Mobile phones in the classroom: Policies and potential pedagogy

Abstract

Many university instructors (76% of our survey) have a mobile phone policy in their classrooms, due to the distractions of unregulated use. Yet only about half of those who ask students to put down their phones report that these policies are effective. Given that students want to and will use their phones, are instructors taking the opportunity to integrate these mobile devices as a part of media literacy or other pedagogy? We conducted a nationwide survey of more than 150 college instructors to explicate what policies are used, and where they come from; how they are enforced (e.g. rewards and punishments); and for those instructors who use mobile phones in instruction, whether and how the technology is used for academic purposes. Respondents (74%) permit mobile phones for basic classroom activities, but lack true integration with teaching and learning.