Submitted by Meera Roy
on
Winter 2026: Learn about attention reclamation while earning general education elective credit!
Read below to learn about a new course taught by Ryan Burt, Director of Academic Support Programs, and Megan Kennedy, Director of the UW Resilience Lab.
Read below to learn about a new course taught by Ryan Burt, Director of Academic Support Programs, and Megan Kennedy, Director of the UW Resilience Lab.
GEN ST 298: Can You Have Your Attention Please?: Attention Reclamation and Practices to Thrive at and Beyond the University of Washington
In-person | Tuesdays, 10:30 am – 12:20 pm | 2 credits, C/NC | Elective | No prerequisites | Open to all majors & class standings for UW Seattle undergraduate students
Course Overview
Digital technologies and social networks can be fun and creative, but many experts are raising concerns about their effects on our ability to think deeply, regulate emotions, and build community.
This course empowers students to examine their own relationship with digital technology and to cultivate healthier, intentional attention habits, supported by insights from guest speakers in the arts, music, mindfulness, and athletics.
Students who take this class will:
- Understand research-based frameworks for attention, cognitive resources, and attentional capacity
- Explain how attention economies influence thinking, social-emotional health, and public discourse
- Cultivate effective academic behaviors grounded in attentional research
- Develop intentional habits for listening, focusing, and engaging across personal, community, and societal contexts
- Practice strategies to strengthen attentional capacity, joy, and overall well-being
- Learn from guest speakers exploring attention through the arts, music, mindfulness, and athletics.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ryan Burt (rburt@uw.edu) & Megan Kennedy (meganken@uw.edu).