The addition of computers and other technology to college classrooms has largely been regarded as offering students and professors new tools to help further education.
But recently, some educators and researchers have been questioning just how helpful having technology in the classroom really is.
A study published in the Journal of Computing in Higher Education called “The Laptop and the Lecture” examined the effects of computers in the classroom by allowing half the students in a class to use laptops during lectures, while the other half had to turn their computers off.
The study found that students who used their computers during class scored significantly lower than students who didn’t use laptops on comprehension tests covering information from the lecture. Even students who used their computers to look at information related to the lectured did worse on tests than students who didn’t use computers at all.
The study concluded that even when students where looking at information relevant to the class, their attentions where divided between the lecture itself and the additional material, making it more difficult to fully understand either one.
Some schools have taken to heart the message that technology in the classroom could be hurting students. So they’rechanging how they teach. The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Texas is one school that has made some adjustments by removing computers and equipment like DVD players and projectors from the classroom.
The Meadows School’s stripped-down teaching approach is based on a paper published by the school’s dean, José Bowen, called “Teaching Naked.” The teaching naked philosophy revolves around the idea that classroom time should be spent on discussion and interaction with students, which Bowen said can best be achieved without the use of technology.
The Meadows School switched over to its new teaching approach about two years ago, said Martin Sweidel, associate dean of the Meadows School. Although there was initially an adjustment period, Sweidel said by now professors have embraced their low tech classrooms.
“Even when there were some complaints everyone was pretty quick to try it out and see that it was working,” he said.
While most technology has been banished from the classroom, professors at the Meadows School are still encouraged to use technology to provide students with out of class study material like online articles or podcasts. The main idea, Sweidel said, is to reserve class time for face to face interactions instead of technology-based activities like PowerPoints.
“With this, you can add or build on or do something with outside material in class time and help them own it and get to do something with it,” he said. “It’s a better use of class time.”
Nick Harnoski, a junior business administration major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said he’s used his laptop during classes and he can see how it could be problematic for learning.
“It’s really convenient to have it there for taking notes or looking at presentations, but you’ve got the Internet and a bunch of other distractions there too so it’s kind of a mixed bag.”
While the exact benefits of classroom technology have come into question, Harnoski said he doesn’t think students should be completely separated from technology yet.
“There’s still benefits to having technology in classrooms so I don’t think you can write it off just yet,” he said.