In the modern university classroom, it is common to hear the clicking of keys and see the lights of laptop screens as the instructor delivers a lecture. Though technology has become ubiquitous and indispensable for students, recent research suggests laptop usage during class has negative consequences.
College students who use computers or tablets during lectures “learn less and earn worse grades,” according to a randomized study conducted by Sue Dynarski for the Brookings Institution.
Even though students are able to transcribe more information at a faster pace and access their readings with ease on electronic devices, a growing body of evidence suggests that students would be better off taking notes the old-fashioned way.
The study found that when students use laptops, they are prone to distract themselves by checking their social media notifications or browsing the web. Moreover, the effect of one student’s distraction can have a ripple effect on his or her peers.
In the randomized study, the multitasking students scored about 11 percent less than those students taking notes. And for those sitting near the screen of multitaskers who were not multitasking themselves scored 17 percent lower than those who had a view without distraction.
Even for those on task and taking notes, there are drawbacks of typing compared to writing notes.
Because students can type faster than they can write, they are able to record almost every word the lecturer speaks — eliminating the need to summarize and condense the information.
Learning researchers posit that it is actually through the process of summation, though, that students internalize information. Typing impedes the brain’s ability to process information because the information flows too quickly from students’ ears to their fingers — students’ notes turn into transcripts rather than condensed versions of what is being said.
Research and simply good pedagogy are causing many college professors to question the privilege of using electronic devices in the classroom, with some opting for an outright ban.
Interestingly, the data shows that tablet and laptop use in high school classrooms is increasing significantly with the rise of one-to-one programs. In 2016, 54 percent of U.S. students had access to a school-issued electronic device, and that figure is only expected to grow.
Thus, just as the potential ills of technology are being unearthed at the university level, more devices are being put into the hands of younger, and even less academically mature, students.
