Mobile Device Restrictions in K-12 Schools – will it work?

In recent years, the debate over mobile device restrictions in K-12 schools has intensified. With the rise of smartphones and social media applications, many schools have implemented policies to limit or ban access to these technologies during instructional time. In this blog post, I briefly explore the rationale behind these restrictions, examine some current research findings, and argue for a balanced approach.

Some of the Harms Driving Mobile Device Restrictions

The increasing presence of smartphones and social media in school has been linked to adverse outcomes for students. Research indicates that excessive screen time is associated with a decline in well-being (Pagliaccio et al., 2024). The use of mobile devices in schools has been connected to inappropriate behaviors, such as cheating, cyberbullying, and sexting, which can affect students’ mental health and safety (Dickson et al., 2018). Studies have also found that smartphone addiction can yield negative learning outcomes (Sunday et al., 2021). Concerns about the harms of mobile devices and social media use have led to a widespread call for restrictions on mobile device usage in educational settings.

A Few Research Insights

More research is needed as the effectiveness of restrictions is not well understood and experiences can vary dependent on the context (OECD, 2023; Stoilova et al., 2021). In studies that have explored how mobile devices are used, there are reports that students from K-12 can make effective use of technologies for learning in meaningful and responsible ways. For example, K-grade 4 teachers reported that handheld devices were used to engage young learners in activities such as creating multimedia artifacts (Jacobsen et al., 2021). In a study with 9-to-11-year-olds, students used social media for learning and reported activities, such as searching online for information, using videos for learning, taking photos of assignments, accessing digital texts, creating digital content and communicating electronically with their peers and teachers (Sanbrooks & Brown, 2021). In a study with upper secondary students in Sweden, the students noted that a mobile phone is a tool that facilitates their schoolwork (Ott et al., 2018). Students in high schools report using cell phones for time management, accessing information, resources, responding to digital polls created by their teachers, accessing timely feedback, collaborating with others, and accessing outside experts, to name a few.

Despite the uses for facilitating schoolwork, digital technologies are also reported to be distractions in the classroom. For example, the PISA questionnaire administered to 15-year-olds every three years through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that one in three students becomes distracted while using digital devices in mathematics lessons and students become distracted by their peers using digital devices (OECD, 2023). However, the same study also noted that “moderate use of digital devices in school is related to higher performance; but the relationship differs greatly according to the purpose of use” (p. 231). Read more here about the PISA results – https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i_53f23881-en.html

The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University describes how college students use devices and engage with media. At the college level, students can also become distracted, and they recommend instructors intentionally provide a variety of pedagogical activities and “by keeping your students engaged, thinking, and doing activities during class, they are less likely to be tempted by digital distractions.” They also highlight the importance of accessibility to assistive technologies and advocate for inclusive practices: “allowing all students access to a device in class avoids singling out students who have important reasons for using one.” Read more here – https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/technology-and-student-distraction

The Need for Balanced Approaches and Investment in Digital Literacy Programs

While restricting mobile device use in schools may seem like a straightforward solution, it is not without challenges. Implementing and enforcing these policies can place additional demands on teachers, potentially disrupting teaching and learning processes. Moreover, simply removing access to technology may not necessarily lead to improved engagement and achievement and will limit inclusion in schools. The debate over mobile device restrictions in K-12 schools highlights the complex relationship between technology and education. While there are valid concerns about the harms associated with excessive mobile device use, it is crucial to adopt balanced approaches that address these issues without hindering students’ access to technology and digital skill development. By investing in digital literacy programs and fostering responsible technology use, schools can create equitable environments where students are situated as partners in learning and can thrive academically and socially, preparing them for a digital future and using the tools of their day.

Dickson, K., Richardson, M., Kwan, I., MacDowall, W., Burchett, H., Stansfield, C., Brunton, G., Sutcliffe, K., & Thomas, J. (2018). Screen-based activities and children and young people’s mental health: A systematic map of reviews. EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, University College London. https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=3748

Jacobsen, M., Friesen, S., & Brown, B. (2021). Teachers’ Professional Learning Focused on Designs for Early Learners and Technology.  In Information Resources Management Association (Eds.) Research Anthology on Facilitating New Educational Practices Through Communities of Learning, pp. 456-477. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7294-8.ch024 

OECD (2023), PISA 2022 Results (Volume I): The State of Learning and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en

