80% of my students use their laptops for taking notes when I lecture. 100% of them use their laptops during practice classes because they need to research, access to documents in Moodle that they need for the practice, etc.They are encourage in some classes even to use their mobile phones to participate in online quizzes via Kahoot.  so I really find difficult not allowing my students to use their technological devices during my classes. If they prefer to use their laptops for online chating or any other activity not related  to class activity is their responsibility and they are missing a great opportunity to use class time in an useful way. It´s part of their growing up to take that responsibility regarding a correct use of technology in class.

Technology has made a lot of information available to the student at the tip of ones  fingers and this is useful both in the classroom and outside the class room. In the class room technology may be used in the form of smart boards, display technology, audiovisual aids and immediate reference search, in the clinical/ laboratory area, technology may be used as a tool for of learning through simulation, it promotes evidence based practice. Technology may be used as a means of tele-conferencing where experts in the field who would otherwise be inaccessible are accessed through technology for input regarding their expertise.

Various levels of technology are available and it may be used very effectively for the benefit of the student when chosen wisely.  

The cited article and the question refer specifically to student-owned and student-operated technology ("laptops, tablets, and smart phones in the classroom") that is used for personal rather than class activity.  These are the items and the personal uses that the article and the question refer to with the suggestion that this not be allowed in class.  Naturally, any technology used by the professor to conduct class falls outside the "prohibited use" scenario.  In some cases even a lap top would be permitted when the professor and the students are "on the same 'web' page." 

80% of my students use their laptops for taking notes when I lecture. 100% of them use their laptops during practice classes because they need to research, access to documents in Moodle that they need for the practice, etc.They are encourage in some classes even to use their mobile phones to participate in online quizzes via Kahoot.  so I really find difficult not allowing my students to use their technological devices during my classes. If they prefer to use their laptops for online chating or any other activity not related  to class activity is their responsibility and they are missing a great opportunity to use class time in an useful way. It´s part of their growing up to take that responsibility regarding a correct use of technology in class.

This technology created to deliver education to the student, where the student should be. ( outside or inside the classroom)

José, I agree with you regarding the use of tech in class.  If it were available to me back in the dark ages but its use prohibited I would drop the class or start a rebellion, which I did a few times--but that was in the sixties.  My daughter says that most students in her college classes are surfing the web, not taking notes.  But as you say, that's their responsibility and in the future when it comes to getting and holding a job they may regret their actions.

A thought for new technology.  If anyone does this you owe me part of the royalties.  This would use Blue Tooth to connect professor's computer with all student computers in the classroom.  The prof. could lock all computers to a note taking program like OneNote. 

The question seems to be less about technology and more about a) learning activity, that is: productive learning activity and b) multitasking situations in which the students cognitive resources are divided between productive learning activity and 'other' activity OR are overwhelmed by the demands of multitasking.

So, to me, the answer to the question is linked to the same questions we ask as part of a learning design and development process...most notably: What are we asking learner to do? and How does this help them achieve the intended outcomes?

If the use of technology is part of *productive * learning activity, then keep it in the mix...if its not contributing to productivity, then take it out of the mix...

Just one final thought...I'm wondering who the 'we' in the original posting is...if the we is 'teachers', then at some point the response has to be 'what do the learners think', but if the 'we' includes learners, then my point is moot.

Technology does not mean only computer related. Before the development of computers also there was technology (chemical, mechanical, electrical, civil, textiles, paper, food, rubber, plastic and so on). The technology addresses the methods of producing or transforming. One need to use appropriate technology while teaching, both at class room and also while playing or doing any work. By banning lap tops or mobiles in the class rooms, you cannot achieve anything. For instance, when I was a small boy there was no laptop or computer, but we were busy in playing or drawing either on slate or with the book when teacher was teaching. Children are creative and they will be creative. Do not block their creativity. Provide an opportunity for them to learn and make optimum utilisation of available technology and develop better technology. There is need for development in all technologies and the teachers should generate interest among children in loving the subject being taught.

Ben, two very good points.  In some ways I think the writer of the article could just as well be referring to distractions of any kind in the classroom or just outside the classroom and not just to the distractions of technology.  By "distractions of technology" I mean kids using laptops to surf the web, interact on Facebook, view Youtube videos, etc. as opposed to taking notes and/or engaging with the professor.  And I think you're right about multitasking.  I read an article by one of our RG colleagues on research in that area that showed the more tasks, even those that were related, the less was learned, remembered, etc.  That only seems logical to me:  focus on one task at a time to achieve the greatest outcome.  Your second point about the viewpoint of the learners is equally valid.  I don't get the sense from the article that this was taken into consideration. 

