Professors old and new often struggle with how to reach and engage each year of students. Especially with drier material, professors and students alike appreciate adding that extra oomph to make the class interesting and engaging, rather than dry and basic. This article talks about challenges that professors face with technology and how it can be overcome. Especially when the class is rather dry, students turn to their laptop or cellphone to surf the web, shop, watch Netflix or check sports. Without being seen as the up tight stickler that starts taking student's phones away, what can professors do?
One professor decided to give his students voluntary extra-credit for ditching the cell phones and writing about the experience. A third of his students did so and the results were exactly what we would think. Students found it easier to concentrate in class and while writing papers, felt "free" from the burden of responding to a text, phone call, social media post, email (etc.) and that social interactions became less awkward - cell phones cut down on social interaction and became a crutch to avoid people. Great, right? However, students also cited a feeling of fear - as in, what if they needed that phone for an emergency? What if someone else, like a friend or family member needed to contact them about an emergency?
It's obvious that access to cell phones and laptops to surf the internet in the classroom are detrimental to learning, but it also seems to be a necessary evil and something that today's professors have to accept and work to overcome. The reality is that we can't tell students that they aren't allowed to have cell phones or laptops (well, we could but sooner rather than later there would be a legal case out of this, I'm sure). So, instead, I love the idea of offering extra credit to those that don't use their cell phones. It helps them realize just how much their cell phone usage affects their ability to learn and concentrate while also rewarding them. In addition, working to incorporate new technologies to keep class fun and engaging is a key component to limiting cell phone usage. Yes, there will still ALWAYS be those few students who really don't give a s**t and play on their phones anyway, but if we could reach a few students and improve their quality of learning, isn't it worth it?