Beyond distraction: A cross-cultural look at instructors’ perspectives on smartphone use in university classrooms

ABSTRACT

We explored the usage of smartphones in university classrooms across three different countries from the instructor’s perspective. Using a qualitative, cross-cultural approach, we interviewed 30 instructors via semi-structured interviews to understand their viewpoints and experience with student smartphone usage in class. Instructors reported positive benefits that included active learning and the accessibility and sustainability of the smartphone as a learning tool. Participants also highlighted the challenges that include preventing critical thinking and direct instructor issues including distraction, loss of control, and discouragement. Instead of implementing new technology strategies in a top-down manner, organisations should co-create strategies with students and instructors to enhance motivation and focus. With technology being a common cohabitant in the classroom, this paper adds value from the perspective of instructors regarding their struggles, opportunities, and strategies when dealing with smartphones.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• instructors
• smartphones
• technology use
• digital learning environment
• mobile learning

Acknowledgments

We thank Luo Ya and Ying Pan for their help in data collection and preliminary analysis.

This research received funding from the Teaching Development Fund, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author [JM]. The data are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise the privacy of the research participants.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China. [Teaching Development Fund].

Notes on contributors

Julia Milner

Julia Milner is a Professor in Leadership at EDHEC Business School in Nice, France and an Honorary Professorial Fellow in Australia. She has extensive industry experience as a Management Consultant – working with large consultancies and international companies creating leadership programmes in Europe, Australia and Asia.

Sharleen L O’Reilly

Sharleen L O’Reilly is a Registered Dietitian and Associate Professor at University College Dublin, Ireland. She currently holds a prestigious Danish Diabetes and Endocrinology Academy Visiting Professorship. Her research areas include chronic disease prevention for better maternal and child health and improving evidence-based practice teaching and its implementation.