Smartphone use in outdoor education: a question of activity progression and place

ABSTRACT

Smartphone use in outdoor recreation settings is somewhat controversial. Some individuals claim smartphones engage audiences and promote access to resources. Others claim they distract from the setting and disrupt others’ experiences. This study examined the perceptions of 151 outdoor instructors regarding appropriate student smartphone use during various activity stages (e.g. travel, main activities, down time, and waiting periods). Results suggested that most outdoor instructors dislike smartphone use outside of travel to and from events. They particularly disliked uses for games, text messaging, phone calls, and social media. However, when uses related to outdoor activities (e.g. GPS tracking, checking weather, locating relevant information), 50–65% of participants agreed they were appropriate. The exception was photography and video where ~70–82% agreed. Younger instructors and males appeared to be more amenable to smartphone use, and 74.8% of participants stated mobile applications could be valuable teaching tools.

KEYWORDS:

• Outdoor education
• outdoor recreation
• smartphones
• mobile technology

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the following individuals who served on the expert review panel and reviewed the instrument developed by the researchers: Rodney Ley at Colorado State University, and Dr. Christine Boggs, Dr. Courtney McKim, and Christopher Laursen at the University of Wyoming. Their valuable feedback assisted the researchers in the improvement of the instrument prior to the administration of the survey to participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

D. U. Bolliger

D. U. Bolliger serves as an associate professor in the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University. Her research interests include satisfaction, communication, interaction, community, engagement, and interventions in the online environment. Other interests include the utilization of mobile technology in informal learning environments.

D. McCoy

D. McCoy is an associate lecturer and degree coordinator at the University of Wyoming. He has extensive experience in the fields of outdoor leadership, education, and recreation. He ran the University of Wyoming Outdoor Program from 1999 to 2017, building it into a first-class resource for outdoor equipment rentals, outings, a climbing wall, and outdoor trainings for UW students, staff, and faculty. He is a Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace Master Educator, and a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional through the National Parks and Recreation Association. He has been a board member of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education and the Wyoming State Advocate for the Center for Outdoor Ethics, Leave No Trace.

T. Kilty

T. Kilty is a postdoctoral research associate for an NSF-funded program Learning to Integrate Fundamentals through Teaching (LIFT), which brings undergraduate STEM and STEM education majors together as a team to design payloads that collect authentic data from sensors on high-altitude balloons. Her research interests include purposeful technology integration in K-12 environments using scientific inquiry, science teacher preparation, outdoor science learning using mobile devices, and exploring decisions about using mobile devices while engaged in outdoor activities. Her educational journey began with a passion for the outdoors and for water in all of its forms, which she attributes to growing up near the shore of Lake Superior. She finds joy in combining science with education in the outdoors, which led her to earn a Ph.D. in Education.

C. E. Shepherd

C. E. Shepherd is an associate professor of Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Memphis. His research interests focus on the use of technology to facilitate learner-centered informal and formal learning environments, particularly in regards to designing environments that foster knowledge acquisition, engagement, and community in distance-based settings.