A study from Southern Illinois University reveals that one-minute phone breaks can help students stay focused in class and improve their test scores significantly.
In an era where smartphones are both a boon and a bane in educational settings, a new study from researchers at Southern Illinois University offers a refreshing perspective. Their findings, published in Frontiers of Education, suggest that allowing students to take one-minute phone breaks during lectures can significantly reduce overall phone use and improve test performance.
“We show that technology breaks may be helpful for reducing cell phone use in the college classroom,” first author Ryan Redner, a professor and program director of the Behavior Analysis and Therapy program at Southern Illinois University, said in a news release. “To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of technology breaks in a college classroom.”
A Revolutionary Approach
Throughout a full academic term, the researchers conducted an experimental study to evaluate the effectiveness of short technology breaks of one, two and four minutes. During some bi-weekly class sessions, equally timed question breaks were introduced as a control. These breaks occurred 15 minutes into the lecture, allowing a structured comparison between phone breaks and question breaks.
The results were illuminating. Students exhibited the least phone use during one-minute technology breaks, making this duration the most effective.
“One possibility is that one minute is enough to read and send a smaller number of messages. If they have more time to send many messages, they may be more likely to receive messages and respond again during class,” Redner added.
Performance Boost
Interestingly, the study also found a direct correlation between one-minute technology breaks and higher test scores. Lecture sessions featuring these brief breaks consistently resulted in higher average test scores, often over 80%.
“Our hope is that it means students were less distracted during lecture, which leads to better performance,” added Redner.
Understanding Student Behavior
The study was designed to minimize what researchers call “reactivity” — the change in behavior that occurs when individuals know they are being observed.
“Typically, reactivity occurs early in a study and its effects are reduced over time. We may see some in early sessions, but I am not convinced that we had much reactivity. At this point, students are probably used to using cell phones in the college classroom, also under the observation of the professor and other students,” Redner added.
Though the study highlighted the potential benefits of technology breaks, variability in phone use across different sessions raises questions needing further investigation. The variability also makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions.
Future Directions
The researchers aim to explore methods to minimize phone use in a positive, non-penalizing manner.
“We are trying to find ways to reduce cell phone use and doing so without penalties. We hope our findings inspire researchers and teachers to try approaches to reducing cell phone use that are reinforcement-based,” Redner said.
As educators continue grappling with balancing technology’s benefits and distractions in the classroom, this study opens a new avenue for improving student focus and academic performance, demonstrating that sometimes, less truly is more.