College students might want to leave their smartphones and tablets behind when they head to a lecture, new research suggests.
Otherwise, the distraction might translate into a lower grade on the final exam.
For the study, researchers followed 118 cognitive psychology students at
Rutgers University in New Jersey. For one term, electronic devices were
banned in half of the lectures and permitted in the other half. When
the devices were allowed, students reported whether they had used them
for non-learning purposes during the lecture.
Having an electronic device wasn't associated with lower students'
scores in comprehension tests within lectures, but was associated with
at least a 5 percent (half-a-grade) lower score in end-of-term exams.
The study was published July 27 in the journal Educational Psychology.
"These findings should alert the many dedicated students and instructors
that dividing attention is having an insidious effect that is impairing
their exam performance and final grade," said study author Arnold
Glass, a professor at Rutgers.
"To help manage the use of devices in the classroom, teachers should
explain to students the damaging effect of distractions on retention --
not only for themselves, but for the whole class," Glass added in a
journal news release.
More information
The National Education Association explains how some teachers use smartphones in the classroom.
https://www.geezgo.com/sps/32629
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