewart (pstewart@weber.edu) Signature Date: 2026-02-23 - 10:54:03 PM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 73.3.89.40 Document emailed to Katarina Pantic (katarinapantic@weber.edu) for signature 2026-02-23 - 10:54:05 PM GMT Email viewed by Katarina Pantic (katarinapantic@weber.edu) 2026-02-24 - 3:07:45 AM GMT- IP address: 66.102.6.229 Document e-signed by Katarina Pantic (katarinapantic@weber.edu) Signature Date: 2026-02-24 - 3:08:22 AM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 166.70.72.124 Agreement completed. 2026-02-24 - 3:08:22 AM GMT