How cell phones disrupt of disturb the learning environment.
What are some of your thoughts in regards to students answering, texting or just continually looking at their cell phones during class. My first thought was maybe my lectures were boring and after a few discussions, it revealed it wasnt boredom. Students stated various reaons such as looking at the time, or was expecting a call.
I have a few thoughts on cell phones. The first is that my students are adults and if they NEED to be on their phone, they can do it not in the classroom. Second, my college has a very strong policy against no cell phones in the classroom. EVEN on break. This helps a LOT. Third, I tell students of the first day that using their phones in class is my one and only pet peeve and just do not do it. I then tell them they they are adults and professionals and that they are paying a lot of money to be here, if they want to be on their phones drop the program and save themselves thousands of dollars.
Making a strong stances against them right away helps a LOT. If, for some reason, students are still using their phones I make a general announcement that they need to stop or I will send them home. This policy is support by my admin :) I will then do a one-on-one before I send someone home, but if they get sent home, they are getting written up and its put in their file.
I hope some of these ideas help.
I have also cut cell phones from my classroom, but I have found this is not the only outlet students will use to what I will call "multitask" anymore. I require the use of a laptop in my class and notice lots of social networking is happening as I move around the classroom. It is hard to tell students not to use these websites as they are useful tools regarding the curriculum.
What would you suggest when it comes to this type of issue?
I do believe that a general announcement that cell phones should not be used during class and if a student needs to use it because they are expecting a call of if there's an emergency I will explain that it's my ecpectation that they leave the class when doing so. This includes texting. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think it's convenient for a student to use their phone for taking notes so I will assume it'sjust texting and for that they must leave the room. Both instances require the student to leave the room which takes them away from classroom time and encourages them to limit cell phone use.
Terrell, several discussions exist in the higher education community about this common topic. First you need to make sure you know the policies of your institution. Does the ability to make policy on technology in the classroom begin and end with the instructor or is there an institutional policy to consider. That being said, if you have already done your homework as you appear to have done and determined that your presentation style is not influencing your student's decision to focus on their phones versus your materials then you may want to alter your approach to what you do during the first day of class. Set the expectation from day one that cell phones are not allowed during class time. Another approach if you cannot prohibit phones in the classroom they you may want to include them in various in-class assignments. Setup some questions or polls where students can send answers to a text address. Have a scavenger hunt where students use their phones to research information. You can use teams for those that do not have smart phones. If you decide to prohibit the use of the phones, discuss reasonable corrective actions with your students as part of your first class orientation to set the right expectations. Students know from day one the consequences of breaking your rules and they are already agreed to the corrective actions. Hope some of this information is helpful.
James Jackson
Lance, best approach is to work with your instructional designers to ensure the course materials take into consideration "free time" students may have. You could establish a series of extra credit assignments for the faster students so their time is more productive while you work with the slower students. There are also applications available that can be used by your technology staff to give you the ability to "shut off" Internet access if you find students not following your classroom rules. You could then use this tactic to bring attention to the issues of inappropriate use of the Internet during class time. This by the way can be a great life lesson for students as some institutions are not deducting pay from employees for time spent on social sites not related to work. The real focus is how you use your classroom time to keep students working on the learning objectives. Using team assignments can lesson the use of none approved use of Internet as the groups are focused on completing the assignments versus surfing the net. Hope these give you some workable ideas. Let me know how things go and if I can assist you any further.
James Jackson
Arlene, have you considered having students use their phones for selected assignments or class projects? Think of this as meeting them part of the way. If they will honor your classroom rules you will find ways to include the use of phones to enhance learning. Just a thought.
James Jackson
Stephanie, setting expectations day one of your class is critical. Some institutions have also used student contracts that students actually sign and these documents are used later if students "forget" the class policies. Not in a threatening manner but as a helpful reminder.
James Jackson
I feel that in my classroom we are all adults and should act as such. No one including myself should be on the phone. It is rude and disruptive. I have seen instructors making call or sending texts as well as students. The 2 hours spent in class is for learning not chatting.
bonnie, I agree that students should display adult behaviors. The reality however is that your students are at different levels of maturity. You will experience 38 year old adolescents as well as 25 year old adults. Leading by example and following course policies is also critical in gaining the trust and support of your students. Having the title of instructor is not enough, you have to earn their faith and trust.
James Jackson
It is important for our students to realize that most dentists will not want them using their cell phones during work. We have decided that while on the clinic floor cell phone usage is discouraged.
I have reviewed the schools policy on cell phone use and it reinforces the rules we use in the classroom. Students continue with the behavior.
I think the school must strongly bring a policy that cell phones must be turned off when the student and the tecahers are in the class.
Terrell, this is somewhat a drastic measure but if you want to set the stage for other students to get the message, send a student home and do not allow them to makeup any work. Remind them they are being removed from class for failure to follow the institutions rules and policies. Such infractions in a real work place could result in being fired. I feel this is an extreme measure but one that could provide some results. Always get feedback from your supervisor before using such a technique.
James Jackson
Jayanthi, getting consistant and solid support from your institution is always a best practice. I have even resorted to asking a supervisor to sit-in on a class and provide me an example I can follow in the future of how they would like such situations handled.
James Jackson
With so many apps for smart phones out there, how do you know if they are expecting a call, texting, or cheating? I just ask them to put them on silence and check them at break time. It is really becoming a serious problem in all classrooms.
Randall, technology advances have always created challenges in the classroom. We as instructors need to stay on top of such advances and adjust our delivery techniques from time to time to meet the demands of the times. You may need to review your teaching resources and lesson plans and make sure you are doing all you can to create updated lesson plans to take smart phones into consideration.
James Jackson
At this point and time the cell phone usage is out of control. So I set basic guidelines they have to follow and move on. I build in time to reserch some of my class topics on there devices. I ask the students to take their personal calls out side the class.
Anthony, well stated and it appears you have found a good compromise. Students are allowed to use their devices for academic reasons but personal use needs to be done outside the classroom.
James Jackson
We have a strict rule about using cell phones in class. If they let me know ahead of time that they will be expecting a call that is a different story. I am in the healthcare field and out on the job there is no reason for the use of one, so why would they need it during classtime? There are a lot of apps out there now that assist in learning, but even then we do not permit them in the class. During study time if they choose to use their app on their cell phone they can go out into the hallway to study.
