DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM: STUDENT CLASSROOM USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES FOR NON-CLASS RELATED PURPOSES
Hands down, this is my favorite academic article I’ve read about the classroom.
You see, every semester as I begin teaching Interpersonal Communications to a new group of students, we always start by reviewing the syllabus. This is a common practice in teaching, which I find particularly useful because it allows me to establish firm guidelines and expectations for my students.
One specific rule in my syllabus states that cellphones are not allowed in my classroom. Yes, I am that guy…but admittedly, I am fairly laid back with this rule, even if I don’t let my students know that. Every time that we’ve arrived at this section, I have a handful of students that start to freak out. My reasoning with them is this article, about the usage of digital devices in the classroom. I start every semester with my students reading this article and writing a one-page report about what they’ve learned and whether or not cell phones should be allowed in class.
In this article, Bernard McCoy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained that digital devices such as smart phones, tablets, and laptop computers are important college classroom tools. They support student learning by providing access to information outside classroom walls. However, when used for non-class purposes, digital devices may interfere with classroom learning. A survey study asked college students to describe their behavior and perceptions regarding classroom use of digital devices for non-class purposes. The respondents included 777 students at six U.S. universities. The average respondent used a digital device for non-class purposes 10.93 times during a typical school day for activities including texting, social networking, and emailing. Most respondents did so to fight boredom, entertain themselves, and stay connected to the outside world. More than 80% of the respondents indicated such behavior caused them to pay less attention in the classroom and miss instruction. However, the majority of respondents favored policies governing digital device distractions in the classroom.
The most alarming statistic to me pulled from a 2012 study by Arnold Froese. In this study, Froese had students participate in a mock-classroom where they watched a PowerPoint presentation followed by a 10-question quiz. Half the students engaged in active text conversations, while the others were not. Froese’s team calculated a 27% drop in student scores due to texting.
When college students multi-task with digital devices in classrooms, research indicates it may hamper their ability to pay attention. This behavior, research suggests, has become more habitual, automatic, and distracting. This study of college students further defined the dynamic relationship between digital device use that promotes, and digital device use that distracts from classroom learning. It found most students favor policies that may better define and limit learning distractions caused by digital devices in classrooms.
The article in its entirety can be found by following this link.
Hayden Coombs 