Twofold: Computers in Class

AGAINST: 

Sitting in class with your computer in front of you, you attempt to focus your attention on the professor’s lecture. There are fifty other more enjoyable things you could be doing at this moment–watching a game, checking Instagram, or getting ahead in assignments for other classes. The temptation consumes you, and you fall into the pull of your laptop. Before you know it, class is over. Computers should not be allowed in class for the sake of memory retention, relationship building, open discussion and practicing the art of focus. 

Three studies in the Association for Psychological Sciences found physical notetaking is better for memory retention than taking notes on a laptop. With the price of tuition restricting some students to years of debt, why not make the most of your money and pick up a pen? It will assist you in absorbing the content you are paying so handsomely for. 

Beyond memory, classes without electronics contribute to a more community-based atmosphere. We are living through an epidemic of loneliness. Have you ever had the experience of walking into a class, and in the ten minutes prior every person is on their phone, silently waiting for class to begin? For many in previous generations, college was the time of life they formed lifelong bonds they carry with them to this day. Look around you. What potential lifelong friendships could be waiting for you in the seat over? Classes without computers force us to talk to one another, even when it is uncomfortable. 

This community-based atmosphere that a no electronics policy creates carries over in class discussion. In our ever-polarizing society, helped along by algorithms designed to provoke outrage and fear, open and honest communication with people who are different from us is more critical than ever. A class with students browsing the web and checking email is a quiet class. A class where there is nothing better to do than listen and contribute to discussions is a class where students learn something new about people different from them. 

It is hard to stay focused in class. We are a society of iPad babies, itching for the next hit of stimulation. No one, including myself, is beyond the temptation of fulfilling that itch for dopamine when you are bored in class. This is why no-electronics policies are necessary, to assist us in practicing the art of focus. It takes habit and rigorous practice, but like physical muscles, the muscle of focus does build with effort. Why not master this art in undergrad, before the demands of careers are upon us? A ban on electronics in class acts as a tool to assist us with the difficult task of building focus. It is like a friend waking us up every morning to go to the gym. 

A ban on computers means a better educated, friendlier, more understanding, more focused class. Do not wait for your professor to ban electronics to get these benefits. Close the laptop and practice presence today.

Source: Sage Journals

FOR:

We can’t make a logical decision on having laptops in class without first understanding what students would use them for. There are many different uses for laptops in the classroom, but the main one is note-taking. Students can also take notes on paper in a notebook, but using a laptop has several added benefits. For example, notes taken on a laptop are typically easier to understand than handwritten notes. A common complaint from students is how fast the teacher presents information in lectures. This can result in messy notetaking and students being unable to read their own notes when studying. Using laptops has proved to be more efficient than handwritten notes as it is faster and more legible. It is also easier to edit your notes and share them on a laptop than it is on paper. In one survey of college students, 70% of students report that having a laptop in class is helpful for their academic performance, with notetaking cited as the most important benefit.

A well-known rebuttal to this claim is the distractions having a computer in class can cause. Students are known for something called “doom scrolling” on their phones. This is when a person mindlessly scrolls through social media or the news with no purpose other than to pass the time. It’s a common occurrence on phones, but students can “doom scroll” on their laptops as well. This is one of the main fears that teachers have when discussing having laptops in classrooms. One thing most people don’t consider is the ability for these distractions to occur in the workforce. Most jobs that students attend school to learn involve using a computer or electronic device in some way. This opens the possibility for “doom scrolling” and other distractions while at work. 

School is supposed to be a place that prepares students for the workforce. We can’t do this without preparing them for these distractions as well. If a student is unable to avoid using their laptop wrongfully in class where they are being prepared for the workforce, then how can we expect them to avoid it in their career? Removing laptops from classrooms doesn’t solve this issue since students won’t have the possibility to learn about the consequences in school and in turn would have to discover them in their careers. If we don’t prepare students for this type of distraction, are we even really preparing them for the real world?

At least 1 in 59 children in the United States has one or more learning disabilities. Laptops provide many great opportunities for these students to deal with their disabilities in a more discreet way. These students can download assistive technologies (AT) to help them both in completing assignments and in taking notes. As mentioned before, a student’s notes can make or break their learning ability. Those with learning disabilities can struggle more with taking their own notes on paper. Assistive Technologies can help these students take more efficient and beneficial notes. In turn this can increase their grade in a class and their learning. Another benefit of using assistive technology programs on a laptop is the discretion it provides students. It can feel uncomfortable or even embarrassing for students who need extra help in their classes. Laptops provide this help without drawing attention to the student themselves. It can prevent a student from feeling ostracized or different from their classmates.

Laptops can be a problem in the classroom if used incorrectly. This is why we need to teach our students how to properly use their laptops in class, while also giving them their own choice. Overall, laptops benefit a student’s learning more than they harm it.

Sources:

COE – Students with Disabilities. (n.d.). https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg/students-with-disabilities

Devices in the Classroom | The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/technology-and-student-distraction

Why Students Should Be Allowed to Use Laptops in Class: Free Essay Example, 667 words. (2023, September 1). GradesFixer. https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/why-students-should-be-allowed-to-use-laptops-in-class/