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Bridging the Gap

Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: “Bring your own device” (BYOD) policies in higher education can bring both benefits and challenges for students. The parties most impacted by BYOD are students who must use a personal device for learning and faculty who expect students to be able to effectively use them. Policy success depends on evaluating the needs of these key players. However, studies evaluating BYOD often exclude faculty experiences and, instead, focus largely on student accounts. Furthermore, considerations for nontraditional colleges that serve students with unique learning needs have not been fully explored. This study sought to bridge these gaps in the literature by analyzing faculty experiences with students using their own devices for learning at the same nontraditional college in the northeast US where student experiences were recorded. Using a mixed-methods approach, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using the same electronic survey instrument. Purposive sampling was used by sending survey invitations to eighty-two faculty, with twenty-seven faculty completing the survey. Results revealed that while most faculty surveyed had positive experiences like their student counterparts, challenges cited by students including connection issues, lack of Information Technology Services (ITS) support, not having a device, and access to power sources were also shared by the faculty. These complementary studies also reflected a lack of digital literacy among both groups. Fisher’s exact tests showed distraction as a significant concern by faculty (p < 0.0001). Together our faculty and student findings direct development of a comprehensive BYOD policy that can meet the needs of the students that nontraditional colleges serve.
DOI: 10.18848/2328-6318/cgp/a69
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7138905926
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