It's a known fact that today, most schools and colleges allow the usage of phones, tablets and laptops on the premises of the institution. In fact, most of the teaching is done 'online' too. However, a new study states that children who use electronic devices for non-academic purposes during lectures could potentially score poorly in the end-of-term exams.
This research, published in the journal, Educational Psychology, found that students who don't use such devices themselves but attend lectures where their use is permitted also do worse. This proves that the mere presence of electronic devices in an educational environment could be detrimental to the performance of the student. Post the study that was conducted, researchers found that having a device didn't lower students' scores in comprehension tests within lectures, but it did lower scores in the end-of-term exam by at least five per cent or half a grade.
"These findings should alert the many dedicated students and instructors that dividing attention is having an insidious effect that is impairing their exam performance and final grade," said Professor Arnold Glass from Rutgers University. "To help manage the use of devices in the classroom, teachers should explain to students the damaging effect of distractions on retention - not only for themselves but for the whole class," added Glass.
This study makes for a first of its kind showing a causal relationship between distraction from an electronic device and subsequent exam performance.
