Smartphones in Higher Education Classrooms: Motivations, Rules, and Consequences

Abstract

The growth in the use of smartphones is remarkable and reaches countless spheres of social life, one of them being the university. Nagumo (2014) and Selwyn (2014) highlight that there are few researches focused on understanding how technological devices like cellphones are used in teaching institutions; in addition to that, the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) has recently implemented the international Internet network eduroam. In this context, this research aims to discover motivations to the use of smartphones by the students of the Departments of Vernacular Language (DLEV) and Modern Languages (DLES), as well as to analyze possible rules and consequences of using smartphones during classes at UFS. The methodology is qualitative - analytical-interpretative - and follows the procedures Freeman (1998) proposes, which include naming, grouping, finding relationship, and displaying. This research’s results and conclusions indicate that most students who participated in the research use smartphones to meet academic and entertainment aims. The rules and consequences in the classroom, however, diminish the use of the devices for being related to punishments. Similarly, eduroam discourages the use of smartphones because it presents barriers to the access of Internet.