The people of today’s society have something that no generation has had before — constant and total access to the worldwide web. This technological advancement has changed the daily lives of humans today, but once it is brought into the classroom it can be quite the nuisance.
If someone were to walk into any medium-sized class at Elizabethtown College, they would see anywhere from 15 to 20 students, and at least three or four of those students looking down at their phone at a single time. Some might find this OK and normal, but others may not. It is common knowledge that a student looking at their phone is distracted, and will not retain as much information as a fully-focused student.
In 2009, Patricia Greenfield, a psychology professor at UCLA, reviewed 50 cases of multitasking in the classroom. The technology used in the case studies included computers, mobile devices, video games and the Internet. Each medium was used for the greater good of learning but was still open to a certain degree of freedom.
Greenfield’s findings show that no medium could surpass reading in the classroom. These students who used technology while learning did not develop deep understandings for the subjects at hand; they merely scratched the surface, which in turn would result in lower test scores.
Greenfield’s case study demonstrates that even when technology in the classroom is given a direction, it still cannot compare to more traditional styles of learning.
Another large study also reports cell phone use during class as a major hindrance to a student’s success. The data collected shows 75 percent of students used their cell phones regularly during lectures. These students received, on average, a full letter grade lower than those who did not use their cell phones.
This data further supports the correlation between cell phone use in class and learning outcomes. The study also collected data on how cell phones can be a distraction to others around the user. Almost one-third of the sampled students found cell phone use by a neighboring classmate to be distracting.
Some at Etown enjoy using their phones during class. “I get bored and would fall asleep in class if I were not on my phone,” an anonymous student confessed when I asked about why he or she spends time on their phone in class.
Many students just browse social media and respect the school’s integrity policies by not using their phones to cheat. But they did agree that some people do abuse their phones in class during tests and quizzes.
The interviewee said they do not find it disrespectful to be on the phone during class. “No, not to the professor,” the interviewee said. “I could see it as being disrespectful if it was distracting to others in class.”
When asked if the data collected in case studies of multitasking in the classroom would make him or her change their mind on how often they used their cell phone, the interviewee said “No.”
Regardless of class policies — which usually explicitly state that no cell phone use in class will be tolerated — most students do use their phones during class in my experience. I know I’m guilty of sending text messages during class, but I’m not constantly on my phone.
I find it disrespectful to the professor because I know I hate having a conversation with someone when their head is buried in their phone. If my ultimate goal is to obtain a high grade in the class, it makes sense to at least try to pay attention.
