In the past 20 years or so, smartphones have slowly become an everyday part of life, even in the classroom. Of course, smartphones can be a useful tool for keeping track of deadlines or connecting with teachers, but they are also a distraction that diminishes productivity for most people.
Perhaps unsurprisingly students report that they use their smartphones for non-academic reasons up to 10 times per day during class. This has led many schools to ban them during lessons.
However, scientists wondered if allowing students to take short, controlled phone breaks can actually improve focus and classroom performance. A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University set out to answer this question. In this article, we'll go over their findings.
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Short Phone Breaks Lead to Less Phone Use
Led by Prof. Ryan Redner, the researchers tested the effects of one-, two-, and four-minute technology breaks during lectures. For comparison, they also included non-phone breaks where students were encouraged to ask questions. These breaks all occurred 15 minutes into the lecture.
The results showed that when students were given short phone breaks, they used their phones significantly less during the rest of class.
Interestingly, the shortest break—just one minute—was the most effective in keeping phone use at bay. “One possibility is that one minute is enough to send a quick message or check notifications,” said Redner, “but longer breaks may lead to more back-and-forth conversations, increasing the temptation to use phones later in class.”
Better Focus Equals Better Test Scores
In addition to reducing phone use, the study found that students performed better on tests during sessions with one-minute breaks. Average test scores climbed to over 80%, suggesting that these brief pauses might help students stay focused during the lecture.
“Our hope is that students were less distracted during class, which led to improved performance,” Redner added.
More Research Needed on Phone Use in Classrooms
While the study offers promising insights, the researchers caution that the results aren't definitive. Phone use during the sessions varied widely, and the reasons behind this inconsistency aren't fully understood. Additionally, the study couldn't entirely rule out whether students behaved differently because they knew their phone use was being monitored—a phenomenon known as reactivity.
Redner and his team emphasize the need for further studies to better understand these patterns. Still, the research suggests that short, reinforcement-based breaks could be a more effective approach than strict phone bans.
In the meantime, educators might consider testing brief phone breaks as a way to manage distractions without punishing students. As Redner concluded, “We hope our findings inspire researchers and teachers to try approaches to reducing cell phone use that are reinforcement-based, rather than penalty-driven.”
If you are interested in more details about the underlying study be sure to check out the article published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Education, listed below this article.
Sources and further reading:
To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of technology breaks in a college classroom (Frontiers in Education)
Why does smartphone battery life get worse and worse as it gets older? (Universal-Sci)
How you type with your smartphone can reveal your age – here’s why it matters (Universal-Sci)
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