Surveys conducted by the University of Central Florida have made it clear that students prefer laptops as their number one choice and smartphones as their second choice in their list of preferred learning devices (Denoyelles et al., 2023). With the increased use and dependence on mobile devices in students' lives, we should consider the best ways to incorporate these devices into classrooms and learning without them being a distraction. Below are some of the best strategies to leverage mobile technologies in the classroom:
Students who are shy or not comfortable sharing in a large group can participate anonymously in polls or quizzes, answer questions, or share immediate feedback via their mobile devices. This provides everyone with an opportunity to confidently answer and share their thoughts.
Students do not necessarily have to write an essay; instead, educators can give them the option to create a video of equivalent length explaining their learning or topic of choice, which may be a more suitable option for some (Adeboye, 2016).
Students are able to chat with their peers or discuss assignments or coursework from anywhere in the world without having to be face to face (Adeboye, 2016). This is also specifically helpful in classroom environments where students can discuss assignments and class tasks without disrupting the lesson.Â
Students can record important parts of their lectures (with a teacher's permission) or take pictures of notes using their mobile devices and refer back to them before a test or assignment. Students have expressed that this feature has made it easier for them to avoid carrying heavy textbooks and instead rely on their smartphones (Denoyelles, 2023).
However, there are arguments against the use of smartphones and laptops in classrooms, the biggest being distraction. Notifications displaying messages from friends or likes and comments from social media posts take students' attention away from the task at hand (UNESCO, 2023). Many countries have taken steps to regulate the use of mobile technologies in classrooms, such as banning social media applications from working on campus WiFi. Additionally, many schools are now teaching students the responsible use of mobile technologies in classrooms (known as digital literacy), as it has become evident that these devices are now unavoidable.