Ott, T., Magnusson, A. G., Weilenmann, A., & Hård af Segerstad, Y. (2018). “It must not disturb, it’s as simple as that”: Students’ voices on mobile phones in the infrastructure for learning in Swedish upper secondary school. Education and Information Technologies, 23(1), 517–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9615-0

Pagliaccio, D., Tran, K. T., Visoki, E., DiDomenico, G. E., Auerbach, R. P., & Barzilay, R. (2024). Probing the digital exposome: Associations of social media use patterns with youth mental health. NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44277-024-00006-9

Sanbrooks, J. & Brown, B. (2021). Social media use among 9-to-11-year-old children and influences on leadership practices in schools. In M. Griffin & C. Zinskie (Eds.) Social media: Influences on education, Information Age Publishing, Inc. https://www.infoagepub.com/products/Social-Media

Stoilova, M., Edwards, C., Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Livingstone, S., & Sonuga-Barke, E. (2021, December). The impact of digital experiences on adolescents with mental health vulnerabilities: A multimethod pilot study [Monograph]. London School of Economics and Political Science. https://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/research/research-projects/Adolescent-mental-health-and-development-in-the-digital-world

Sunday, O. J., Adesope, O. O., & Maarhuis, P. L. (2021). The effects of smartphone addiction on learning: A meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 4, 100114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100114

Flipped Learning Grades 6 to 9

This article is about a flipped learning approach involving four teachers and 65 students in grades 6, 7, and 9 science, math, and social studies in a Canadian school. We used the TPACK framework to inform the instructional design of the activities through professional learning sessions with the teachers. The results were based on teachers’ reflections and a student survey. Teachers found they had more time during class to support students’ learning and that prelearning video activities complemented the in-class learning and supported students with English language learning. The article is open access and can be accessed using the following link:

Delanoy, N., El-Hacha, J., Miller, M., & Brown, B. (2024). Implementing a flipped learning approach with TPACK in grades 6 to 9. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 50(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt28506

Other articles related to flipped learning:

Brown, B., Delanoy, N., & Webster, M. (2022, May 18). Flipped learning in grade 7 and 9 mathematics [Proceedings]. Open Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association (OTESSA) Conference Proceedings, 2(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.18357/otessac.2022.2.1.23

Mazur, A., Brown, B., & Jacobsen, M. (2015). Learning designs using flipped classroom instruction. Canadian Journal of Learning Technology, 41(2), 1-26. https://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/26977

Knowledge Brokering

Friesen, S. & Brown, B. (2024). Knowledge brokering pivotal in professional learning: Quality use of research contributes to teacher-leaders’ confidence. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1430357

What is knowledge brokering? In simple terms, knowledge brokering can be used to describe a process for connecting research and practice that involves a relationship between researchers and practitioners. This article discusses how knowledge brokering within educational networks can play a role in supporting educators with research. We describe a study with a group of Canadian teachers who engaged in a design-based professional learning series and examine participant’s reflections about their use of research in their practice. We used Rickinson et al.’s (2022) Quality Use of Research Evidence framework as a lens for analysis. Meaningful integration of research in professional learning contributed to teachers’ confidence in their individual practice, as well as their confidence in collaboration with colleagues in their schools, and confidence in having professional conversations with colleagues from other schools, and confidence in keeping abreast of the research informing system level decisions. Knowledge brokering is an important function of professional learning networks and design-based professional learning initiatives. The article is available through open access – https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1430357

Reference:

Rickinson, M., Cirkony, C., Walsh, L., Gleeson, J., Cutler, B., & Salisbury, M. (2022). A framework for understanding the quality of evidence use in education. Educational Research, 64(2), 133-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2022.2054452

Tips for Writing Article from your Dissertation

I have been receiving questions about recommendations for how to get started when writing an article from your dissertation or a research project. Here’s a few tips to get started:

I highly recommend the book, “Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success” by Wendy Laura Belcher. This is a book I used when teaching graduate courses focused on writing educational research courses and continue to recommend to colleagues. The chapters are set-up to walk you through all the steps and can help structure and guide you through the writing process.

I also recommend deciding where you would like to publish. Select a journal in the field with scope and aims that align with your topic. Read current articles and get accustomed to the style and structure commonly used in the journal. Look at the submission requirements (length, style, etc.) to find a good fit for your work. A reminder to check with your supervisor for more advice as this is also dependent on the type of dissertation (e.g., manuscript based).

