Join Annenberg Research Network on International Communication (ARNIC) as we welcome our guest speaker Dr. Miriam Rahali.

In 2005, Dr. Rahali was teaching in a New York City public high school when mayor Michael Bloomberg became the first in the nation to implement a ban on phones in schools. Nearly 20 years later, calls to ban smartphones in school are once again gaining attention around the world — but in an alarming way that seems to close down the deeper conversations society needs to have about the best interests of children in a digital age. In this talk, Dr. Rahali illustrates the way the language of ‘bans’ is too simplistic to explain school practice, which varies significantly across (and within) countries in its conceptualization, implementation and enforcement. To better understand what can be learned from this variation, she offers an overview and assessment of empirical research on the effectiveness of school smartphone policies on academic outcomes. While much less research exists than might have been expected, Dr. Rahali marshals the available evidence to show how smartphone use at school may both undermine and enhance learning. She then presents two contrasting case studies (the UK and Singapore) to show the differences in the way schools — and countries — are managing the use of smartphones. What the case studies illuminate is rather than simply prohibiting phone use during the school day, the challenge for schools is to develop more balanced and collaborative approaches to use. She concludes the talk by bringing together key elements from the literature and empirical studies to provide evidence-based and child rights respecting suggestions for concerned stakeholders.

Dr. Rahali is a visiting fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Her current research focuses on the intersection of children and media with a specific interest in digital literacy and skills development. As a Teach for America corps member, Dr. Rahali has made a lifelong commitment to expand educational opportunity. She has been drawn to research topics that speak to issues of social inclusion and equality, and has ten years of experience in methods such as survey design, interviewing, content analysis and textual analysis. As a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, Dr. Rahali is committed to mentorship, development, and understanding organizational learning as well as the role of media in culture and education. Dr. Rahali holds an undergraduate degree in Urban Studies and Political Science from Columbia University. She has obtained two Master’s degrees: one in Special Education and the other in Media and Communications. She earned her PhD from the LSE.

RSVP by emailing arnic@usc.edu by November 11.