How Do Nursing Students Use Digital Tools during Lectures?

OBJECTIVES: Teachers often wonder what students are doing during lectures, behind their computers, mobile phones and other digital tools. This study aimed to document the type of tools used during lectures by nursing students and what they do with them. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive, prospective, multicentre study including 1446 nursing students in Alsace (France). The students filled in an anonymous questionnaire at the end of a lesson they had just attended. RESULTS: 99% of the students had taken at least one digital tool to the lesson. 90% had a mobile phone with them. It was mainly used for entertainment (particularly for sending and/or receiving text messages and consulting emails). 52% had a laptop with them. It was essentially used for academic tasks (taking notes, working on other teaching units or revising for exams). CONCLUSION: Most nursing students take a phone or laptop to lectures with them with the intention of using them for entertainment and learning respectively. These results could guide training establishments in drafting their institutional policy concerning the use of digital tools in class.