Having phones in class leads to bad grades, says a new study, and it makes a lot of sense

How many times have you taken a look at your phone during class, or have you written a text or e-mail in the pocket of your book bag – because this n & # Is not obvious (spoiler: it's). I'm willing to bet that if you own a smartphone and go to school, you've probably been guilty of doing it at least once or twice. Well, I understand – been there, done that – but just as there is a time and a place for everything, there is also a time and a place for everything, including your smartphone: science says to have phones in The class could hurt your grades, so unless it's an emergency, you'd probably be better off paying attention to your teacher. Believe me, this cute chemistry you've watched can wait half an hour between replies, and your best friend does not need to know at 10 am on a Tuesday if you have plans on Friday night.

I was caught in the middle of a very animated textual discussion, and although I knew my teacher's non-telephones policy was strict, I ignored my best judgment and I left my fingers on my keyboard. My teacher was one of those women who was kind, until you gave her a reason to be severe, so when I heard her say, "Julia, what is it?" what you do?" I literally felt my throat fall in my stomach. "Put it away, please," she said, and I swear I did not look at my phone in her class for the rest of the semester. Although, according to a recent study, it was probably to my advantage.

Researchers at Rutgers University have discovered that when students have access to their electronics in the classroom, their grades tend to suffer in the long run.

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I know you have to think about having your phone with you in class, it's probably just a problem of attention, right? Bad, my friend. The way your phone actually affects you is quite fascinating, because it has nothing to do with whether you pay more attention or are less likely to be an active participant; it has everything to do with your notes, so you will want to hear that.

Basically, there is a real question at hand when it comes to having phones in academic settings, and that has nothing to do with your ability to do it. ;Warning. For the study, which was published in the journal Educational Psychology researchers from Rutgers University evaluated the performance of 118 students who were allowed to have their laptops, phones and / or tablets in the classroom. their courses throughout the semester, and for the other half, the courses were considered without technology. What's fascinating is that the results showed that no matter if the devices, when they were licensed, were actually used: Anyway, researchers found that when students had their phones and other electronic devices in class, at the end of the semester, their grades suffered by nearly half a letter, or 5% on average. Yikes

In other words, having your phone with you in class does not necessarily affect your understanding or understanding of the lesson you are learning in real time, but these results suggest to affects your long-term performance at school. Professor Arnold Glass, a senior researcher on the study, said in a statement,

These findings should alert many dedicated students and instructors that attention is divided by an insidious effect that harms their performances and their final mark

. To help manage the use of devices in the classroom, teachers should explain to students the detrimental effects of distractions on retention – not only for themselves but for the whole class

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In the world today, it is not realistic for me to suggest that the best way to eliminate any temptation to take out your phone in the middle of A conference is to simply leave all the devices in your dormitory or in the glovebox of your car, so what is the alternative? On the one hand, you can turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode when the class is in session, but if you prefer to use your electronic devices to take notes, you will obviously have to be a bit more creative.

In a blog post for her website The Cornerstone For Teachers, Angela Watson, board certified teacher and founder of the podcast Truth for Teachers says that the use from the camera of his smartphone makes it possible to take notes. really beneficial for your learning skills. She wrote,

I use my phone's camera to take pictures of product information instead of writing model numbers and prices, to capture recipes in magazines and to access maps and directions to copy by hand or print. Camera phones are one of the best and simplest tools we have today, and every year more and more of our students have access to them. Why not exploit this available technology and use it to their advantage?

So, as long as you have your teacher's OK, taking notes by camera can be a great way to use the technology in the classroom. Recording your lecture could also be an option – again, depending on your teacher's preference. As long as you do not watch a text or do not scroll Instagram under your desktop, smartphones do not have to be a death sentence for your GPA. You just need to know how to use them to your advantage.