ABSTRACT
While attempting to learn something, to what extent are our thoughts focused on the learning content vs. directed to past memories, introspections, prospections, and even fantasies? And from where do these “mind wandering” thoughts arise, how do they influence learning, and what can we do about them? To address these questions, I present a model of mind wandering during learning along with meta-analyses, experimental studies, and content analyses to validate some of its predictions. I also discuss how learning can be improved with intelligent technologies that dynamically sense and respond to wandering minds.
