NEW MEDIA AND THE DISTRACT STUDENT: INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVES PREPARED BY CENTER FOR INTERCULTURAL NEW MEDIA RESEARCH The proliferation of new media is apparent in university classrooms across the globe. With the introduction of smart phones and laptop computers, university students have increasingly utilized their phones and computers in the classroom to send text messages (SMS), surf the web, access social media, and blog. While much has been written about the educational “distraction” mobile phones and laptop computers pose for students and professors, there has been scant research on the interpersonal norms (mobiquette), if any, that guide their use in university classrooms. This research examines the frequency of mobile phone use and laptop computers in university classroom, for what purpose(s) they are used, perceived impact on student attention and learning, and reactions of students and professors to their use. Since the social uses of new media is impacted by culture, this research is conducted interculturally in two mobile/computer immersed societies – Denmark and the USA. To conduct the research, students will be observed unobtrusively in university classrooms in Denmark and the US to identify frequency of mobile phone and computer use. A specially designed observational guide will be utilized for this phase of the study. In addition, a questionnaire will be administered to students and professors to ascertain (a) perceived frequency of mobile phones and laptop computers in the classroom, (b) for what purposes (s) (i.e. SMS, social media) mobile phones and computers are used, (c) reactions of students and professors to their use, and (d) perceived impact of mobile phones and laptop computers on student attention and learning. This research will provide potentially important data on the interpersonal norms (mobiquette) that guide the social uses of mobile phones and laptop computers in university classrooms, and the perceived impact of these devices on student attention and learning. BUDGET 1. Training US and Danish Teams to Administer Observational Guide/Survey (Two trainers paid to train teams/ six trainees paid to administer guide/ surveys- 10 hrs per week for 6 months X 20.00 per hour Cost: $28, 800 (Trainees)/ $3500.00 (two trainers) TOTAL: $32, 300.00 2. Two Research Associates: 6 Months – (20 hrs per week x $15.00 per hour) Cost: $14,400.00 3. Travel: Two Research Trips for Co-Investigators/Denmark & US Cost: $8500.00
4. Center for Intercultural New Media Research (Indirect Cost to Monitor Grant @ 20%) Cost: $10, 400.00 TOTAL BUDGET: $65, 600.00