- Prior work has studied how interruptions affect productivity.
- Multitasking is common due to external and internal interruptions; once interrupted, it can take upwards of 25 minutes to return to full productivity.
- Switching tasks often starts chains of distraction, where people cycle through multiple stages of disruption, and challenges with remaining focused are also compounded by the fragmented availability of work time.
- Task resumption is easier when a person is interrupted at a breakpoint, and when the interrupted task has a clearly achievable short-term outcome.
- An emerging approach is to address a person’s fragmented time and attention is to fragment the tasks into microtasks to be completed between interruptions.

Boston College

- Play Write builds on existing literature on productivity and distraction to use microtasking as a way to help people make use of small moments. 
- Play Write allows exploration of how microtasking impacts an individual’s experience with mobile multitasking.

Additional Sections:
- Multitasking
- Microtasking

Play Write: Related Work

Iqbal, S. T., Teevan, J., Liebling, D., & Thompson, A. L. (2018) Multitasking with Play Write, a Mobile Microproductivity Writing Tool. Association for Computing Machinery, New York, 411–422. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/3242587.3242611

Multitasking with Play Write, a mobile microproductivity writing tool

Play Write: Multitasking

Microtasking involves breaking down larger tasks into smaller, context-free subtasks that can be completed in short bursts of time. This approach enables individuals to leverage brief moments of availability to be productive without requiring long, uninterrupted stretches of time. Furthermore, completing a series of microtasks can reduce task complexity, improve the quality of work, and increase resilience to interruptions.

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