Exploring Factors that Influence Technology-Based ...

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Journal of Educational Computing Research

Exploring Factors that Influence Technology-Based Distractions in BYOD Classrooms

Journal: Journal of Educational Computing Research

Manuscript ID JOECR-16-0200

Manuscript Type: Original Manuscript

laptop; tablet; mobile device, distraction; secondary school; gender; Keywords: pedagogy, Quantitative, Learning Environments, Learning, Integration ,

Mobile

Abstract:

Previous research on distractions and the use of mobile devices (PDAs, tablet PCs or laptops) have been conducted almost exclusively in higher education. The purpose of the current study was to examine the frequency and influence of distracting behaviours in secondary school, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classrooms. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 181 secondary school students (55 females, 126 males) enrolled in three schools across Canada. Almost 80% of the student reported being on tasks regularly when using mobile devices in class. However, students also engaged in a number of distracting activities including emailing (64%), surfing the web (65%), using social media (52%), instant messaging (32%) and playing games (30%). Female students engaged with social media significantly more than males, whereas males played games significantly more than females. Students were rarely distracted by peer use of mobile technology devices. Students were more distracted with mobile devices when engaged in independent or group work, and less distracted with lectures and student presentations. Students claimed that teacher and school restrictions were probably the most effective method to limit distracting behaviour learning.



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Journal of Educational Computing Research

Exploring Factors that Influence 1 Exploring Factors that Influence Technology-Based Distractions in BYOD Classrooms



Journal of Educational Computing Research

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Abstract

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Previous research on distractions and the use of mobile devices (PDAs, tablet PCs or

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laptops) have been conducted almost exclusively in higher education. The purpose of the

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current study was to examine the frequency and influences of distracting behaviours Bring

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Your Own Device (BYOD) classrooms in secondary school. Quantitative and qualitative

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data were collected from 181 secondary school students (55 females, 126 males) enrolled

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in three schools across Canada. Almost 80% of the student reported being on tasks

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regularly when using mobile devices in class. However, students also engaged in at least

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one of five distracting activities "occasionally or regularly" with their mobile devices

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including emailing (64%), surfing the web (65%), using social media (52%), instant

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messaging (32%) and playing games (30%). Female students engaged with social media

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significantly more than males, whereas males played games significantly more than

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females. Students were rarely distracted by peer use of mobile technology devices.

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Students were more distracted by their own use of mobile devices when engaged in

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independent or group work, and less distracted with lectures and student presentations.

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Students claimed that teacher and school restrictions were probably the most effective

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method to limit distracting behaviour learning.

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Keywords: laptop; tablet; mobile device, distraction; secondary school; gender; pedagogy

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Exploring Factors that Influence Technology-Based Distractions in BYOD Classrooms

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Overview

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A mobile device allows a student to engage in educational activities any place,

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anytime (Kukulska-Hulme, 2005; Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula, & Sharples, 2004). The

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most commonly mobile technologies used by students are smartphones, tablets, notebooks,

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laptops, and hybrid devices (Chen, Seilhamer, Bennett, & Bauer, 2015; Harris Poll, 2015;

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Wu et al., 2012). Ubiquitous access to mobile computer devices is becoming more

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prevalent in primary, secondary and tertiary school systems and represents a potentially

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valuable educational opportunity (Hwang, Tsai, & Yang, 2008; Kay, 2008). Extensive

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research on student use of mobile devices in the classroom has been conducted in higher

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education (e.g., Fang, 2009; Gaudreau, Miranda, & Gareau, 2014; Junco, 2012a, 2012b).

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Primary advantages of using mobile devices are increased student performance, better

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communication among students and teachers, and improved learning experiences (e.g.,

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Aguilar-Roca, Williams, & O'Dowd, 2014; Awwad & Ayesh, 2013; Barak, Lipson, & Lerman,

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2006; Kay & Lauricella, 2011a; Ragan, Jennings, Massey, & Doolittle, 2014). Key challenges

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of using mobile devices in class are limiting distractions and developing effective

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implementation and management strategies (e.g., Bowman, Levine, Waite, & Gendron,

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2009; Junco, 2012a, 2012b; Rosen, Carrier, & Cheeva, 2013). Some authors have argued

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that the cognitive cost associated with engaging in distracting behaviours can have a

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significant impact on academic performance (Burak, 2012; Fried, 2008; Junco, 2012a,

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2012b; Kraushaar & Novak, 2010; Ravizza, Hambrick, & Fenn, 2014). To date, the majority

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of research on mobile device use has concentrated on higher education, perhaps because of

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the prevalence of these devices in college and universities (Dahlstrom, Walker, & Morgan,

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2013). However, access to mobile devices in secondary schools has grown significantly, as

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more schools are moving toward BYOD programs (Hwang et al., 2008).

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A number of gaps exist in the research on investigating the use of mobile devices in

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the classroom. First, although comprehensive research on the advantages and challenges

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of using these devices in the classroom has been examined in higher education (e.g., Fried,

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2008; Gaudreau et al., 2014; Kay & Lauricella, 2011a; 2014; Kraushaar & Novak, 2010;

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Lindroth & Bergquist, 2010), secondary school students' perspectives have not been

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explored. Second, limited research has concentrated on specific activities that secondary

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school students engage while using mobile devices in class. Third, while specific tasks that

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higher education students pursue with their devices has been researched (e.g., Gaudreau et

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al., 2014; Judd & Kennedy, 2011; Junco, 2012a, 2012b; Ragan et al., 2014), the factors that

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lead to distracting behaviour have not been examined.

