Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School?

College students are going to bring their cellphones to class no matter what you do. As a
teacher, you might think you have to try to ban them. Or, perhaps you could ignore the
problem and hope it goes away. But cellphones are part of every modern student’s life. Instead
of opting to ban or ignore them you can harness the power of cellphones. And by getting your
class to use them as part of their learning, you can turn this obstacle into a win for your
students.
Allowing students to use their cellphones in the classroom is a controversial topic. Some
instructors (and universities) ban the devices from class—or, at the very least, closely monitor
their usage.
There are several arguments for this move. Students could be distracted, or spend more time
playing video games or texting friends than paying attention in class. But it’s a losing battle to
ban them as school policy. Students don’t like to be separated from their cellphones.
On the flip side, cellphones are being used to teach, making lessons more engaging and
interactive. Rather than banning them, some teachers are looking at ways of incorporating
cell phones into their curriculum to provide a better learning environment.
Clearly, technology is required when learning outside of the classroom, particularly for
remote learning or flipped classrooms. But physically, in school, the vast majority of
students want to use their smartphone for academic purposes..
Cellphones in school—statistics from student survey
The survey found that a large number of students — 75 percent — believe using personal devices in the
classroom has improved their ability to learn and retain information. Fifty-eight percent of respondents
use their phones to take pictures of lecture slides; 41 percent use them to Google answers to in-class
questions; and 39 percent use them to access a digital textbook. On the other hand, 54 percent also use
cell phones to text friends and 52 percent use them to browse social media during class.

Student have already found ways of using cellphones in school for academic purposes, even if
their instructor isn’t integrating technology into lessons. Students are also using their
cellphones in the classroom to access digital textbooks and, most commonly, to take photos of
lecture slides.

But there are other ways they could be using them. Students said they’d be also willing to use
their cellphones to answer in-class polls, access a professor’s slides and even take an exam.

Some students are already using digital textbooks in class using their cellphones, while others
are open to that option.
There are some students who don’t want to use their cell phones in school for academic
purposes. Not many, though: only six percent. The majority feel digital devices help them to
learn more effectively.

Cellphone in school: What researchers and educators say

Studies say that cellphones and other mobile devices can significantly enrich learning, so long as
they’re mindfully added to the classroom. (Such as through active learning, as described
above.)
For students, cellphones in the college classroom should be reclassified as learning, not
distraction, devices.
Pros and cons of cellphones in school

Pro: Cellphones can enrich learning if incorporated into class

Pro: Most students are already using cellphones to learn, take notes and answer questions
Pro: Cellphones can be used as research tools in some subjects
Pro: Using digital devices in class can be an effective way of attracting students to your course.

Con: If you allow cellphones in class but don’t include them in your lesson, you’ll have to be
interesting enough to compete with them
Con: Cellphone use in school should be monitored to make sure students aren’t distracted from
their lessons.

CONLUSION

There are several good examples to follow for all disciplines. For instance,business and
vocational schoolsincorporate digital devices into their lessons because their graduating
students would be expected to use them immediately in their daily careers.

But if you are concerned about the effect of cellphones on classroom discipline and distraction,
there is help. Download our free e-book, designed to give you some practical tools, by filling in
the form below.