Teaching: The Thumb Swipe Distraction

Now that the initial “honeymoon” phase of the first few weeks has passed, how has smartphone use been in your classes? This week, our Teaching Matters session will address Digital Wellness, with a particular focus on the role smartphones play. If you can’t make it, I recommend reading “The Thumb Swipe: What Are Phones in Class Doing to Learning?” by Regan A.R. Gurung. It offers several studies that echo the challenges you might be facing. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning offers some strategies to tackle these issues. The key takeaway? It’s the distraction, not the device, that’s the issue.

Our collective phone policy from my class: 
As we discussed in class, while phones are a necessary technology, they can also be distracting. If an instance arises where the phone is becoming a distraction, I will quietly ask your neighbor to give you a nudge. If this doesn’t work, I will address you more directly, “Are you smiling at your crotch?” As we agreed, if you have an important concern you are dealing with, let me know before class (if possible), and then step out of class to attend to it.