Another suggestion is to review how another author wrote an article from their dissertation. I often share an example from one of my research collaborators.

Example: Dr. Christy Thomas wrote about one of the findings and expanded on this from the dissertation in the following article:

Article in International Journal for Leadership in Learning (Thomas, 2022)

https://leadershiplearning.ca/index.php/ijll/article/view/5/55

Dissertation: Exploring the impact of professional development partnerships on teaching and learning (Thomas, 2016)

https://prism.ucalgary.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/70ed8cb2-fbe7-42af-87a0-dc804b8d5341/content

Here’s one more example showing how a conceptual framework was used in my doctoral study:

Brown, B., & Jacobsen, M. (2016). Principals’ technology leadership: How a conceptual framework shaped a mixed methods study. Journal of School Leadership, 26(5), 811-836. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461602600504

Dissertation (Brown, 2013): How Principals Cultivate Technology Integration and Use Professional Learning Networks https://prism.ucalgary.ca/items/ec61fbec-1617-4341-ab6a-20d4a198bb21

I hope these tips are helpful to get started with sharing your research! This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of tips and may not apply to all types of research projects. Be sure to connect with your supervisor for more advice.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

I had the opportunity to present research at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference (ISSOTL23) – https://issotl.com/issotl23/ conference at Utrecht University, which was an exhilarating experience. The research I shared comes from a project funded by a SSHRC Insight Development Grant, which explores online pedagogies to foster social connectedness and professional collaboration (Presentation Slides & Publication List). As the principal investigator, working alongside my collaborator Dr. Christy Thomas, and with the support of two doctoral research assistants, Amber Hartwell and Bruna Nogueira, we delved into how teaching and learning experiences can cultivate online professional collaboration skills.

SoTL, or the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, is a field I’m deeply passionate about. It’s an interdisciplinary venture that scrutinizes post-secondary teaching and learning, aiming to improve educational practices and outcomes. This scholarship is crucial because it underpins the quality of teaching and learning, offering insights that can transform educational experiences.

More about the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) and future conferences- https://issotl.com/

Related article from December 4, 2023:

4 letters everyone should know: SoTL. Interview with Gillian Edwards, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary. https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/news/4-letters-everyone-should-know-sotl

AI Prompts for Moderating a Panel Presentation

I will be moderating a panel discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education at an upcoming session that is part of the #ETMOOC2  Artificial Intelligence and You mini MOOC. Free Registration – https://sites.google.com/view/etmooc-two/

This blog post provides information about how I used Chat.openai.com to help plan the panel presentation.

I started with the INPUT PROMPT:

Improve the following promotion message for a panel presentation about using artificial intelligence in educational contexts: Join us for a conversation about the possibilities for using artificial intelligence in educational contexts. Panelists will discuss perspectives around ethics, equity, and accessibility. They will share ideas about the issues and questions that are commonly asked about using AI, global trends, tenets and guiding principles and will showcase some grassroot applications for prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion in learning designs.

Chat.openai.com generated OUTPUT:

Looking to explore the exciting possibilities of using artificial intelligence in educational contexts? Join us for an engaging panel presentation featuring leading experts in the field. Our esteemed panelists will delve into the key ethical considerations surrounding AI, as well as issues of equity and accessibility in educational settings. From global trends to tenets and guiding principles, our experts will share their insights and offer actionable strategies for leveraging AI to prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion in learning designs. Whether you’re an educator, a student, or simply curious about the potential impact of AI in education, this is an event you won’t want to miss. So mark your calendar and join us for a thought-provoking conversation that promises to inspire and inform! (OpenAI, 2023)

Here’s my revised version based on the ChatGPT-generated output (OpenAI, 2023):

Looking to explore the exciting possibilities of using artificial intelligence in educational contexts? Join us for an engaging panel presentation featuring leading experts in the field. Our esteemed panelists will delve into the key ethical considerations surrounding AI, as well as issues of equity and accessibility in educational settings. From global trends to tenets and guiding principles, our experts will share their insights and offer actionable strategies for leveraging AI to prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion in learning designs. Whether you’re an educator, a student, or simply curious about the potential impact of AI in education, this is an event you won’t want to miss. So mark your calendar and join us for a thought-provoking conversation that promises to inspire and inform on May 3, 2023 at 7pm!

