--- title: "Leslie’s List: Should Smartphones Be Banned in Class Edition?" description: Education technology news highlights. Active learning in the news. Smartphone in the classroom. image: https://info.echo360.com/hubfs/Student_Use_of_Mobile_Technology.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://info.echo360.com/should-smartphones-be-banned-in-class#main-content) # Echo360 - Uses - [ Higher Education ](https://echo360.com/uses/) - [ Continuing Medical Education ](https://echo360.com/continuing-education/) - Platform - [ Video ](https://echo360.com/platform/enterprise-video/) - [ Engagement ](https://echo360.com/platform/student-engagement) - [ Analytics ](https://echo360.com/platform/analytics) - [Stories ](https://echo360.com/stories) - Connect - [ Blog ](https://echo360.com/blog) - [ News ](https://echo360.com/connect/news) - [ Events ](https://echo360.com/connect/events) - [ Support ](https://echo360.com/customer-portal-login/) - [ Contact ](https://echo360.com/connect/contact) - [Login ](https://echo360.org/login?afterLoginUrl=%2Fhome) - [Documentation ](https://absolut.kohorta.co/documentation) # Leslie’s List: Should Smartphones Be Banned in Class Edition? by [Fred Krazeise](https://info.echo360.com/author/fred-krazeise) on April 17, 2015   ![Student_Use_of_Mobile_Technology](https://info.echo360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Student_Use_of_Mobile_Technology.jpg?width=583&name=Student_Use_of_Mobile_Technology.jpg) My colleague Leslie Silvey is out today enjoying some well-deserved time away from our busy office. So, I’m very happy to pinch-hit for her! Here’s my take on some of the top stories from the past week. One of the most interesting education stories this week comes from Japan. A Japanese university president suggested to his students that they should [get rid of their “poisonous smartphones](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/11524269/University-tells-students-Give-up-smartphones-or-quit.html?utm_campaign=Thought%20Leadership&utm_content=13854848&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter).” In his opening remarks to incoming students, Dr. Kiyohito Yamasawa of [Shinshu University](http://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/) said that students should quit using their smartphones because they are “nothing more than poison to intelligence, personality, and creativity.” Needless to say, this has sparked quite a debate within Japanese educational circles. I’m sure there are people all around the world who wish we could dial back the clock to the time before smartphones and tablets became pervasive. But, as was pointed out in a [2013 survey](http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/college-students-own-an-average-of-7-tech-devices-30430/), the modern college student now arrives on campus with an average of 7 tech devices. A new [McGraw-Hill study on digital trends](http://www.mheducation.com/about/news-room/report-new-mcgraw-hill-education-research-finds-more-80-percent-students-use-mobile) in higher education finds that more than 80% of college students use mobile technology to study. Perhaps a better approach might be “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Why not incorporate technology like smartphones into the course design. Echo360’s [Active Learning Platform](http://echo360.com/what-you-can-do/lecture-capture) lets students view course content on any device, including smartphones. Our [student engagement solution](http://echo360.com/what-you-can-do/student-engagement) lets students use their smartphones or other devices in class to respond to instructor questions.  This technology isn’t going away. The question is, how will you effectively use it to engage directly with your students? In other news, Echo360’s own [Dr. Perry Samson](http://twitter.com/pjsamson) was featured in an article about engaging students with [active learning](http://echo360.com/) in [Campus Technology](http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/engaging-students-with-active-learning.aspx). The article highlights the relationship between increased student participation and improved outcomes. By using active learning methods, Dr. Samson helped his students improve their examination performance by just under half a standard deviation. If you’re an educator, have you joined the #edtech and #edchat conversation on Twitter? Here’s an article that says Twitter for educators is like attending [a free, global education conference](http://educationalparadigms.blogspot.com/2015/04/twitter-is-for-real-learning-paradigm.html?m=1&utm_campaign=Thought%20Leadership&utm_content=14133472&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter)! Not sure who to follow? Follow this list of the [top 30 #edugeeks](http://www.innovatemyschool.com/industry-expert-articles/item/1368-30-edu-geeks-to-follow-on-twitter.html) on Twitter! Finally, with all of this talk about active learning, we hope that you’ll make plans to join us on May 13-14 at the University of Illinois in Chicago for the first leg of the Echo360 Active Learning World Tour. Just click on the “Register Today” button below for all the event details, agenda, and registration information. [![Register Today!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/16036/4412c4b0-3a86-47ac-9945-7a0625d8c49d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/16036/4412c4b0-3a86-47ac-9945-7a0625d8c49d) Spread the word: [Share this blog post on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://info.echo360.com/should-smartphones-be-banned-in-class) [Share this blog post on Facebook ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://info.echo360.com/should-smartphones-be-banned-in-class) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://info.echo360.com/should-smartphones-be-banned-in-class) ![Fred Krazeise](https://info.echo360.com/hs-fs/hub/16036/file-1616719357.jpg) #### Fred Krazeise Follow me on my website Follow me on LinkedIn Follow me on Twitter Fred Krazeise is the social media strategist and community manager for Echo360 social media properties. He’s passionate about the power of technology and its’ ability to transform the way we teach, learn, and live. Fred holds a M.A. Education degree from Chapman University. ### Leave a comment: ## Related Articles [![](https://info.echo360.com/hs-fs/hub/16036/file-2178836925.jpg) ](https://info.echo360.com/leslies-list-sotu-edition) ### [Leslie's List: SOTU Edition](https://info.echo360.com/leslies-list-sotu-edition) by [Echo360](https://info.echo360.com/author/echo360) [![](https://info.echo360.com/hubfs/iStock_000056642912_Small.jpg) ](https://info.echo360.com/education-technology-reading-edition) ### [Leslie’s List: Education Technology Summer Reading Edition](https://info.echo360.com/education-technology-reading-edition) I hope this Friday finds everyone enjoying summer so far (and for our readers in Australia and New... by [Echo360](https://info.echo360.com/author/echo360) [![](https://info.echo360.com/hs-fs/file-2178953717-jpg/images/LesliesBlog-v3-blue-green.jpg) ](https://info.echo360.com/leslies-list-please-pass-the-thanksgiving-leftovers-edition) ### [Leslie's List: Please Pass the Thanksgiving Leftovers Edition](https://info.echo360.com/leslies-list-please-pass-the-thanksgiving-leftovers-edition) by [Fred Krazeise](https://info.echo360.com/author/fred-krazeise) #### Segment - Mid market - Small business - Early stage - Enterprise #### Top features - Primary - Secondary - Tertiary - Bonus #### Resources - Blog - Academy - Doc - Developer #### Community - Twitter - Facebook - Youtube - Instagram - LinkedIn --- [![Absolut theme logo](https://info.echo360.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Absolut%20copy%20no%20related%20articles%20section/images/brand/absolut-logomark-nobg.png?width=30&height=111&name=absolut-logomark-nobg.png "Absolut theme logo")](https://info.echo360.com/) ©Copyright 2026. 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