A Mixed Blessing? Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives about Off-Task Technology Use in the Academic Classroom - Article 3

Oct 15, 2026

The paper examines off-task technology use in academic classrooms, focusing on how students and instructors perceive such use and who they believe should be responsible for minimizing it. Using a mixed-method study with participants in a Canadian university, findings show students view off-task use as a distraction yet rooted in personal autonomy. Instructors present a more complex stance, addressing engagement, learning processes, and educator responsibility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Perceptions of off-task technology

Responsibility for minimizing off-task use

Impact on engagement and learning process

Conclusions and discussion points

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 10 | Issue 1 | Article 3 | | --- | --- | | Spring 5-31-2019
A Mixed Blessing? Students’ and Instructors’Perspectives about Off-Task Technology Use in the Academic Classroom
Elena Neiterman
University of Waterloo, [eneiterman@uwaterloo.ca](eneiterman@uwaterloo.ca)[ ](eneiterman@uwaterloo.ca)Christine Zaza
University of Waterloo, [zaza@uwaterloo.ca](zaza@uwaterloo.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2019.1.8002](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2019.1.8002) | | Recommended Citation Neiterman, E., & Zaza, C. (2019). A mixed blessing? Students’ and instructors’ perspectives about off-task technology use in the academic classroom. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10(1). [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2019.1.8002](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2019.1.8002) A Mixed Blessing? Students’ and Instructors’ Perspectives about Off-Task Technology Use in the Academic Classroom Abstract The widespread use of technological devices in an academic classroom brought with it many learning opportunities, but also posed a challenge of handling the off-task technology use in class. The literature on this topic is growing, but we still know relatively little about students’ and instructors’perceptions regarding the off-task technology use in class. This paper addressed this gap by examining (1) how do students and instructors perceive technology in the classroom, and (2) who do they believe should be responsible for minimizing off-task technology use in class? Analyzing data from a mixed-method study with students and instructors in a Canadian university, we show that while students acknowledged that the off-task technology use can be distracting, they considered it a matter of personal autonomy, which can only be regulated when it creates distractions for others. The instructors had a more complex view and posed some challenging questions about the relationship between student engagement and technological distractions, the impact of technology on learning process, and the responsibility of educators in higher education. In conclusion, we reflect on some of the questions that ought to be considered when handling the off-task technology in an academic classroom. L’utilisation généralisée d’outils technologiques dans les salles de classe universitaires a engendré denombreuses occasions d’apprentissage, mais elle a également posé un défi, celui de gérer l’utilisation dans la salle de classe de la technologie non centrée sur la tâche. La documentation sur cette question est en croissance, mais nous connaissons toujours bien peu de choses sur les perceptions des étudiantset des enseignants concernant l’utilisation inappropriée de la technologie dans la salle de classe. Cet article vient combler ce vide, puisque nous y examinons (1) la manière dont les étudiants et lesenseignants perçoivent l’utilisation de la technologie dans la salle de classe, et (2) qui, selon eux, devrait avoir la responsabilité de minimiser l’utilisation inappropriée de la technologue dans la salle de classe? Nous avons analysé les données d’une étude à méthodologie mixte avec des étudiants et desenseignants dans une université canadienne et nous montrons que, alors que les étudiants reconnaissent que leur utilisation inappropriée de la technologie peut entraver leur concentration, ils considèrent qu’il s’agit d’une question d’autonomie personnelle qui ne peut être réglementée que si elle empêche les autres de se concentrer. Les enseignants ont eu des opinions plus complexes et ont posé des questions difficiles sur la relation entre la participation des étudiants et les distractionsapportées par la technologie, l’impact de la technologie sur le processus d’apprentissage et laresponsabilité des éducateurs dans l’enseigneme

FAQs

What does the study investigate about off-task technology use?

It examines how students and instructors perceive off-task technology use in academic classrooms, and who they believe should be responsible for minimizing it.

How do students typically view off-task technology use?

Students acknowledge that off-task use can distract them, but they also frame it as a matter of personal autonomy that should be regulated only when it affects others.

How do instructors’ views differ from students’ views?

Instructors hold a more complex view, raising questions about the link between student engagement and technological distractions, technology’s effect on learning processes, and educators’ responsibility in higher education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Anna Hans