This report came via 3 of my feeds. I’m not sure why. It would be sad if this were news to academics.
“Awareness of the various digital distractions pervasive throughout higher education hasn’t stopped college students from turning to their myriad devices, as the average student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L) campus and five other schools admitted to using a tablet, laptop, or phone 11 times every day during class, according to a study released Oct. 23.”
“Students, while acknowledging that digital devices were a persistent distraction during class, were hardly advocates for policies that would hinder their use of tables and phones during lectures. Nine in 10 students said they would oppose mobile device bans in classrooms.”
Here is one lecturer’s solution.
“Throughout a 70-minute lecture, his 60 students are presented with a constant stream of relevant course material on the iPads that have been provided to them.
There’s nothing on their iPads that blocks students from jumping to another app to find distraction. They’re simply too busy to, Yaros said.”
I suppose you could paraphrase the whole article by saying if lectures, don’t engage/bore students they find something else to do.
http://www.digitallife.gr/mobilius-telecomicus-31-2010
Having said that, I believe that a new skill that needs to be taught through primary and secondary school in the management of wireless and digital devices. It’s the wild west at the moment and kids need some guidance, and some hard and fast rules.
http://www.ecampusnews.com/research/college-students-digitally-222/