Dial D for Distraction: The Making and Breaking of Cell Phone Policies in the College Classroom

Abstract

Cell phones are nearly ubiquitous in the college classroom. This study asks two primary questions regarding the making and breaking of in-class cell phone policies. In what manner are students using their phones and how can faculty members minimize the potential for phone-related distractions? To answer these questions we analyze original survey data from nearly 400 college students across multiple public and private universities to better understand the students' impulse to use their phones during class. Results from the survey demonstrate that more than 80% of students use their phone at least once per class and that students generally believe this to be an acceptable practice. These student data are supplemented with survey data from close to 100 college faculty to evaluate a range of policy options for dealing with this issue. From this analysis, it is clear that the policies most frequently implemented by instructors are typically perceived by students as the least effective.

Keywords:

• cell phones, classroom distractions, mobile technology

Notes

¹ Our survey did not ask students about the specific type or capabilities of their individual phones. For expositional purposes, we refer to phones of all types simply as “cell phones.”

² One type of classroom response system is Learning Catalytics, which allows students to provide feedback on any web-enabled device, using a variety of tools. A pilot study demonstrates the effectiveness of Learning Catalytics in soliciting meaningful feedback, engaging students, and organizing and implementing effective peer instruction (Schell, Lukoff, and Mazur 2013).

³ Only the surveys administered at UCD asked for student's specific GPA. The remaining surveys asked students to identify their GPA within the following ranges: below 2.0, 2.1–2.5, 2.6–3.0, 3.1–3.5, 3.6–4.0, and 4.1 or above.

⁴ Further, the low R-squared values in each model suggest that phone use does not provide substantial explanatory power regarding student GPAs.

⁵ Although students were informed both verbally and in writing that all survey responses would be strictly anonymous, the 6% of students admitting to cheating with their phone almost certainly underestimates the proportion of students that have cheated in this fashion. For comparison, a 2009 study by Common Sense Media reported that 35% of teenagers surveyed claimed to have cheated with their cell phone at least once.

⁶ In general, student responses to questions regarding distractions did not highly correlate with class size. Students in classes with larger enrollments were slightly less likely to report noticing others checking their phones or texting during class (Pearson's r −0.03) and slightly more likely to report that their academic performance has suffered due to others using phones around them (Pearson's r 0.13).