Cell Phones Here. Cell Phone There. Cell Phones Everywhere.

by Rachel Murphy

Cellular phones have become much more available in the past 20 years, but some colleges have not made a clear decision on specific policies.

Hampton University, located in Hampton, VA, conducted a study on cell phone use in college during the 2007 spring semester. Eighty-four undergraduate students were surveyed from HU’s School of Business. The results indicated that 100 percent of students owned and used a cell phone. It also reported that 53.5 percent of the students use their cell phones during class time in every class they attend.

The study indicated that of the students who use their cell phone in class, 77.3 percent believe that using their phone in class seldom, or never interferes with classroom learning.

Utica College’s policies for students using cell phones in the classrooms are left up to each professor. George E. Curtis, UC’s dean of Business and Justice Studies, and a professor of criminal justice, has detailed rules regarding cell phone use.

“I do not allow use of a cell phone during normal class,” Curtis said. I do not allow possession of a cell during exams. A student may leave the phone on vibrate on my desk in the event of an emergency.

Placing bans on cell phones at college’s used to be the solution, according to the Journal of College Teaching & Learning.

However, after attacks such as 9/11 and school shootings such as Virginia Tech in 2007, where 32 people were killed, policies on cell phones have changed.

At UC, cell phones in the classroom are not encouraged, but some professors make exceptions. Assistant Professor of Sociology, Polly J. Smith, does not allow cell phone use during class.

“Exceptions are made for emergency situations,” Smith said. Smith does allow students to exit the room quietly if there is an emergency. “I would rather have students in class than skip class because they are waiting for a call,” she said. Smith would not ban cell phones from the classroom and keeps her cell phone with her in case her children are sick. “Life today does not wait,” Smith said.

However, even with these regulations, some students disregard their professor’s policies and decide themselves whether using a cell phone in class is necessary. Senior Psychology and child life major, Tara Buffa, described how some students would act out from the banning of cell phones.

“I do not think it would really matter because people would bring their phones anyways,” Buffa said. “I just think people will continue to use phones as something to do instead of paying attention in class.”

One main reason for banning cell phones is the distraction it is to the learning process. Also, cheating can cause teachers to ban cell phones from the classroom, according to The Journal of College Teaching & Learning. Cheating used to consist of writing on hands, or bringing in small notes, but now tech-savvy cell phones users can cheat by text messages, taking pictures of the test, or searching the Web.

Despite the rules, some students will still use their cell phones during class. Syracuse University’s Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Neil B. Strodel, teaches a class consisting of 35 students. Strodel says it can be hard to keep track of the cell phone users.

“Here’s my rule, I call them out on it, using a cell phone is disrespectful,” he said. I’ve never kicked anyone out before, but I am very firm.”

Although some teachers might find cell phones to be distracting, researchers predict that cell phones could help in the learning process. A study done by the Journal of College Teaching & Learning indicated that cell phones are more important for students than the computer. The learning potential from cell phones is due to the functions they possess: text, and voice messages, browsers, camera functions, video capabilities, global positioning systems, sensors, headphones, graphic displays, and voice recognition.

“The possibilities of educational applications for cell phones are enormous and emerging,” according to the study. It also indicated that little research has been conducted on the use of cell phones in the college classroom.

In the future, cell phones could even replace textbooks. In Europe, cell phones are already being used as learning tools. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Press Office, “BBC launches English University Tour in China,” students in China are using their cells to learn English. In the article, “German Students to Learn by Phone,” published by the Times Higher Education, students are able to access lectures by using their cell phones.

Using cell phones as a learning device in the classroom may cause professors to rethink their teaching methods. However, Lauryn Donovan, an accounting major and senior at UC, says cell phones are not necessary.

“I don’t see a benefit from having access to cell phones in the classrooms since most classrooms have computers and Internet access,” Donovan said.

Cell phones are now being incorporated into schools and are changing the way students learn. Educators are now using technology in order to teach students from the MySpace and Facebook generation, according to Innovate, a journal of online education.

Strodel says he may use cell phones in the future to teach.

“I could see integrating cell phones in the class in a positive way through a lesson plan,” he said.