Effective way to deal with misuse of mobile devices in class
There is nothing new in what you describe. As a student who oft got bored during lectures, I have done some distracting things during them, even though I didn't have access to any electronic device at the time (I'm young enough that they existed, but it wasn't accepted practice to bring them to class). We did crossword puzzles (collaboratively), we played cadavre exquis, we read newspapers and discussed them, we flirted, we worked on other stuff, … What makes you think the situation you are experiencing is specific to mobile devices? The cause of the distractions is different from other situations, but I think the issue is the same and the solutions are, too.
So, what I would suggest is: warn your students that while what they do is their business, you expect that their behavior does not interfere with other's study or the general class atmosphere. Tell them that mobile devices are useful, but that they should be careful not to abuse them. Handle non-compliance as you would a typical incident: talk to them, give fair warning, but clearly set the limits and enforce them if it comes to that.
Here's the policy I will try in my course next semester:
Policy for the use of electronic devices
To promote a better learning environment in my classes, I established this policy of using electronics devices (EDs). Allowing EDs in my classes is a privilege and not a right. That is, until my university establishes its own policy in this regard.
Goals
EDs offer several advantages in my classes. The lectures may be richer and more dynamic, you can perform Internet searches, answer questionnaires given by the teacher to validate comprehension immediately, do exercises with UML tools, take notes in an electronic document, etc.
However, there is a less positive side of the use of EDs in a lecture.
Several studies on multitasking [1] [2] show that students who focus on a single task in a course to learn more and have better results than their colleagues who work on multiple tasks simultaneously.
Another study [3] shows that the time to read a text is greater when responding to text messages during the reading.
According to surveys at several universities [4] students find laptops distracting during lectures. I have personally received comments in written evaluations for my courses that showed students were disturbed by other students who attended the course with a computer, but who used it to do other tasks during class.
Code of conduct
- You should minimize the use of EDs for tasks not directly related to the course.
- You must not access (or leave plugged into an electrical outlet) EDs during any kind of evaluation (quiz, exam, etc.), without my permission.
- You must put your ED in a "silent" mode during the course.
- You must place the screen of your ED to allow eye contact between you and me and other students.
- You must close your ED when I ask, for example when doing team exercises.
Enforcement of the policy
Here are some indicators of possible non-compliance with the policy that are easy to detect and for which I have given several warnings in the past:
- A student with his hands between his legs who looks down occasionally, smiling...
- Many students staring at the a computer screen of a colleague...
- A laptop fan running at full speed...
In case of non-compliance with the policy, I will give you a warning. After a warning, you may lose the privilege of bringing your ED to class.
References
[1] Hembrooke, H., and Gay, G. "The Laptop and the Lecture: The Effects of Multitasking in Learning Environments." Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 2003, 15 (1), 46-64.
[2] Young, J. R. "The Fight for Classroom Attention: Professor vs.. Laptop. "Chronicle of Higher Education, June 2, 2006, 52 (39), A27.
[3] L. L. Bowman, L. E. Levine, B. Mr. Waite and Mr. Gendron, "Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading, "Computers & Education, vol. 54, no. 4, p. 927-931, May 2010.
[4] Joan A. Williams, Helen Berg, Hannah Gerber, Melinda Miller, Donna Cox, Nancy Votteler, Carwile Dixie, and Maggie McGuire, "'I Get Distracted By Their Being Distracted': The Etiquette of Texting In-Class" Eastern Education Journal, vol. 40, no. 1, p. 48-56, 2011
Your problem is quite a common one and one that I face all the time. It is easy to see the benefits brought by laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. and for those of us who were focused students, it seems like a benefit we want to give the younger generation. However, there are a lot of non-focused students who do use these devices to distraction, both their own and others.
For me, I try to make the class more interactive, less stand-and-deliver. That is, I tend to call on students all the time and I asked one student to comment on the opinion of other students. If the students are unable to give any meaningful answer (e.g., if they simply say 'yes, I agree with his point') then I dig until it is clear that the student was not paying attention. If that's the case, then one warning if I'm in a good mood and none if I'm not.
I make it clear that they have the choice to be there or not. University is not for everyone. If they don't want to be there, get out. If they do want to be there, then act like it.
I usually don't have to do it too often but I do have to do it from time to time to remind them that school is not relaxation time. Keep the classroom a little tense...it will keep them on their toes.