Should Students Be Allowed To Use Their Phones During Class?

    The education system has changed over the years and is now different from when our parents were in school. Technology has become a bigger part of our daily lives now than it was in the past. We use our phones, tablets, computers, and laptops for many things inside and outside of school. These devices have become important and now with the instant access of the internet, students can use these devices for educational apps, communication tools, and ways to do homework. Phones are also a great way to learn in ways that you couldn’t do in the past. But the question of “should students be allowed to use their phones during class?” is still debatable. Teachers who allow students to use their phones during class might see it as a way for students to interact with the class more, and engage with class activities as well. However, teachers that are against students using their phones during school are still concerned that students will possibly use their devices for cheating, cyber bullying, and other irresponsible activities. While using phones in class can lead to distractions and overuse, it can also help learning when used responsibly, so using rules surrounding technology usage for educational purposes in class is important.

         Summary #1

    In the study “Impact of Mobile Technology on Student Attitudes, Engagement, Learning,” Heflin, Shewmaker, and Nguyen looked at how mobile devices like phones, tablets, and computers affect students when they are working together in class. The researchers compared two groups of students who used mobile devices during group work and another group who didn’t. They found that “mobile technology is associated with positive student perceptions of collaborative learning,” (Heflin et al.) meaning that students enjoyed using technology and thought it made class activities more fun and interactive. However, the study also showed that technology caused “increased disengagement by students during class” (Heflin et al). Many students using mobile devices got distracted, looked at their screens, were less likely to talk, make eye contact, or stay focused. The researchers also noticed that when students wrote their group papers on mobile devices, they “demonstrated significantly less critical thinking than those who used a computer keyboard or wrote responses by hand” (Heflin et al). This recommends that writing on phones may make students think less deeply than writing on a computer or paper. Even though mobile devices can be distracting, the authors pointed out that when used correctly, they can “create a more flexible learning model that gives both faculty members and students access to multiple information sources” (Heflin et al). Apps like Heads-Up were also described as “useful teaching tools” (Heflin et al) that help teachers assign roles, organize groups, and “promote significant learning” (Heflin et al) through communication and teamwork. But the study warned that “any use of technology for learning presents the opportunity for student distraction, and therefore, disengagement” (Heflin et al). Meaning that while technology can help students find information and work together, it can also easily pull their attention away from learning if not used correctly. Overall, the study shows that mobile devices can be helpful to students during class. If the devices are used for what they are supposed to do in a classroom setting, they can improve their learning skills, critical thinking, and help students participate more in group activities with their mobile devices. If these devices are not used right, it will make the students become more distracted again and they won’t engage that much in class.

 

          Summary #2

    In the study “Preventing Digital Distraction in Secondary Classrooms” (Jiyeon, et al.), the authors looked at how different electronics like phones and laptops can distract students and what teachers can do to help them stay focused. The study looked at Spanish classes at a secondary school, where two groups of students were compared. One group followed a plan to reduce digital distraction. This plan had short lessons about what digital distractions is and why it matters, a weekly checklist to track the students distractions, and visual reminders in class. The other group that was studied didn’t have any lessons, visual reminders, or a weekly checklists and kept doing their usual routine. After a few weeks, the students who got the visual reminders and weekly checklist were less likely to use their mobile devices for things that were not related to class, but they still had trouble focusing, multitasking, and having the urge to check their devices. This revealed that these habits that the students have developed over time are hard to break. The article also says that small distractions, like checking notifications, can be handled with lessons, weekly checklist, and reminders. But with bigger problems, like constant multitasking and the urge to check devices, need more lasting fixes, such as rules, teacher feedback, and lessons on self control and time management. Even if technology can be used for learning in a good way, it can also make it more difficult as well. The authors explain that “digital distraction” (Park, et al.) happens when students use devices for non school related work, causing the students to miss their teachers instructions or fall behind. Also, many teachers say that “digital devices significantly distract their students, hindering their ability to learn effectively” (Park, et al.), showing that students focus or attention are divided even when teachers are trying to teach important lessons. While weekly checklist and visual reminders helped reduce phone use, other distractions stayed the same, which proved that short term plans were not enough. Overall, devices can help learning, but they can also make it difficult for the students to focus.

