The new doodling

In the past, students simply did not have enough distractions to keep them occupied in class. There was only daydreaming, texting, passing notes and doodling.

In the new wireless world, students are abandoning the outdated distractions and adopting the laptop computer to kill time in class by updating their Facebook page, checking out the pictures of their sister’s new baby and getting in a few games of Solitaire.

But there is a downside to this new trend that students may be overlooking; a recent study by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder showed that using laptops actually has a negative effect on students’ performance in class.

Fairfield professors say they have been wrestling with the pros and cons of allowing students computer access during class.’ Some find this ‘laptop-free’ policy hard to enforce and believe Internet access can ‘enrich’ classroom discussions.

English Professor Frank Moliterno, who allows the use of laptops during class, has found that only about two to three students bring their laptops regularly to class, and those students have ‘done well’ in his courses.

‘I haven’t noticed widespread use of laptops. What’s more, most students seem to be using them responsibly,’ White said.’ ‘

Richard Regan, an English professor, who has been called by students ‘one of the most tech savvy professors’ at Fairfield University, also supports the use of laptops; in fact, he requires them in his EN11 Composition class.

However, he does not deny laptops are being misused. To avoid students becoming too distracted by their laptops, he said he uses the command ‘tops down’ (meaning literally: close your laptops) when he wants their undivided attention.

Yet Professor Lynne Porter, a theater teacher, strictly prohibits the use of laptops during her classes.

‘There is too much chance for students’ misusing the technology,’ she said. ‘The act of writing by hand is an act of memory – you are actively creating neural pathways to memorize and learn.’

Porter also added, ‘writing on a computer keyboard puts the emphasis on the document, not on the students learning.’

All of the professors interviewed suspect that students do use computers inappropriately during class time. However, the matter of whether it affects their learning and grades is still being debated.

Diane Sieber, an associate professor teaching engineering undergraduates, reported that 17 of her students in one class used laptops last semester. Those students did 11 percent worse, on average, then their peers who did not use laptops as much.’ It is no surprise then that as the laptop usage declined, the students’ grades increased.

In reaction to these findings, professors at various law-schools have started to implement laptop-free zones. Schools such as Florida International, Georgetown, Harvard and the Universities of Michigan and Wisconsin have also supported this policy.

Interviews with 10 Fairfield students showed that most students do not regularly bring their laptops to class. ‘I know that if I did (bring my laptop to class) I would go on the Internet causing me to lose focus,’ Hope Curtis ’11 said.

A few students feel that laptops should be used more frequently in class. ‘I think they’re helpful because you can relate information from one source to another quickly whether it be the Internet to the student or the teacher to the student!’ Nicholas Lattimore ’09 said.’
Jessica Safir ’11 disagreed and feels laptops shouldn’t be used in class. ‘They are a distraction because students want to play games and talk to their friends,’ said Safir.

Sarah Wheeler ’11, a student at Georgetown, said her school allows students to have laptops in most classes except larger lecture classes. She said, ‘I use [a laptop] in all my classes. I think it’s helpful especially because it’s faster for me to take notes and I have horrible handwriting!’

When asked if she suspected that other students were misusing their laptops during class she said, ‘Some people will just sit on Facebook or iChat for the entire class but their grades definitely reflect this.’ Wheeler also added that students who use their laptops responsibly get better grades.

There seems to be a similar trend at Fairfield. Using your laptop to take notes, do research and organize class notes will work to students’ benefit. However, the tendency to become distracted is overwhelming.

As Religious Studies Professor Rosemarie Gorman stated, ‘Grades do suffer since the temptation to do other things [rather] than take notes is frequently present. We are losing the sense of what it takes to be a community of learners when some escape into their laptops.