Nadia, thanks for the link.  I'm afraid all I understood was "Facebook" and "smartphone."  Could you tell us what the conclusion of the video conference was?  Technology--good or bad in educational settings?

Brady, thanks for the comments and citations.  I think that  while tech is progressing at a phenomenal rate we are still in the early stages of incorporating and using it in a viable way in numerous situations such as education.  I know that e-textbooks, for example, an area I've been involved in since the term ebook was first used, are far behind the potential for what a true ebook should be. 

Yes, Purushothama, let's allow everyone, not just children, to unleash their creativity.  Creativity is our most precious commodity, asset, attribute.  Without it we are stuck in the "now".

Dear John

Is a very goog question. In my experience, I'd notice that because of the revolution of the technology, as teachers, sometimes we feel overwhelmed in front of the students like if it was a competition of knowing more of this hability of pressing buttons in the correct order and managing all the thousands of apps that everyday appear on the net.  The thing is - to feel less pressure - that we are never going to reach them.  And maybe in this confusion of giving better ways of learning and teaching and the tornado of technology, sometimes we use a lot of devices only for be in the train of modernity, but maybe not for a better and significant learning.  As Purushothama said in his opinion, technology are not only devices, and devices are not the only way a student can develop creativity and the only way to solve problems (an important thing that students need in their lifes).  Another thing is that, after a class, they will be connected with the devices again, so, if outside there are plugged, why in a classroom where we are giving them tools for their life, we are encourage them to a confinement mind? Maybe if we have a clear objective to use them, we can give them a webpage, a guided activity, or something very productive to create it by a device.  Or maybe for homework.  Another thing that I was thinking not to feel overwhelmed is that most of the apps in the net are not made for learn how to take a decision, a real decision, an hability for life.  And thinking.  Sometimes, Wikipedia gives you the information, but, what are you going to do with that? That's why the teachers are here, to give them the tools to use correctly the technology and give them another tools for an everyday happiness.

I can't see much point in banning the technology. I think you would have much more long term impact if we do what we are meant to do as teachers, and that is teach: teach students the positives and negatives of technology; teach students when it is appropriate to be using technology etc. 

Like everything else the use of technology in the classroom has its drawbacks.   If technology is not properly managed especially in the primary schools then you can have chaos rather than learning.   When using technology with younger students if the teacher does not know how to manage that classroom then students will not learn much. For students at the university level it is totally up to them if they want to pay tuition and waste time in class because they cannot afford to part with their smart phones for a few minutes.  It makes no sense to ban the technology but students must be taught how to be good digital citizens.

Mardene,

I like your conclusion:  "students must be taught how to be good digital citizens."

And I think it's a bit extreme to "ban" tech from the classroom.  A combination of teacher control and student responsibility should prevail.

Early in the semester and without prior notice I will break my class into small groups and give them a question related to to the topic we are covering that day/week and tell them to create a 3-5 min presentation on the topic with references.  At first they freak out about it, but then I remind them that they have their laptops and phones as resources.  This way they get use to using technology as an educational tool. 

Alan - excellent strategy.  Isn't that one of the words George Bush had trouble with--strategery, stragetery; another was nucular!  Too funny!

Below are some of my publications regarding using e-learning in the context  of developing countries (Lebanon), I hope they will be useful for all of you.

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2013). Extending the TAM to Empirically Investigate the Students’ Behavioural Intention to Use E-Learning in Developing Countries. Science and Information Conference (IEEE), United Kingdom, 07-09 Oct 2013

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2013). User Acceptance Towards Web-based Learning Systems: Investigating the role of Social, Organizational and Individual factors in European Higher Education. Procedia Computer Science 17, 189-197

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2013), Factors Affecting Students’ Acceptance of E-learning Environments in Developing Countries: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach, International Journal of Information and Education Technology Vol 3 (1), 54-59

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2014). A cross-cultural examination of the impact of social, organizational and individual factors on Technology Acceptance between British and Lebanese university students. British Journal of Educational Technology. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12169

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2014). Measuring the moderating effect of gender and age on e-learning acceptance in England: A structural Equation Modelling Approach of an extended Technology Acceptance Model. Journal of Educational Computing Research,51 (2)

Tarhini, A., Hone, K., and Liu, X. (2014). The effects of individual differences on e-learning users’ behaviour in developing countries: A structural equation model. Computers in Human Behavior (In press)

Ali - thank you so much for sharing this list of your publications on the topic of the question!  It's quite an impressive list of valuable studies on the issue.

Based on the titles of your studies I suspect that you may have knowledge/interest in ebooks or e-textbooks for educational purposes.  I'm interested in this for two reasons:  I write bilingual children's books (print and ebooks), as a hobby and not my professional interest; and second, because I'm concerned that the way these are being introduced into schools, especially at the early grades, may be more harmful than helpful. 

