The Distracted Classroom

In his Chronicle of Higher Education column, James Lang (professor of English and director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College) reports on research suggesting that digital devices can be distracting precisely because they appeal to a desire to engage in the pleasurable pursuit of “information foraging.” In addition, he reflects on implications of research showing a correlation between the presence of smartphones and perceptions of decreased engagement in human interaction.

This post is part of a series on digital distractions–his next post in the series will focus on specific strategies for managing devices in the classroom.

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