What Do Educators Need To Know To Promote Student Performance On Dual Tasks?

In today’s society, doing two things at once is the norm. As educators, especially in the area of physical education and special education, we assist students in performing multiple motor tasks successfully at one time. Understanding how the performance of multiple tasks affects the success of the overall performance may provide educators with knowledge regarding the most effective and efficient learning strategies to be used when teaching dual task performance. Therefore, this study was designed to provide insight by comparing the effects of performing dual tasks requiring different attentional demands on walking parameters in 6- and 7-year old children. It was hypothesized that a task, which requires a higher degree of attentional demands, would cause a disturbance of the children’s gait, with greater changes noted in the younger children. The subject population comprised of 13 boys, six 7-year olds (mean age=7 yrs, 4 mos) and seven 6-year olds (mean age=6 yrs, 6 mos) with no known medical problems. The subjects in both age groups walked at self-selected velocities over the Gait Rite Gold mat which is a 4 meter by 0.5 meter computerized walkway designed to capture spatial and temporal parameters of gait. Each subject walked under four conditions, with four trials per condition. The conditions were: 1) self-paced walking, 2) self-paced walking holding a 3/4 full, open plastic pitcher of water, 3) self-paced walking carrying a knapsack containing weights totaling 15 lbs., and 4) self-paced walking while performing a cognitive task requiring a color/action association verbal response. Conditions 2 and 4 were considered the high attentional demand tasks. The order of the conditions were randomized and counterbalanced across the subjects. Data collection started as the subject stepped onto the mat and ended when the subject stepped off the mat. Multi-factorial ANOVAs on the dependent variables of velocity and cadence, with leg length as the covariant were performed (p < .05). Scheffe post hoc analyses were used to compare individual means. The SPSS program - 11.5 for Windows - was used to perform all the calculations. When looking at conditions, a main effect was noted for velocity p<.001 and cadence p<.049. However, there was no main effect observed for age or age-by-condition interaction. Scheffe post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in cadence when walking with the water versus self- paced walking only p<.001; for velocity when walking with water versus walking with the knapsack, a trend was noted, p<.07. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that performing a secondary dual task that requires a high degree of attention (walking with water) will have a greater effect on the primary task of gait as noted by gait parameter changes. Interestingly, age did not significantly influence gait changes in these healthy young children. In today’s fast-paced world, doing several things at once is common. For example, walking while talking on a cell phone and crossing a busy street is a common occurrence, even for young children. The issue of how safe is one when doing multiple things at once frequently emerges in the news. Educators must begin to examine the effects of dual task performance on the safety and quality of the performance so that they can begin to help students focus their attention on the relevant features in the environment, which must be monitored. The findings of this study, as well as others, suggest that incorporating a dual task requirement during walking may provide an individual the opportunity to develop and practice movement strategies required in performing everyday activities regardless of age, and it affords insight into learning strategies that educators may use.