The Use of Mobile Devices by UCLan Students During Lectures

Chris Pye & Dr Andrew Smith 

Abstract below...

Recent research points to up to 96% of students in one Dutch university owning a laptop, tablet or smartphone (Kobus et al, 2013) it has also been the case that while some universities have encouraged the use of mobile devices such as these during lectures, others have banned their use (Fried, 2008).

 Anecdotal evidence from some lecturer colleagues at UCLan suggests that the use of mobile devices in lectures is gaining popularity, but their use remains largely non-structured and their incorporation in lectures is rare.  It was observed that some students would photograph power point slides or photograph the lecturers’ board notes rather than copying them down themselves as the lecturer may have expected. In traditional pedagogy the copying of notes may be seen as a useful mechanism to remembering fact based information. What did the students do next with the information they had recorded in this way?

This paper sets out to research levels of mobile device use among students in the Grenfell Baines School of Architecture, Construction and Environment. 150 students were surveyed by questionnaire about their ownership and use of mobile devices during lectures, including what they do next with any information they recorded.

The results showed that over 95% of students owned a mobile device and the majority do regularly use them for both social and learning purposes during their lectures. Worryingly 36% of students would not save or otherwise delete what they had recorded.

By understanding from the students themselves what happens next to the information they record, lecturers may be able to adjust their own approach to knowledge dissemination in a manner that matches the students own expectations regarding the role of technology in the classroom, thus enhancing the learner experience.

Kobus M B W, Rietveld P, van Ommeren Jos. N (2012) Ownership Versus on campus use of mobile IT devices by university students, International Journal of Computers and Education 68, 29 – 41.

Fried C B (2006) In-class laptop use and its effects on student learning, International Journal of Computers and Education 50, 906 – 914.