Registration Link – https://sites.google.com/view/etmooc-two/home?authuser=0

Next, I started crafting questions for the panelists and a timeline/plan for the panel. Once I had a working draft, I thought it might be helpful to try a new prompt to see if I missed any key questions or if there was anything I should consider as the moderator.

INPUT PROMPT:

Provide a plan for the panel presentation with questions the moderator could ask three panelists. One panelist is an expert in global trends, research and ethics, and misconduct. The second expert has a focus on teaching and equity, diversity and inclusion in a faculty of education. The third expert has expertise in assessment and accessibility. (I realized that I spelled accessibility incorrectly in my prompt and this did not impact the output).

Chat.openai.com generated OUTPUT:

Panel Presentation Plan:

I. Introduction

  • Welcome and brief overview of the panel presentation
  • Introduce the panelists

II. Panel Discussion

  • Moderator poses questions to each panelist
  • Panelists provide their insights and responses
  • Moderator encourages cross-panelist dialogue

III. Q&A with the Audience

  • Moderator opens the floor to questions from the audience
  • Panelists provide responses and insights

IV. Conclusion

  • Moderator provides a summary of the key takeaways
  • Encourages further discussion and exploration

Moderator Questions:

1.         For the panelist with expertise in global trends, research, and ethics:

  • How do you see AI shaping the future of education on a global scale?
  • What are some ethical considerations that must be taken into account when implementing AI in educational contexts?
  • What are some examples of AI-related misconduct in educational settings, and how can they be prevented?

2.         For the panelist with a focus on teaching and equity, diversity, and inclusion in a faculty of education:

  • In what ways can AI be leveraged to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in education?
  • How can educators ensure that AI tools are accessible to all students, regardless of their background or ability?
  • What are some challenges that educators may face when integrating AI into their teaching practice, and how can they be overcome?

3.         For the panelist with expertise in assessment and accessibility:

  • What are some examples of AI tools that can be used to improve assessment and evaluation in education?
  • How can AI be leveraged to make educational resources more accessible to students with disabilities?
  • What are some potential drawbacks or limitations of using AI in assessment and accessibility, and how can they be addressed? (OpenAI, 2023)

I reviewed my questions and added some of the ideas from the output (OpenAI, 2023) to the panel presentation plan. Next, I shared the questions with the panelist to seek feedback and plan to continue working with the panelists to refine questions up to the date of the panel. I hope you can join us for the panel on May 3, 2023 for the #ETMOOC2 AI and You mini MOOC and ask your questions too!

Reference

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Apr 3 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Note: Format for citation and reference based on APA Style “How to cite ChatGPT” blog post https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Are you interested in starting a Master’s degree in Education in Summer 2023?

Start your Master’s degree (MEd Interdisciplinary) at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. Apply before March 1st 2023! Take 4-courses each year while you work and finish your degree in three years!

Here’s some complementary 4-course topics that might interest you for your first or second year in the program:

Leading and Learning in a Digital Age (Fully Online)

Be a Leader in the Digital Age!

Join us in the award winning, fully online Master of Education program, Leading and Learning in a Digital Age acknowledged with a UNESCO Open Education Resource (OER) Implementation Award in 2021! Digital innovation and learning in multimodal contexts have become a global focus. Explore the complexities of inclusive and high-quality digital learning environments using online pedagogies. This four-course topic in Learning Sciences is fully online and designed with flexibility for working professionals. Learn alongside instructors and invited guests who are internationally recognized in the educational technology field and experience a highly interactive online learning experience with zero textbook costs (ZTC). New topics will include discussions around artificial intelligence!

Take risks and learn how to use innovative technologies, develop your social learning network, and critically examine the literature and research in the field. Plan to make a difference in your work context to help others navigate the complexities of living and working a digital world. This program attracts teachers and professionals in educational environments as well as professionals in other fields and disciplinary areas, world-wide.

For more information about this program, contact Dr. Barbara Brown[email protected] 

Collaborative Creativity for Social Innovation & Strategic Design (Fully Online)

Be a Changemaker!

Become a cohort member of this transformative four-course, fully online graduate program in education for those wishing to develop collaborative cultures of creativity in their professional workplaces, classrooms, and across connected networks. Learn to engage in interactivity and empathetic and generative communication in a way to achieve high levels of collaboration that leverages the strengths of each group and community member to achieve what would be difficult or near impossible as individuals. All courses are online and highly interactive!