I'm referring specifically to the extremely small screens of tablets, iPads, iPhones, and android phones.  Everything I read by teachers, librarians, writers, publishers, and entrepreneurs shows great enthusiasm and awe for the "enhanced" ebooks with interactivity and animated graphics, etc.  I believe they are "jumping on the band wagon" and are blinded by the glitz; they are not thinking this through.  

I think the introduction of this particular technology should be approached slowly and carefully with much prior research regarding the short-term and long-term effects.  My instincts and my common sense tell me that excessive reliance of teachers on these minute devices for content delivery could be very detrimental:  reduced comprehension and creative/critical thinking, increased attention deficit disorder, increased vision problems, and many others.

Just last night I was thinking of ways to get a massive research project on this issue going using Research Gate.  There is a "Projects" section for collaborative research that would be useful for this.  But it was too overwhelming for me, a mere humanist.  It requires the scientific mind of someone in educational research, educational technology, etc.

Ali, are you interested in organizing such a project?  Do you know someone who might be?    

Regards, John

People get bored. Students dont come to lectures. and so on. The solution: POLICE THEM? Interestingly, my students attend my classes even when they are not enroled in them; and then they dont go to lectures of classes where they are enroled with others. WHy so? I thnk rather than worry about technology and rules, we really need to know what we are doing and why. Then we will know why students attend or not and we will not have the technology and rules dilemma , methinks :) 

Ania,

Any thoughts as to why your students attend your classes even when not enrolled?  Topics you teach?  Your expertise in topics?  Teaching style?  Enthusiastic presentation of material?  Personality?  You bribe them with candy?  (Just kidding!)

On a side note, do you have to support the theory of evolution to teach at Charles Darwin University?  (Just kidding again!)

Regards,

John 

Ania, technology is there to SUPPORT the traditional classroom not to replace it.

@John, good idea, yes i am interested

When and where should we use technology for education--in the classroom, outside the classroom, or both?  Both!

Should these be "banned" from classrooms? NO!  I believe that teachers/instructors/professors should have the academic freedom to choose the teaching tools and methods that they believe will best meet the needs of their students.

Should technology for education be focused primarily on outside class activities--homework, research, group activities, reading, testing, and the like? No.  See my full answer above.

When and where should we use technology for education--in the classroom, outside the classroom, or both?  Yes and what James Beveridge said.

We can use technology during classroom teaching ,First, when we start the introduction of our lecture ,Second, when we developing content through explanation or description, Third, when we create thought processing in students mind and finally we use the technology when does the evaluation of delivering lecture.

Technology in education plays an important role in improving the educational skills and knowledge of the people. This is very important especially those who need improve their knowledge in order for them to achieve a successful life in the future. Technology in education is manifested through the use of computers. This is also a great help for teachers since they can already enhance their teaching skills and strategies every time they are facing their class. This technology is very essential for both the students and the teacher but there are some instances wherein this technology is seen to be disadvantageous for both of them as well. Be that as it may, this facility may also impact in the following:-

Laziness in Studying

Since students are already relying more on working and studying in computers they are already relying all the information n the computer. This is not good since there are some claims that computers are not reliable for the students to be learned. They are not anymore reading books and answering their homework since there are already specific answers in the computer.

Forgetting the Basic Way of Studying

They would no longer rely on the books that are lent by their teachers for them to study since they are already interested to study using the computer. Even simple problems and homework that they need to answer, they are more of seeking the assistance of computers already.

Discovering Unusual Things in the Computer

Allowing the students to surf the internet doesn’t necessarily mean that all the things that they are going to discover are good for their mind and studies. There are several things that are found in the internet which are not good for the students hence they need to be properly guided by their teachers and parents every time they are going to use the computer.

Technology in education plays an important role in the study habits and skills of your child. But, you need to make sure that you are going to be very careful in allowing them to use their computer and surf the internet for them to avoid discovering things that are not part of their studies. It is always important to let them used some of these technology in education as often as it is in order to prevent forgetting the basic way of studying.

What needs to be mentioned as well in this digital age is that, it is difficult to think of significant disadvantages when it comes to incorporating computer technology into the class room. Students today "speak computer," and their interest level rises instantly and appreciably when they are allowed to work on the computer. Students learn best by doing instead of listening, and using computers in instruction is hands-on for them, requiring active involvement and participation. Many instructional programs are interactive, giving students the opportunity to answer a question or work a problem and receive immediate feedback. The correlation between feedback and improvement in learning is indisputable.

We have a chapter on ICT in the classroom, which will help to answer your question. Publication next week - see flyer attached.

Best, RHC