Editorials from EIL students

BY: MUNKHBAYAR MAGVANDORJ

Today lots of people like to use smartphones when they are at work, class, the gym, and family meetings. According to research, there are 3.3 million smartphone users in the world. That is an unexpected number compared to when I was a child.

What are the good and bad effects of smartphones? Mobile devices help students improve their study skills. Lots of people say smartphones badly affect their bodies. Min my own view, however, it is better to have a phone than to not have a one. Phones in class help students to be good learners, get information and manage time.

First of all, smartphones allow students to better understand their lessons. Sometimes students do not have phones in a class, but they need to write and draw many things in a short time. If they have their smartphones, they can easy to get all the information they need during a class. Students use phone applications to record lectures that are helpful when they have difficulty understanding lectures. Also when students use a “note-taking” application, it is an advantage to help them. For example, it is easy to text notes, checklists, audio files, photo files, sketches, and document notes. When I use the “note-talking” application during my classes, it is easy to remember what the teacher said in the class.

Second, smartphones provide good opportunities to get information. The Internet has tons of knowledge, if students get information wisely. Students use smartphones because they do not want many books. They just install the books on their phones. I like to read books on my phone. It’s easy to highlight some of the ideas and easy to copy to prepare topics. Lastly, a student’s time management is very important to help them organize their time. Smartphones have the ability to set up events in a calendar. I think that calendar and to-do lists improve time management. Sometimes students waste time and forget their assignment due dates and they may get the lowest score in the class. When students learn how to organize their time, it helps a student to become successful in the future.

Overall, smartphones provide good opportunities when students use them wisely. If teachers do not ban phones in their classes, students are able to effectively plan, gain information, and be a straight-A student. •

Graphics by Brad Carbine

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Student in Associatie Professor Mark Wolfersberger’s Fall 2019 EIL 371 class, called written accuracy, wrote editorials on the topic of technology in the clasroom. Two of the students’ editorials were selected to be printed in this

“We have been reading and writing recently about technology use in the classroom,” says Wolfersberger. “Some recent studies have shown that cell phones cause lower test scores with students. People have used this research to argue for banning cell phones in class. But other people argue that teachers and pedagogy have not caught up with the ways in which people use phones and technology. They say teachers need to change and adapt rather than ban phones. My students are now writing about their opinions on this topic.”

BY: NOKHYUNG PARK

At the beginning of the semester, students arrive in their new classrooms eager to take notes with up-to-date technology designed for learning efficiency. My own cellphone, the latest Galaxy Note 10, I specifically purchased to eliminate notebooks, dictionaries, calculators and to streamline my learning experience. However, in some classrooms, professors fight this advancing technology by not permitting it to be used in their classrooms. One has to wonder why?

I see students misusing their phones and laptops in class daily as I can’t help but look over their shoulders. Even I am distracted by other people. These powerful machines literally hold answers to every topic, question, and entertainment a person could want. Should that kind of temptation literally be on the fingertips of young students whose job is to focus? Just as public smoking restrictions protect others from secondhand smoke, a tech ban can eliminate the distractions for a group overall.

The Kahoot platform developer, Jamie Brooker argued instructors tend to focus on only the negative side of using smartphone devices. He believes wise smartphone usage during class can facilitate an enhanced human experience.

However, my question is: “Are smartphones practical for academic performance?” A careful analysis of the data from a Stanford University 2014 study describes "one to one access" to devices in schools provides the most benefits, yet the study does not specifically give evidence these instructors are capable of raising engagement and academic performance of students through smartphone use. Thus, Brooker’s statement is insufficient.

However, Brooker is correct to point out instructors do not maximize smartphone technology for education. He seems to be on more dubious ground when he states technology can enable a richer learning experience. This statement is too ideal to be applied. Students who cannot control distractions will be unable to adjust to a smartphone-based system, which ultimately is counterproductive for the student’s educational experience.

The article on banning cellphone, “Electronics in the Classroom Lead to Lower Test Scores,” argues smartphones do not help academic performance in class. One professor researched how smartphones use can affect a student’s test score. He discovered one group that was allowed to use smartphones in lectures scored 5 percent lower on a test than the other group that was not allowed to use them during lectures. Interestingly, looking at other people's devices, the students who did not use smartphones were also distracted. A class with flexible use of smartphones can cause more distractions.

In conclusion, students may oppose banning smartphone use. However, instructors have the increased challenge of engaging students if smartphones are left unregulated. The argument that developing smartphone-based education can enrich a school experience is suspicious because research does not provide any evidence smartphone use helps students. Thus, students can increase academic performance by developing habits to remove smartphones to allow themselves to become more engaged with other people. •