This text is part of the special public school notebook
Although the Quebec government has banned, since January 2024, the use of personal electronic devices in the classroom — except for educational purposes — the application of this directive remains unclear. Should we crack down or simply better supervise? Overview of what science says.
At the back of the class, a student has been looking at his thighs for a few minutes. The teacher, not fooled, told him to put his phone away. The student complies and slips it into his pants pocket, where, a few moments later, it vibrates, diverting the young man’s attention.
In addition to reducing student attention, the presence of electronic devices in the classroom can lead to lower academic performance and, for teachers, more difficult classes to manage. The personal cellular device “has no place during class hours”, immediately affirms Carolanne Campeau, advisor in prevention of risks linked to the use of screens for the PAUSE initiative and lecturer in science of health at the University of Sherbrooke. The review of the literature on the use of personal mobile devices in the classroom carried out as part of his studies shows that “all documented negative effects are linked to access to a device that belongs to the student”, raises she said.
What about devices for restricted use?
Taking away from students devices that provide access to the Internet or other applications that do not serve educational objectives and lending them devices that are more restrictive, this is how these technologies should be used in the classroom, according to the researcher. Despite this, much has been written about the real effectiveness of using such devices as a replacement for other more traditional teaching methods, “and the results are in all directions,” says M.me Camp. What is clear is that used in a specific context, screens offer learning opportunities related to how technology works or can support students who live with particular learning difficulties.
“On the other hand, taking handwritten notes further promotes the integration of the material, as is also the case with reading on paper rather than on a screen”, since, in the latter case, the distractions that interfere with concentration of the student are numerous. Added to this is the significant effect of screens on visual fatigue and posture, she indicates.
If lending a restricted-use device to all students during class hours is “perhaps utopian,” says Carolanne Campeau, providing access to a traditional computer room with computers configured so that students only have access ‘what they need to carry out the requested task is just as important, according to the advisor. In fact, the number of computer classes has decreased significantly in recent years. “The school environment takes it for granted that everyone knows how the Internet and computer tools work” and relies on parents to educate their children in their use, she points out.
The role of the school
However, according to the researcher, the effects of screens on young people in learning, such as a sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, isolation, alteration of cognitive and executive functions or even a reduction in social skills, constitute a major challenge. Company. And schools have an essential role to play in digital education, “which is one of the most important protective factors”. Learn how to do computer research, distinguish real from false information, use educational applications correctly, collaborate ethically online, become aware of the techniques for reinforcing several sites which aim to retain the attention of users, strengthen your control of screen time, being less influenced by algorithms, etc. “All this learning should be part of an educational package offered in schools,” according to Mme Campeau.
In an ideal world, the education system should also teach students throughout their career to develop their critical thinking in relation to what they are exposed to on the Internet, “and, at the moment, I have the impression that we are not doing it at all,” worries the lecturer. Indeed, even if, according to the professional skills framework of the teaching profession, the school and the teacher are responsible for the digital education of students, no training, according to the researcher, is offered to them.
The main recommendations that emerge from the review of the literature carried out by Carolanne Campeau are to clarify what it means to use screens for educational purposes and to harmonize how the ban on personal cell phones in the classroom is applied. “Some schools also ban it in the corridors and on the playground, since the phone can be a barrier to social interactions. » Others ask young people to simply leave it in their backpack, “but the presence of the device on or near the person is enough to harm working memory,” she emphasizes. reference to a study by the University of Chicago.
To reduce the risks associated with screens, you need to understand them and practice, and “school is an ideal environment for this,” concludes the researcher.
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