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The purpose of the current study was twofold. First, we explored the prevalence of

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specific distracting behaviours that secondary school students engage in while

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participating in a BYOD program. Second, we examined factors that might influence

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distracting behaviours including gender, peer distraction, and instructional method.

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Literature Review

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We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on the use of mobile devices

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with a focus on distracting behaviours. For the purpose of this paper, distractions are

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operationally defined as activities are not directly related to achieving designated learning

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outcomes in a class (Gerow, Galluch, & Thatcher, 2010; Taneja, Fiore, & Fischer, 2015). The

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majority of the studies on distracting behaviour focus on laptop devices as opposed to

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tablets or mobile phones. We will discuss two main themes in detail: distracting behaviour

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(communication, search the web and entertainment) and factors that influence distracting

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behaviour (gender, peer behaviour, instructional method).

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Distracting Behaviours

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Researchers have reported that higher education students engage in a variety of

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distracting behaviours on their laptops during class. In at least three studies, 50 to 65% of

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students engaged in distracting laptop-based activities during class (Jacobsen & Forste,

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2011; Ragan et al., 2014). The literature review revealed three main categories of

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distraction: communication, searching for information, and entertainment (Aguilar-Roca et

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al., 2012; Awwad, Ayesh, & Awwad, 2013; Barak et al., 2006; Fried, 2008; Kay & Lauricella,

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2014; Ragan et al., 2014; Turkle, 2008).

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A number of researchers found that students engaged in distracting

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communication-based activities such as following social media feeds and emailing while in

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class (Aguilar-Roca et al., 2012; Awwad et al., 2013; Barak et al., 2006; Fried, 2008; Kay &

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Lauricella, 2014). Awwad et al. (2013) surveyed female engineering, science, and IT

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university students' laptop activities during class and observed that a majority were

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frequently using their devices for social media and email. Other studies have also reported

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university students used social media (e.g., Aguilar-Roca et al.,2012;, Barak et al., 2006; Kay

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& Lauricella, 2014) or sent instant messages (e.g., Fried,2008) during in class. Turkle

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(2008) argued that the idea of sending out an email or testing during class is so

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commonplace, that students no longer feel the need to conceal this distracting behaviour.

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Researchers have also observed higher education students searching for various

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personal information during class (e.g., Fried, 2008; Kay & Lauricella, 2014; Ragan et al.,

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2014). Fried (2008) and Kay and Lauricella (2014) both reported that students would surf

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the web during class time. Ragan et al. (2014) added that undergraduate students surfing

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the web for personal reasons accounted for almost 40% of all distracting activities.

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Several researchers reported that higher education students use their mobile

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devices for entertainment purposes during class, such as playing games or watching videos

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(Awwad et al., 2013; Barak et al., 2006; Fried, 2008; Kay & Lauricella, 2014; Tallvid, Lundin,

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& Lindstr?m, 2015). Kay and Lauricella (2014) revealed that higher education students

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would play games on their laptop during class, albeit infrequently. Awwad et al. (2013),

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Barak et al. (2006) and Fried (2008) noted similar results of higher education students

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playing games on their laptops while in class. Tallvid et al. (2015) indicated that 30-50%

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of junior high school students (grades 7-9) reported playing games on occasion or daily

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with their mobile devices during class.

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Factors that Influence Distracting Behaviours

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A limited number of studies have looked at factors that might lead students away

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from on-task learning activities to distracting behaviour with their mobile devices (e.g.,

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Carrier et al., 2009; Judd & Kennedy, 2010; Junco, 2012b; Spink, 2013). Four possible

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influences have been noted including gender, peer behaviours, the instructional method

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used, and restrictions implemented.

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Gender. A number of researchers have explored male and female attitudes,

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behaviours, and use regarding technology (Barker & Aspray, 2006; Kay, 2008; Kay and

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Lauricella, 2011b; Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010; Sanders, 2006). Kay (2008), in an

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extensive review of the literature on gender and technology use, reported that there were

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small or no differences between males and females with respect to attitude, behaviours,

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and use of technology in elementary, secondary and tertiary school environments.

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For mobile device use, one of the main differences between males and females

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regarding distracting activities is the type of activity chosen. For example, males appear

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more likely to play video games on their laptop devices than females (Barker & Aspray,

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2006; Kay, 2008; Rideout et al., 2010; Sanders, 2006; Tallvid et al., 2015). On the other

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hand, females may be more likely to use the computer for communication (email, social

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networking) than males (Rideout et al., 2010). Kay and Lauricella (2011b) also observed

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that female undergraduate students were more likely to engage in on-task laptop

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behaviours compared to males.

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Peer behaviour. Some researchers have observed that peer behaviours with

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mobile devices can have a significant impact on surrounding students in class. Aguilar-

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Roca et al. (2012), in their study of undergraduate students, explained that a major

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distraction was the sound produced from keyboard keys tapping. Fried (2008) added the

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clicking of keys and light emitted from the screen could lead to decreased efficiency and

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academic performance. Fang (2009) noted that phones were distracting in class because of

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the sounds from ringtones and vibrations. Jassawalla, Sashittal, and Malshe (2009)

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reported that undergraduate students were distracted when they could see other students

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in the classroom engage in cyber-slacking. Gerow et al. (2010) explained that other

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students might find it difficult to focus on their academics as the distracting activities of

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their peers are in competition with the lesson of the instructor.

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Instructional method. The instructional method used to integrate mobile

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technology may influence the frequency of distracting behaviours. Fried (2008) explained

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that distraction caused by laptops might occur more in an unstructured, lecture-based

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environment, where students are not given explicit and technology-based learning tasks to

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