A central feature of this program is continual collaborative engagement in contextual personal and professional creative problem solving across a wide range of real-world contexts from the United Nations Sustainable Global Goals to the classroom or professional workplace. This is supported by action and literature-based research in creativity, collaboration, and human-centred design. The Collaborative Creativity for Social Innovation & Strategic Design graduate program will help you develop and empower your creative and collaborative potentials and those around you.

For more information about this program, contact Dr. Robert Kelly – [email protected]

Dynamic Design in Education (Fully Online)

Dynamic Design in Education sponsors an immersion into the sciences underlying learning to help educators and leaders understand the strengths and benefits of good learning design and the many challenges that teacher designers face. As you engage in this cohort-based learning experience, you will come to appreciate designs for learning and assessment for learning, collaborate with your peers to create new designs for learning and research, and develop new insights and competencies in the evaluation of learning and learning environments – for learners and for teachers. For those new to design thinking, this graduate certificate engages you in recognizing yourself as a designer of learning in your subject of expertise to transform your students’ learning experiences across different learning environments (formal and informal; online, face-to-face, and blended). The Dynamic Design program is fully online!

For more information about this program, contact Dr. Michele Jacobsen[email protected]

Learn more about the MEd Interdisciplinary Program and other topics offered for Summer 2023!

Book: Engaging in Educational Research-Practice Partnerships: Guided Strategies and Applied Case Studies for Scholars in the Field

Save 20% using discount code ASM11 until January 31, 2023

Description:

Engaging in Educational Research-Practice Partnerships guides academic researchers into forming mutually respectful, collaborative, and scalable partnerships with school practitioners. Despite robust theoretical and conceptual planning, research on learning is often removed from real settings and generates findings with limited practical relevance, yielding frustration for K-12 stakeholders. This book provides invaluable resources to researchers seeking to work with practitioners as they solve problems and improve outcomes while answering fundamental questions about who gets to generate knowledge, from where, to whom, and in what contexts. A range of illustrative case studies and strategies explores how to apply appropriate theories and methodologies, negotiate agendas that ensure mutually beneficial goals, determine the role of pracademics, establish institutional supports, policies, and procedures that amplify impact and sustainability, and much more.

Follow the link to the book – https://routledge.pub/Engaging-in-Educational-Research-Practice-Partnerships

Abstract: What is it like to do community-engaged research? Lessons learned from university researchers’ perspectives.

Abstract:

Community-engaged research calls on us to rethink ourselves as researchers and to address lopsided researcher-researched relationships. As a group of university researchers, we participated in a research-practice partnership that included a research-intensive university, an internationally recognized professional learning network, a ministry of education funder, and a school district in Alberta, Canada. Despite the long-standing, collaborative relationships between these organizations, a spin-off research partnership slid into traditional research practices that limited the project’s potential. To critically reflect on these events, we engaged in eight cogenerative dialogues and three semistructured interviews to examine key moments in the partnership more closely. Our findings highlight how limitations in our fields of view as well as significant changes at crucial points in the partnership affected our ability to engage in sustained community-engaged research. We discuss critical learnings about this partnership in particular and offer recommendations that will help future research-practice partnerships assess and sustain their collaborations in meaningful ways.

Follow the link to read the full article – https://doi.org/10.54656/jces.v15i1.444

Abstract: Design-based professional learning: A promising approach to continuous professional learning

Friesen, S. & Brown, B. (2022). Design-based professional learning: A promising approach to continuous professional learning. International Journal for Leadership in Learning, 22(1), 218-251. https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll10

Abstract: Collaborative professionalism engages teachers and other educators in the processes of documenting and presenting evidence arising from their practice, engaging in deep and demanding dialogue with colleagues, seeking and receiving constructive and productive feedback, and engaging in continuous collaborative inquiry. A design orientation that engages educators in such a process is design-based professional learning. While the overall design of the professional learning is consistent across contexts, three key features are unique to each design—situativity, the cyclical nature of learning and change, and agency. These three features are used to describe two cases of design-based professional learning in two different contexts. Based on 715 teachers, and school and district leaders’ learning engaged in design-based professional learning, we conclude that design-based professional learning provides a promising approach to professional learning.

Follow the link to read the full article – https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll10