A smartphone is a mobile phone capable of executing multiple computations and tasks like a personal computer. With the advancement of technology, the smartphone has been equipped with a powerful operating system in combination with numerous beneficial applications and the ability to exchange data at high speeds. Thus, running web-based applications and browsing is inherent. Smartphones are highly accessible and adaptable, making them desirable among many. They make it possible to discuss on social networks and get answers from lecturers, peers, and experts. This essay explores the effect of smartphones on the classroom environment, examining whether they improve learning experiences or interfere with learning.
Smartphones possess multiple features and have great learning potential but still have not fully replaced conventional and e-learning classroom approaches. They have been utilized to complement e-learning and traditional learning. Most of the present students are denoted as digital natives as they are digitally literate. In distinction, their teachers are considered digital immigrants, as most are learning to adapt to the digital era (Sherry, 136).
Smartphones offer various benefits in the classroom. They permit students to record audio and video, to take pictures of teachers’ explanations and also make it possible to request peers to share information relevant to the class. Teachers also permit students to share pertinent articles and even take part in e-silent discussion groups through their smartphones (Sherry, 136). At the end of the session, teachers can request the students to present their silent learning to the class.
Smartphones have also been found to pose great challenges in the classroom: chief among them is the distraction they cause students, thus hindering their attention in class. Studies have claimed that smartphones have done more distractions in classrooms than they have helped in the learning process (Ahmad and Mohammad, 240). These distractions are exemplified in the manner in which students are told to put their smartphones on silent mode or keep them away. This is the case because multiple smartphone features were intended for pleasure and entertainment (Sherry, 137). As Sherry Turkle’s article titled The Flight Conversations asserts, “we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection” (Sherry, 137). Thus, teachers may contemplate smartphones as a cause of interference to learning instead of supporting learning.
Various views have supported the argument that smartphones interfere more with the learning process. For example, it has been established that students who spend most of their time playing with smartphones tend to have a lower self-reported course understanding and general performance (Ahmad and Mohammad, 240). Scholars have established that certain lecturers were upset by the distraction to manually unplugging their wireless transmitters as their students were busy engaging with their smartphones in non-academic activities and thus failing to pay attention (Ahmad and Mohammad, 242). It is thus clear that smartphones play a huge part in clash distractions
It has been established that certain determinants exist on the effect of people’s behavior toward smartphone use in classroom settings. These determinants include effort expectancy, social influence, and performance expectancy (Ahmad and Mohammad, 239). Effort expectancy refers to the ease of smartphone use for learning perceived by the user (Ahmad and Mohammad, 243). Social influence refers to people’s beliefs on how others should adopt mobile learning (Ahmad and Mohammad, 244). Performance expectancy refers to the supposed benefit of mobile learning (Ahmad and Mohammad, 246). While working with students that have greater expertise, comfort, and experience levels with mobile technologies, it proves challenging for older teachers to catch up.
Smartphones have also been found to affect students’ quality of sleep negatively. An increase in the hours spent looking at smartphone screens makes it hard to find sleep. Normally the longer the exposure to smartphone screens, the longer students take to nap (Ahmad and Mohammad, 239). As Gary Shteyngart’s article asserts, the tap of a smartphone screen is slowly making even students become different people (Gary, 2). However, since smartphones are increasingly becoming powerful learning tools, teachers must find ways to embrace them. It is also important that the amount of time students get exposed to smartphone screens be regulated.
With the pervasive acceptance and robust functionality of smartphone technologies, it is undoubtedly that they will change people’s actions and behaviors to ensure they are up to date with them. Some smartphone functionalities are making it possible to have apps that offer engaging approaches to teach the subjects that are found to be most difficult such as science and math. For instance, a free NASA app provides interactive displays and videos that offer life to space in ways that were impossible to the traditional lecture (Ahmad and Mohammad, 242).
Research has established that using digital devices, including smartphones, in universal learning environments facilitates in-class participation and faculty-student interactions (Ahmad and Mohammad, 243). This has resultantly enhanced active learning and engagement. These digital devices have positively impacted students’ academic success and study habits.
In conclusion, it can be challenging to consider the effect of smartphone use on learning and teaching in classroom settings. Some benefits include offering dynamic learning activities, offering the richness of content delivery, and facilitating knowledge sharing through various channels. However, in pursuit of these benefits of learning, there are accompanying challenges, including impeding concentration and having an adverse effect on the determinants of learning, including a slow rate of catchup among teachers resulting to slow adoption. However, the above exploration of the benefits and shortcomings shows that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Thus, educators need to adopt smartphones in their classrooms and lessons in ways that will require the use of smartphones.
Work cited
Ahmad, zahir,wali and ehsan, omaid Mohammad. “The use of smartphones as an educational tool in the classroom: lecturer’s perceptions.” International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (2020): 238–247. Web.
Gary, Shteyngart. “Only disconnect.” The New York Times (2010): 1-3.
Sherry, Turkle. “The flight from conversation.” New York Times. (2012): 136-137.