        Similarities and Differences

    Both studies show how mobile devices can affect students in class, and they agree that distraction is a serious problem. Heflin, Shewmaker, and Nguyen say that “any use of technology for learning presents the opportunity for student distraction, and therefore, disengagement” (Heflin et al.). This means that even devices meant to help can sometimes make the students lose focus. Park et al, explains that “digital devices significantly distract their students, hindering their ability to learn effectively” (Park et al.). This shows that students can miss important lessons or fall behind when they use their mobile devices too much. Both studies also show that teachers need to help control how students use their devices in class to stay focused. At the same time, both sources agree that devices can be helpful if used the right way. Heflin et al, says that mobile technology can “create a more flexible learning model that gives both faculty members and students access to multiple information sources” (Heflin et al.). This indicates that these devices can help students learn from many different resources, not just from the teacher. Park et al, also shows that using weekly checklists and visual reminders can decrease small distractions, like checking their phones, which helps students pay more attention in class (Park et al.). This proves that simple plans like weekly checklists and visual reminders can help students stay on task, avoid small distractions, and focus better during class. Finally, both sources agree that mobile devices can become distracting and lead to problems. But they also agree that they can also support learning when teachers guide students and help them use technology the right way.
    These two sources show the differences in how technology affects students, with one focusing on benefits and the other on problems. Heflin et al, looked at the good side of mobile devices, saying that “mobile technology is associated with positive student perceptions of collaborative learning” (Heflin et al.), which means students enjoyed working together and thought class activities were more enjoyable. They also say apps like Heads-Up can be “useful teaching tools” (Heflin et al.) that can help teachers organize groups and make learning easier for students. On the other side, Park et al, focuses on the problems that mobile devices can cause. Even with lessons, weekly checklists, and reminders, bigger distractions like multitasking “stayed the same” (Park et al.), which showed that students habits are hard to change. Overall, Heflin et al, focuses on the benefits of mobile devices for group work and learning, and Park et al, focuses on the problems that mobile devices can cause and ways to fix them.

         Strengths and Weaknesses

    Both of these articles have their strengths and weaknesses. Starting with the source “Impact of Mobile Technology on Student Attitudes, Engagement, and Learning.” Heflin and his partners used classroom observations and student work to show both the positive and negative effects of mobile technology, observing that students “who are disengaged most often are found looking at technology, not making eye contact, and posturing themselves in ways that are not participatory” (Heflin et al.). Meaning careful attention to both the benefits and challenges of mobile learning. Park and her team strengthen their credibility by identifying statistics on teenager's device use, reporting that “teenagers spend an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes on digital devices daily” (Park et al.), pointing out how worldwide digital distraction is in classrooms. These two articles also depend on evidence to make logical points, such as Heflin’s finding that “student work products produced on mobile devices were rated significantly lower on evidence of critical thinking” (Heflin et al.), and Park’s judgement of plans like “weekly checklists” to reduce students distractions. Lastly, both articles could connect more emotionally with the readers, as Heflin and his partners focus heavily on observation and data, while Park and her partners study lack quotes or direct student voices about their experiences. Overall, both of the articles have a well supported paper, but adding human experiences could make their paper stronger.

        Compromise

    Both of the articles didn’t have a perfect result when it came to students using technology in class. On one hand, devices like phones, tablets, and laptops can make it easier for students to learn and be enjoyable for students. They can also help students look up information when they need help with something, take notes in class, work on group projects, and even use educational apps that make lessons more engaging. On the other hand, having a consistent connection to technology can become a big distraction. Students might have a difficult time checking digital platforms on their devices, might play games on their devices, or text their friends during class, which can make it harder for the students to pay attention and learn in class. After looking at both of these sources, I believe that the best way to approach this is to find a balance between the two. Teachers can let students use their devices for only school related work, like researching or group assignments, while also setting strict rules about when they can use their devices and when they need to be put away, such as during lectures, discussions, in class quizzes, and in class tests. Teachers could also allow students to have small breaks so they can check their devices after lectures or discussions, which makes the students not feel controlled and restricted. Also, by having these strict rules, students can use their devices to help them learn without getting distracted. Through this approach, students still get the upside of technology, like being able to research information faster and easier, and work together in groups, while teachers make sure students are still learning in class. By having this as well, this can teach the students how to use technology better and increase the participation in class, showing that there can be a middle ground with learning and using technology wisely.

                                                         Works Cited

Houston Heflin, Jennifer Shewmaker, and Jessica Nguyen. “Impact of Mobile Technology on Student Attitudes, Engagement, and Learning.” Computers and Education, vol.107, 2017, pp.91-99, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131517300064


Jiyeon Park, Jeniffer Paxtle-Granjeno, Min Wook Ok, Mikyung, and Erin Wilson. “Preventing Digital Distraction in Secondary Classrooms: A Quasi-Experimental Study.” Computer and Education, vol.227, 2025. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131524002379