Professional Experience Placement

This study about cell phone use and academic performance by Lepp et al (2015) gives health profession educators an opportunity to be pro-active and begin educating undergraduate students early in their course about appropriate behaviour when using a cell phone. This study found After controlling for demographic variables that increased cell phone use decreased academic performance.  The authors describe the study and results using regression analysis.  However, it is the findings that show students need guidance in appropriate use of mobile devices.  They need to be able to distinguish between learning and leisure early in their degree to avoid the pitfalls and perils of believing they can multi-task their learning and leisure effectively and efficiently.  The authors do concede that having a digital educational tool can be of benefit for seeking and retrieving information, it is the distraction and ‘failure to resist’ cell-phone based activities instead of studying that creates the issue. The authors urge educators to carefully consider policy regarding cell phone use in the classroom, labs and other settings where cell-phone use occurs.  There is a need to harness the technology and understand appropriate use.  Enable governance to support learners and  their teachers and then it will be possible to provide a framework for learning and promote digital professionalism in the classroom, during work integrated learning and the workplace. If you have any comments about digital professionalism, you are welcome to post them here.  Please join us @PEPCommunity.