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Faculty and Staff Resources

Presentation

Courtney Mauck, Ph.D. and Janet Vogel presented a workshop introducing device management in September 2022.

Key Takeaways

  • Students struggle to navigate the appropriate balance between “technology is addictive” and “technology is a valuable tool.” Most are aware that technology can be a distraction, but it is necessary to have a dialogue with students about how to use technology to add to their classroom experience. 
  • Instructors need to adapt their own pedagogies to better address the needs of 21st century students. Green’s survey of students found that a lot of students want to be present, but the classroom might “fail to motivate them,” resulting in the students becoming disengaged. Policing technology does not necessarily fix this larger issue, especially since the underlife created by tech can be really important for students. 
  • You set the tone. If you are on your device at the beginning of class, chances are, they will be, too. Try walking around and talking to them before class begins (once you have your tech set up, of course!) (Adapted from "How to Teach a Good First Day of Class.")
  • Even when students want to participate, they may be distracted by others who are not; their grades may suffer as a result. Educate students and encourage them to be "team players" in the classroom. (Explain the "why.")

Sample Technology Policies

A mobile device policy on the syllabus can help establish expectations for the productive use of technology in the classroom. The policies below offer a range of approaches to the integration of technology in the classroom. Please note that none of the policies suggest outright bans on the use of mobile devices because the use of technology may be an important accommodation to allow all students to participate fully.

Using Do Not Disturb & Screen Time Limiters

Students (and faculty!) may find Do Not Disturb to help them focus while in class. You can set Do Not Disturb for a specific time period or while you are in a certain location. You can even create a Do Not Disturb schedule to match your course schedule. Our Task Aid provides instructions:

Screen Time limiters can also help students (and you) reduce the amount of time spent on distracting apps like Instagram, Tik Tok, and SnapChat. If you set a time limit in an app on the iPad, a notification will pop up alerting you that you have reached your limit. While you can circumvent this, it is a good way to be mindful of how much time you are wasting in a given day. 

To set your Screen Time limits:

  1. Open the Settings app
  2. Select "Screen Time."
  3. Select options such as "App Limits," which allow you to set limits by app, or "Communication Limits" to limit Phone, FaceTime, Messages, and iCloud Contacts from communicating with you during your selected down time. (Emergency contacts can still get through.)

Try Flow!

Flow is a focus-based timer that allows you to select the duration of your focus and breaks. 

  1. Choose a task from your to-do list.
  2. Start the timer (default is 25 minutes).
  3. Focus on the task and commit to it. You are more likely to succeed if you make a promise to yourself or others.
  4. Take a short break (default is 5 minutes) to stretch your legs, get a drink of water, relax.
  5. Repeat 4 times.
  6. Take a longer, restorative break (default is 30 minutes).

Set the timers to work best for you and the time you have available.

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Background Information about Current Students

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