Laptops in class

Laptops in class

Since the beginning of the 21^st century, there has been a rapid growth in technology. With such development, there has been a rise in computing. This has promoted the growth of the development of Personal Computers (laptops) and tablets. Such advancements in computing have improved the work performance in an organization such as manufacturing and retail. They are used as a tool to make work easier. Moreover, schools have incorporated the art of using laptops and tablets in their learning activities. Classrooms in the USA have included the art of using laptops and tablets, and this is continually replacing pens and pencils. In the next decade, this technology may end up eliminating classrooms and students will learn from the comfort of their homes. However, despite the vast benefits, various problems are coupled with various limitations. In this paper, there will be a review of the various drawbacks associated with the art of using laptops and tablets in classrooms.

Drawbacks of Using Laptops in class

Distractions are a significant problem caused by laptops in class. Concentration is one of the critical elements in the classroom. Students should always be attentive and alert in every lesson. Tutors should also practice of engaging student’s ad making class sessions as interactive and fun as possible. However, this is not always the case for most teachers; some have dull lessons. In a situation when a student is involved in a dull lesson, they will ever be tempted to slip into social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This is categorized as a significant distraction; students lose their concentration and do not grasp major points put for by their teachers. Thus, laptops and tablets, despite their benefit, are a source of distraction to the students.

Laptops and tablets are beneficial in the course of taking down notes; this is because it is faster considered to writing using a pen or pencil. However, a notable challenge is that on laptops, a student is not always keen to highlight or note the most significant aspects of the lessons. Taking, for example, in a science class, a student will type everything a teacher says. It’s funny enough that they might end up even typing the jokes told in class. However, research entails that the physical use of pen and paper in note-taking is much more effective. For a student who is writing, they will mainly focus on the main points of a class. Additionally, writing involves the imagery, mapping and conceptualization of the concepts leant in class. Thus, despite being fast, students are not able to grasp or map the significant points of a lesson; thus, writing can be preferred over the use of laptops and tablets in class.

According to a research conducted by Pam. A Muller who is a Psychological Scientists at Princeton University discovered that students using laptops or tablets in note-taking always practice a practice called nongenerative note-taking. This is the process a student copies everything because they are fast in typing. However, students who are involved in writing practice the generative note-taking. Since the writing students cannot copy everything, they practice paraphrasing, summarizing and content mapping. This is a very effective strategy in learning. And this additionally proves the point that laptops should not always be incorporated in classrooms.

In conclusion, due to the rapid development of technology, there has been a growth in computing. Laptops and tablets are now being used in classrooms. However, despite their benefits, such as being first, there are also some drawbacks such as distractions and nongenerative note-taking (copying everything). Despite the efforts made, such as the development of technologies such as Livescribe, writing is the better option than the incorporation of laptops in classrooms.