As a college teacher, this has been a topic of debate since I began my teaching career about seven years ago. There have been many both for and against students utilizing technology in the classroom, be it smartphone or laptop.
Those for the use believe that students in this era are so accustomed to the technology, that in fact their very being comprises this technology, and thus does not distract. It is questioned that the alternative may be more true, that being without the smartphone and online access is more distracting and thus detrimental. A study published recently demonstrated that laptop use in a classroom not only can decrease performance of those utilizing them, but also of those students sitting near them in class. Interestingly, the decrease in performance is seen most dramatically in those students that typically perform above average. It is postulated this is perhaps due to the over-confidence of these high-achievers of their ability to multi-task. My own anecdotal evidence suggests the use of laptops interferes with their self-regulated learning habits. Those accustomed to taking traditional hand-written notes often re-write these after class, followed by further research into areas of interest or confusion, and adding this to their notes as well. Having word-processed notes perhaps eliminates the need to re-write them, and they're likely spending time in class researching further into areas of immediate interest and thus missing parts of the subsequent lecture. I know this topic falls slightly outside the topics of this course, however it was brought back up in a recent forum discussion, and has rekindled my interest. Has anyone else, particularly those teaching at the post-secondary level, had experience in classrooms that have allowed technology use? Currently my school supports the teacher's discretion to allow or disallow, so long as it doesn't preclude or single out those who require supportive accommodation. My practice is to leave it to personal choice of each student, after providing them with my own study habits and thoughts on note taking, along with my understanding of the potential distraction that laptops may cause them. This recent study also focuses on the distractive nature of technology to students sitting in proximity to those using laptops, so I may take the advice given and designate certain areas of the room to technology users. Thoughts? http://seii.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SEII-Discussion-Paper-2016.02-Payne-Carter-Greenberg-and-Walker-2.pdf https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/05/16/why-smart-kids-shouldnt-use-laptops-in-class/?utm_term=.5c7490ef6214 http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/laptops-classroom-digital-distraction-1.3949743 https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/2015/08/laptop-use-effects-learning-attention/ https://web.stanford.edu/class/linguist156/laptops.pdf
2 Comments
Candice Brown
2/3/2017 07:07:22 am
This is something that I have recently had to deal with and I am not entirely sure I am comfortable with it yet.. I went from teaching grade 5 in a very rural small town where most students did not have cell phones or even high speed internet to teaching a grade 7 class in the middle of the city. It seems that they are always touching at least one form of technology whether it be their phone, personal or school Ipad or chrome book. The concept of electronics being used in an elementary class was so foreign to me that I was shocked when I first started teaching at my new school. I do like the idea of having students hand in written work electronically and using chrome applications where you never need to worry about loosing information, however I don't know if those positives outweigh the negatives. I find that students are constantly distracted and reliant on their devices and that the concept of taking out a piece of paper and writing down notes for them is useless- they would rather just take a picture with their phone.. I liked how you discussed having a tech specific zone in order for others to not get distracted by it as we know to be the case. Once I wrap my head around the constant use of technology in the classroom it is something I would like to try!
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Alyssa
3/21/2017 10:08:36 pm
I think this is a really interesting topic of research. Although I do not have any experience with this at the post-secondary level other than my own, I do feel that the use of technology can be both beneficial but detrimental depending on the individual. For example, when I was in university, I did not bring my laptop to class often, mainly because I KNEW it would distract me. I'd get caught up checking emails, looking at facebook, etc. I have a mac so I receive texts to my computer as well. This brings me to my next point: at that age, is it worth it to try and limit or even make a rule that electronics are not allowed? I feel like at that point in education, individuals should be able to make an informed decision on whether or not electronics will help or hinder their learning in class. I once had a professor tell us that we were not allowed to be on our cellphones in class...this may have worked for some, but not for me as I was still able to send and receive messages from my laptop. I feel like controlling the use of electronics is much easier with younger grades. Thanks for sharing!
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AuthorI teach Paramedicine at Cambrian College, in Sudbury, Ontario. I also continue to work as a paramedic, and ride bikes. This is my third semester in the PME program, and I look forward to learning with everyone! Archives
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