3) CON: Internal Distractions
Any time a smart phone is proximal to a student, they may be tempted to use it.
Granted, sometimes this is for the benefit of learning; most times, it’s not.
Students can be their own worst enemy in the classroom if boredom sets in and they reach for their smart phone. Do they really need to look at their friend’s newly posted Florida vacation pictures on Facebook while the three branches of the U.S. government and their importance are being discussed by the professor?
2) PRO: Working Internet
Although there are occasional spots without signal, many college campuses have abundant wireless internet access.
In other cases, campus wireless networks can be forced to slower-than-normal speeds due to high volumes of users. I’ve often found network servers are overwhelmed and slow down weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the most students are on campus.
The 3G and 4G wireless networks available to smart phones can prove to be an effective workaround solution to such inconveniences. Thus, if network difficulties arise, I allow students to use their smart phones to go online and search for information needed or complete activities requested. Not a full replacement for a full computer with working internet, but it’s something!
Be warned that data usage associated with this method may cost students money if their service providers don’t supply unlimited data plans.
1) PRO: Calculators, Conversions & Timers
Most cell phones and smart phones come equipped with a variety of useful in-class tools by default that many students are completely unaware of (and some professors completely overlook).
One of the best examples is the calculator. Nearly all smart phones have these by default I’d be willing to wager that some smart phones even offer scientific calculators. No longer can students use the excuse that they don’t have a calculator!
In addition to calculators, smart phones also offer conversion calculators. A variety of different distance, volume, temperature, and weight measurements can be determined within seconds.
Smart phones are so powerful that real distances and areas can be measured outside of the classroom using GPS, and this data can immediately be converted to a unit of your choice.
If laboratories are part of your class, smart phones also can be used as a timer. Granted, there is a certain charm to the simplicity of old fashioned stopwatches; however, you will never need to purchase stopwatches again as timers come default-installed on smart phones.
Dr. Christian Benker serves as a professor of geosciences at Arizona Western College and often incorporates emerging technologies into both his classroom and scientific research. From undergraduate through doctoral studies and ultimately professorship he has essentially been in college for the past 15 years and has observed a wide array of technological changes. In 2014 he launched heyfreshman.com, a professor driven college tips and advice website addressing frequently asked questions and concerns college students have though informative and entertaining blogs, vlogs, and podcasts.
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