Students lose the equivalent of three quarters of a course due to distraction with cell phones

Distractions in class by mobiles and other digital devices reduce learning and, in the case of mathematics, this means in terms of knowledge losing the equivalent of three quarters of a course, according to the authors of the PISA report that is done with 15-year-old students.

In OECD countries, 65% of students who participated in the 2022 edition of PISA said they had been distracted by their mobile phone or other devices such as computers and tablets, and 59% acknowledged that they lost concentration with other devices. companions.

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In its report published this Tuesday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) explains that These students had results on math tests that were 15 points lower than those who did not suffer these distractions.

Those 15 points disadvantage equivalent to learning three quarters of a course, and abstracting from the impact of the socioeconomic origin of the students and the schools to which they belong.

It should be noted that in the case of Japanese students, which is the OECD country with the best scores in mathematics, only 18% say they have been distracted. South Koreans, who occupy the second position in the organization, also have the second lowest percentage of distraction, 32%.

Despite everything, PISA experts do not speak out in favor of a firm ban on mobile phones because, given their social presence, it could be counterproductive and also because digital technologies are increasingly important as educational instruments.

In any case, they have confirmed that the time students use their cell phones or other devices to recreational activities (such as connecting to social networks or playing online) has a negative impact on acquired knowledge if it is more than an hour a day.

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The results on the mathematics test worsen progressively and evidently after one hour, and are up to 60 points lower when used for entertainment between five and seven hours a day.

Things change when devices are used for learning. In that case, the best grades in mathematics are obtained by those who use them between one and five hours a day.

For PISA experts, the challenge is to achieve a productive integration of digital technologies in the learning environment, but minimizing their potential for distraction.

“It is not necessarily prohibition that is going to solve the problems, but regulation is needed,” explains one of them.

In countries where students are prohibited from using them in schools, although on the one hand it is verified that they suffer fewer distractions, on the other hand, effective compliance with this measure presents many holes. And the unwanted effect is that they use it the rest of the day, and sometimes with harmful practices in a more compulsive way.

For example, 29% of OECD students who cannot take their cell phones to school use them several times a day and an additional 21% do so every day at school, breaking the rules.

In addition, students who are prohibited from using cell phones in class are less likely to deactivate notifications and applications when they go to sleep. And one explanation for this fact is that the ban makes them less responsible in their behavior with the cell phone.

Source: Elcomercio

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