Mobiles in class?

Abstract

Change and exploration offer students and staff the opportunity to positively embrace use of mobile devices in higher education teaching, so that the much-vaunted pursuit of technology-based co-production of learning can become a reality. There is a need to evaluate the incidence and effect of the use of mobile devices in class, however, given the newness and rapidly changing nature of the technologies. This study presents a review of the pros and cons of students using mobile phones, smartphones, laptops and tablets in contact sessions. It sets out to determine how the potential of mobile devices for learning may be realised, and negatives minimised, given that the literature paints a very mixed picture of both positive and negative impacts of using mobile devices for higher education teaching and learning. In addition, there are insights from students about how they and lecturers can practically enhance use of technologies in class. There remain gaps in research around this topic, for example, looking at whether students undertaking different subjects respond differently to the use of mobile devices for study.