NPR: Are Laptops Too Distracting for the Classroom?

Are Laptops Too Distracting for the Classroom?

When I was the executive director of the Online News Association a few years ago, one of my jobs was arranging wireless Internet access in key areas during the organization's yearly conferences. The areas I left out of that plan included the actual session rooms. More than a few speakers had told me that it was enormously distracting to try to engage an audience while a significant portion was checking e-mail or surfing the Web.

So when I heard Daniel Coyne, a professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, talk on All Things Considered about asking his students to put their laptops away, it had a familiar ring. He said most students he observed were not using them to do work. He talked about seeing students plan their weddings, watch baseball games and send each other instant messages during class.

And it's not just students. My wife recently gave a seminar to a group of teachers in Boston and noticed two in the back who were paying no attention at all. Turns out they were surfing the 'Net.

No doubt laptops were seen as helpful tools by students and faculty when they first started popping up in class. But that was before wireless Internet became ubiquitous on many campuses, allowing online access from any location. Perhaps blocking the wireless access in classrooms and other settings would allow laptop users to type their notes while cutting down on the distraction. What do you think? Should laptops be allowed in class?

2:34 PM ET | 10-10-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Under guidelines of a rubric with adult supervision, yes. Technology is one of the tools in our toolbox. Kids have not changed - they need to be told what to do.

Sent by Ken | 3:34 PM ET | 10-10-2007

I just graduated from a law school where all the classrooms had wireless internet access and most students used laptops to take notes. It is true that many students got distracted by the web or email during class. But turning off the wireless is not the solution: another law school I visited had no wireless internet in the classroom, and sitting in the back of one class, I saw solitaire games appear on every single laptop during the lecture.
Ultimately, students have to learn to focus and avoid distractions: to take responsibility for their own learning. That's one of the main things that law school teaches, and those that learn this lesson excel. If we don't ask students to be responsible for their own computer use in the classroom, what will happen when they are stuck in a cubicle in front of an internet-enabled computer for 8 hours a day?

Sent by Dan Robinson | 3:39 PM ET | 10-10-2007

Obviously, whether or not they should be allowed is at the discretion of the instructor or school.

I've seen some of my fellow students wasting perfectly good class time monitoring their myspace pages on their laptops. Equally, I've observed other students with tablet/notebook pc's that have touch screens, taking all their notes on them. It could go either way, I suppose, but the students who waste their time (and their professor's time) by playing around when they should be paying attention, won't get their money's worth out of their education. I wish them luck in finding a job when they enter the real world.

Sent by angsty | 4:04 PM ET | 10-10-2007

I find this interesting because the same thing could be said about mindless note taking such as often featured in Doonesbury. Part of the problem is that students are usually more focused on making sure they get an "A" rather than understanding what is going on. When I was in college I was a sophomore when I stopped taking notes and just began to listen and interact with the professor. Most professor felt this was a positive and appreciated the fact that I wasn't a scribbling drone and I got better grades because of it.

Sent by Michael Langdon | 4:24 PM ET | 10-10-2007

wow.....just heard this this morning. funny, after our conversation last night.

Sent by jessebarkin | 9:16 AM ET | 10-11-2007

YES! If I were a professor I would forbid laptops in the class.
When I was in seminary I saw my fellow students around me shopping on the web and writing and receiving e-mail. One student forgot to turn her volumn down and during a lecture the professor was interupted with, "You've got mail!"

Sent by Darren Beachy | 10:39 AM ET | 10-11-2007

Not allowing laptop use in the classroom is paternalistic.
I'm in my first semester of law school right now, and rumor has it that the first year is the most challenging. Still, students around me are constantly on the internet, surfing and checking e-mail (once about 15 students were all in the same chat room during class). Though this is a bit distracting to me while I am trying to take my manual notes and pay attention from the back row, I always smile to myself as I take thoughtful and comprehensive notes during our discussions, knowing that I will use them to blow the other students out of the water come exam time (not to mention the "real world"). Law school is a competitive environment, if you don't want to come everyday and learn, and you don't make every conceivable effort to give yourself an edge when you are graded on a curve, great! You're making it easier for me to excel and stand out.

Sent by Jessica D. | 7:28 PM ET | 10-12-2007

There's a simple trick to keeping students on task when using laptops: stand behind them. Most teachers are/feel stuck in the front of the classroom. Once they find that they can easily monitor students' use of the computers from behind, the problem is solved.

Sent by Amy Bradley | 11:01 AM ET | 10-13-2007

Yes, laptops should be allowed in classrooms to take notes.

I used a laptop and/or a tabletop computer (when available) to take notes in college in 2001-3, and I found I could write more extensive & readable notes. I am a fairly fast typer; if a person isn't fast enough, it might be more of a distraction to them. And since I was the only one in one class typing, I noticed that other people kept looking over at me when the keys clicked in a silent room. (I often typed up thoughts on what my professor was saying while others were not writing.) I decided that if a whole room of people had been typing at the same time, it might be noisy.

Sent by J Rhinehart | 3:34 PM ET | 10-14-2007

What are the thoughts on highschool students that have laptops and internet use in all classes? Is this a waste of state money or a good investment in their education?

Sent by C Ann | 11:36 AM ET | 10-15-2007

As a college student, I have experienced the pros and cons of laptop use in the classroom. I understand that laptops are a powerful tool to have at your fingertips when it comes to education. At first, when I heard professors wanted to ban laptop usage in the classroom I thought it was ridiculous. Why would a teacher not allow a device that helps students learn? Several students come to class with their laptop, where everything is stored: notes, essays, and powerpoints. I didn't see much of a point in taking them away.
However, from a professors' point of view, it wouldn't be very encouraging to teach to the front of a laptop and not even see the students' eyes. Not to mention the fact that some students aren't even listening to what you say. If note taking is what they are actually doing, they would get double the lecture by writing the notes and typing them at home.
As a classmate, the biggest problem I have seen with laptops is the noise. Girls with long nails tend to type very loudly. When you are trying to listen to your professor closely, this is very frustrating. It's comparable to an obnoxious gum chewer. There are also many cases where students are a major distraction by chatting on AIM, checking e-mail, and messaging on facebook. Not to mention the tetris or pacman game that laptoper enjoys.
I do not feel that laptops are important to have in the classroom for these reasons. I think that if it is a distraction to professors or other students, then it should not be allowed.

Sent by Courtney | 8:46 PM ET | 02-29-2008

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