TO BAN OR TO PERMIT? THE USE OF MOBILE DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM AN EXPERIMENTAL MIXED-METHODS STUDY

This paper reports a study conducted with a group of female Saudi undergraduates to investigate the impact of using mobile devices with a BYOD approach and the interactive classroom app Nearpod. The aim was to answer the following research questions: (1) what is the impact of this new teaching approach on students 'achievements when compared to traditional instruction? And ( 2) how do students perceive this new teaching approach? An experimental group was taught under a BYOD approach and using Nearpod, and the control group was thought, through regular lectures. Quantitative analysis revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the posttest, indicating that the new teaching approach has a positive impact on students' learning achievements. Qualitative analysis showed an overall positive attitude regarding this approach despite the challenges associated with it. Eighty-three Saudi female undergraduate students enrolled in a "Computer Applications in Translation" course at the College of Languages and Translation, King Saud University, Riyadh, took part in this study. They took a pretest at the beginning of the study, and then were assigned randomly into two groups: experimental and control. The experimental group was taught using BYOD and Nearpod, while the control group was taught through regular lectures. Both groups completed a posttest in the 14th week of classes to compare their achievement; in addition, qualitative data were collected using interviews, observations, and an instructor journal. Quantitative analysis revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of pretest-posttest improvement, indicating that the new teaching approach had a positive impact on their achievement. Qualitative analysis revealed an overall positive attitude among students toward the new teaching approach, despite technical and distraction issues.