Abstract
A majority of public schools in America do not allow students access to smartphone technology in the classroom learning environment. However, smartphone technology is steadily gaining acceptance from many school districts, administrators, and staff. As such, teachers are finding ways to integrate these devices into the classroom learning environment. Therefore, the effects that this technology has on a learning environment, and the students within it, are important to understand as this technology becomes increasingly accepted and integrated into the public school system.
Background
The push for technology integration in schools has been ongoing since the 1980s, and steadily, computers and laptops have been increasingly integrated into the curriculum. The development of smartphone technology has allowed for nearly all the capabilities of a computer to be within the palm of one’s hand. Yet, most see smartphones as nothing more than a distraction and disruption to the classroom. A majority of public K-11 schools, sixty-six percent, in the United States have banned the use of smartphones in school as of the 2015-2016 school year (Thompson). However, some educators have seen this smartphone technology as a new tool with the potential to positively affect learning environments. A major decrease in school smartphone bans has been seen in public schools since they were in place throughout ninety percent of K-12 schools during the 2009-2010 school year (Thompson).
Benefits and Detriments to Smartphone Technology
If smartphones were integrated in the classroom, students would quickly and eagerly adjust without much issue for instructors. Seventy-three percent of teens from the ages of thirteen to seventeen own a smartphone (Pew Research Center). Meanwhile, fifty-six percent of children ages eight to thirteen own a smartphone as well (Consumer). As such, students today are already familiar and comfortable with smartphones and their capabilities. Students have already begun to use smartphones as tools for learning outside the classroom. This is supported by research that suggests smartphones facilitate self-directed learning (Rashid and Asghar). Therefore, the transition to classroom use of smartphones would be relatively smooth and quick for both students and faculty. Teachers have also found that integrating mobile devices into a class excites and encourages younger students (Grant et al.). This excitement, found mostly among elementary school students, means children are more engaged and excited doing their school work. It makes it easier for teachers to go through their lesson plan as there is less interruption from distracted and unwieldy students.
Other teachers have taken advantage of the quick and convenient method of communication smartphones offer. As Figure 1 demonstrates, thirty-five percent of teens prefer texting to any other method of communication, including speaking face to face (Common Sense research). So, some instructors have used this technology to give students a way to contact them discreetly and quickly through text. This can encourage shy and quiet students to ask questions and communicate more openly with their teacher. It could even open an avenue for bullied or struggling children to reach out for help.
Figure 1. Teens’ favorite way to communicate with friends
Smartphones can also be effective tools for distributing educational materials. In one study, a foreign language class used smartphones to distribute their class materials and found it to be convenient and useful. More importantly, it was determined that students could learn just as well from their smartphone devices as printed materials (Thornton and Houser). In addition, smartphones can also assist students in maintaining themselves organized and accountable. Emails can be accessed through apps made for smartphones and notify students when their instructors send important information. Calendars can be easily set with important dates and reminders for classes. Work and assignments can be accessed and organized through apps such as the google drive app. This means students’ information is more accessible than ever. It would leave no room for excuses about forgetting an assignment or not seeing an important update from an instructor.
The use of smartphones for social media and other non-academic activities, however, pose a major threat to learning in the classroom. A person’s attention in complex environments, such as a classroom, can diminish when shifting attention from one activity to another, i.e multitasking (Mendoza et al.). Researchers found that students who use cellphones and text others in class took 30% fewer notes than students who were asked to put away their smartphones (Froese et al.). Students who regularly turn their attention from the lecture to their smartphones have also been shown to perform worse when tested on class material than those who did not use their phones (Mendoza et al.). Not only that, but students who would have their devices in class also have to deal with notifications. Notifications cause a significant distraction in the classroom and decrease student productivity by drawing attention away from a student’s given task (Mendoza et al.). Several studies have even demonstrated that the mere presence of a smartphone diminishes student attention. One particular study manipulated the location of a participants' smartphone while they completed performance measures and found that the closer the smartphone was to the participant while completing the task, the lower their scores were on those tests (Ward et al.).
With the use of these devices, there is also the emergence of technological issues. In one case study, the teachers that integrated technology into their class lectures identified major issues with their school network connection (Grant et al.). Many schools have regular network connectivity issues in the classroom or have networks that are incapable of supporting the demand of the campus. In addition, the use of smartphones bring potential problems with accessibility to programs. Smartphones might not be capable of accessing certain programs that are needed by the class like laptops or computers can access. These issues can delay instruction and prevent students from completing their assignments. The use of student cell phones also bring up problems with appropriate use of the internet during class time. Most schools have strict rules and regulations in place to protect students from adult or inappropriate internet content. However, the use of personal student devices and data plans will make it harder for schools to monitor student internet activity on campus. Even simply allowing smartphones on school grounds can facilitate student cheating on quizzes and tests during class.
Solutions
These issues are not easily resolved, but there are courses of action which may help mitigate the disadvantages of integrating smartphone technology into the classroom. Developers of educational programs should assure that their sites and programs are accessible through all devices. Many companies have already taken smartphone access into account by creating apps for phones and tablets. Google has an entire suite of educational apps collectively referred to as Google Apps for Education (GAFE). These programs are highly praised and recommended by teachers and made more accessible to students through these apps (Case Studies). Schools also need access to a dependable and robust broadband that supports digital learning in the classroom. A good broadband connection requires that each piece of a district’s network works in unison and full capacity (About School Networks). The best way to do that is to install fiber-optic connections throughout the district while also upgrading internal networks for increased wifi speeds. Districts with fiber connections on average have 10x more bandwidth (About School Networks). However, schools can have restricted budgets which do not allow districts to pay for better connections. Both state and federal governments need to invest funds to assure school districts meet federal targets for high speed internet. The federal E-rate program does just that. They subside the costs of telecommunication services for schools and libraries. The overhaul of the federal E-rate program in 2014 was a main contributing factor in helping raise the percentage of school who met the federal internet speed requirements from thirty percent in 2013 to eighty-eight percent in 2017 (Herold). The continued support to schools from the Federal E-rates program is crucial to making sure that 100 percent of schools have access to high speed internet in the near future. The continued development, competition between broadband companies, and integration of fiber optics throughout the nation will lead to the affordability of these upgrades and will continue to become more affordable in the future (Mahoney). In addition, smartphone companies have made strides to include features which could help mitigate problems with distractions. Most smartphones today have “do not disturb” settings that allow for students to turn off notifications while the feature is on. This would keep notifications from irrelevant apps and games from distracting students while they work on their device. Other features like Apple’s new screen time tool allows people to see a detailed break down of the time spend on their phones and what types of sites and apps they utilized during that time. While this feature does nothing to prevent students from using their phones as they wish, the self awareness this feature brings might encourage students to use their smartphones less irresponsibly. Finally, teachers will need to keep close surveillance of smartphone use in class at all times to minimize cheating and other inappropriate use of the internet.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the wide use of smartphones in today's society signifies that smartphone technology will only continue to become increasingly important in everyday life. The integration of smartphone technology into the classroom is an unavoidable development that will ultimately positively affect the classroom learning environment. These devices could easily facilitate learning, teamwork, and communication. The integration of this technology could even teach young students how to productively utilize the smartphones they possess. However, all technology comes with drawbacks. Smartphones could easily distract and sabotage student learning. It is important that proper rules and procedures for the use of this technology in classrooms are put into place so that the negative effects of this technology might be minimized.