I have a rule in my classes:”I do not want to see or hear
your noise making devices unless you can prove they are relevant to the class”.
That of course does not stop it completely, there are always those who continue
to do so (very rudely I might add); and for the most part I can say, their
grades are amongst the lowest because they do not pay attention.
“Frequent Cell Phone Use
Linked to Anxiety, Lower Grades and Reduced Happiness in Students, Kent State
Research Shows”
“Today, smartphones are central to college
students’ lives, keeping them constantly connected with friends, family and the
Internet. Students’ cell phones are rarely out of reach whether the
setting is a college classroom, library, recreational center, cafeteria or dorm
room. As cell phone use continues to increase, it is worth considering whether
use of the device is related to measurable outcomes important for student
success, such as academic performance, anxiety and happiness.”
“Kent State University researchers Andrew Lepp, Ph.D., Jacob Barkley, Ph.D.,
and Aryn Karpinski, Ph.D., all faculty members in the university’s College of
Education, Health and Human Services, surveyed more than 500 university
students. Daily cell phone use was recorded along with a clinical measure of
anxiety and each student’s level of satisfaction with their own life, or in
other words happiness. Finally, all participants allowed the researchers to
access their official university records in order to retrieve their actual, cumulative
college grade point average (GPA). All students surveyed were undergraduate
students and were equally distributed by class (freshman, sophomore, junior and
senior). In addition, 82 different, self-reported majors were
represented.”
“Results of the analysis showed that cell phone use was negatively related to
GPA and positively related to anxiety. Following this, GPA was positively
related to happiness while anxiety was negatively related to happiness. Thus,
for the population studied, high frequency cell phone users tended to have
lower GPA, higher anxiety, and lower satisfaction with life (happiness)
relative to their peers who used the cell phone less often. The
statistical model illustrating these relationships was highly significant.”
Smartphones are simply tools, and like
all tools if they are used incorrectly do not work. Put the phone down
students, it will be there when the class ends.
Dr Flavius A B Akerele III
The ETeam