Short technology breaks in college classrooms were linked to lower student cell phone use over the course of a semester, but the results showed variability and were not consistently different from question breaks, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Education.

Researchers at Southern Illinois University observed 21 undergraduate students across 22 class periods to compare the effect of "technology breaks"—lasting 1, 2, and 4 minutes—on cell phone use, compared with "question breaks," which allowed students to ask questions regarding course content. The average attendance throughout the study was 21 students, ranging from 17 to 27 per class. Importantly, no penalties were given for cell phone use in any condition.

Using a multi-element design, observers recorded cell phone use every 10 seconds. The average cell phone use rate was 0.35 responses per minute during technology breaks, compared to 0.53 responses per minute during question breaks. One-minute technology breaks were associated with the lowest cell phone use and the highest average quiz scores (over 80%) compared to longer durations. However, cell phone use increased immediately after technology breaks for about 1-2 minutes.

The average quiz score during technology breaks was 66.92%, ranging from 34.82% to 88.17%, while the average score during question breaks was 64.31%, with a range of 43.11% to 86.11%. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed no significant difference in overall quiz scores between technology breaks and question breaks (Z = −0.56, p = 0.57). However, significant differences were noted comparing different technology break durations, such as 1-minute vs. 2-minute breaks (Z = −3.82, p = 0.00).

The study had limitations, including not differentiating between academic and non-academic phone use. Despite the variability in data, the study authors were cautiously optimistic about the intervention. They suggested that although technology breaks may reduce cell phone use, further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions regarding their efficacy.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.