Using Smartphones in Classrooms

Poll (2014) states that 84 percent of undergraduate students had smartphones in 2014, which was a high rise from the 72 percent ownership of the smartphones in 2013. Utilizing smartphones in education is becoming popular for most students. Those devices allow them to be a part of the educational process by increasing engagement. However, the use of it can negatively impact the student’s performance if it is not controlled. They can use it in another way like listening to music, using social media, and playing video games. Thus, they should receive helpful guidance and instructions on the use of smartphones in education. Instructors need to improve instructional methods in order to enhance content and take advantage of what could be a main instructional support (Buck, McInnis, & Randolph, 2013).

When students enroll in universities, they have significantly more freedom than they did in their previous schools. That freedom comes with more responsibility. Time management is an important challenge that students face at college. Students usually go through drastic changes the moment that they join universities, where their schedules are more adaptable. Also, they are responsible and have the freedom to manage their time (Roux, 2015).

Smartphones have some applications that assist on and off campus educational operation. Through utilizing the devices, students will be able to access course materials, participate in discussion, and share information with instructors or peers. They can get their test scores through their smartphones, as well (Rung, Warnke, & Mattheos, 2014). Even with those advantages, Chen and Denoyelles (2013) observe that students who are fond of smartphones are likely to have lower scores than their classmates who decrease their use of smartphones during a class. These negative influences of technology can be minimized if institutions adopt the technology and provide training for students on how to utilize smartphones for academic tasks (Rung, Warnke, & Mattheos, 2014).

As I have shown, smartphones may be used in many ways; therefore, correct use might reinforce learning, while incorrect use might be a barrier to learning in a classroom. Smartphones have to be integrated into the educational process. Thus, instructors and students can benefit in many ways from using those devices in the classroom that support sharing knowledge and improving collaboration between students and instructors (Cosier, Gomez, McKee, & Maghzi, 2015).

Resources:

1- Poll, H. (2014). Pearson Student Mobile Device Survey 2014. National Report: College Students. Retrieved from: http://www.pearsoned.com/wp-content/uploads/Pearson-HE-Student-Mobile-Device-Survey-PUBLIC-Report-051614.pdf

2- Buck, J. L., McInnis, E., & Randolph, C. (2013). The new frontier education: The impact of smartphone technology in the classroom. “2013 ASEE Southeast Section Conference. Retrieved from: http://se.asee.org/proceedings/ASEE2013/Papers2013/177.PDF

3- Roux, A. (2015). The 3 challenges most students face making the transition from high school to college. Retrieved from: http://www.youniversitytv.com/college-tips/3-challenges-students-face-making-transition-high-school-college/

4- Rung, A., Warnke, F., & Mattheos, N. (2014). Investigating the use of smartphones for learning purposes by Australian dental students. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 2(2). doi: 10.2196/mhealth.3120

5- Chen B., & Denoyelles, A. (2013, October 7). Exploring students’ mobile learning practices in higher education. Educause Review. Retrieved from http://er.educause.edu/articles/2013/10/exploring-students-mobile- learning-practices-in-higher-education

6- Cosier, M., Gomez, A., McKee, A., & Maghzi, K. (2015). Smartphones permitted: How teachers use text messaging to collaborate. Education and Information Technologies, 20(2), 347-358.