Taking a Break From the Digital Landscape: Refocusing Students Using Tech-Free Engagement

USU students live in a world saturated with digital content, and while the pandemic may have further increased access to and development of technology, Hard (cited in Gaither, 2019) asserts the reciprocal benefits of tech-free lessons and activities, claiming innovative and purposeful pedagogy lead to increased focus and engagement. While we are not advocating that USU instructors remove technology entirely, we argue that intentionally stepping away from screens in the classroom can create key moments of learning. This workshop will present our individual experiences with tech-free activities that also embrace multimodality with course outcomes in mind.