Capstone Project Progress

     I've decided my topic will be on the effects of smartphones on students in the classroom and whether it would be a good idea for more schools to implement smartphones for each student. The major factors I'm researching are how do smartphones affect grades, time to do homework, and possible distractions caused by smartphones; depending on those factors, I can determine whether smartphones are actually beneficial in schools or whether they are just a distraction and shouldn't be implemented.

      Some other factors to consider are the cost of smartphones, best brand of smartphones, preventing cheating through smartphones, what apps are useful, and the learning curve of using a smartphone. So far I've found data correlating smartphone ownership and house income.
http://www.statista.com/statistics/195006/percentage-of-us-smartphone-owners-by-household-income/
The graph supports my expectation that households with a higher income are more likely to own a smartphone, however it should be noted that in all the levels of income, the ownership of smartphones increased from 2011 to 2012.

     The biggest challenge so far is finding big studies correlating smartphone usage and grades/test scores. Most studies only sample a class or they're just a testimonial from one student, but not a lot of studies sample a high school or a bigger population. I have found many sources that support the use of smartphones and very few that oppose it and I've kept track of them on Easybib. However, my other questions have been answered by most sources I've come across. The graph below from 2012 also shows that most smartphones users are skewed towards the younger generation.