Opinion: Laptops in the classroom are actually leading to lower test scores

[endicom]

Market Watch
Jurica Dujmovic
Jan. 24, 2018

When I was in high school, bringing a calculator to class was a no-no. This was a few decades ago, though, and things have changed.

Nowadays, students not only carry digital devices to school, but they also actively use them in class. By enabling quick access to textual and visual data, laptops and tablets have proven to be a boon for the academic community. Or have they?

Think about it. Let’s say you’re actively following a lecture using pen and paper. As the lecturer speaks, you’re not only listening, but also thinking about what was said and “compressing” longer sentences into shorter chunks of data that are easier for you to write down in time.

More... https://www.marketwatch.com/story/laptops-in-the-classroom-are-actually-leading-to-lower-test-scores-2017-12-14

[jmyrlefuller]

I tried using my laptop to take notes one semester in college. It was distracting.

Sometimes, the pen and paper is best.

[Frank Cannon]

The only reason schools started with laptops and tablets is so they could come up with another lame excuse for why kids are failing. Little Johnny doesn't have a Macbook Pro so he can't add and subtract. Give us more money and then he can get one and get straight A's.

[endicom]

I tried using my laptop to take notes one semester in college. It was distracting.

Scribbling something is quicker than typing. A tablet you can scribble on might work.

[Cyber Liberty]

I tried using my laptop to take notes one semester in college. It was distracting.

Sometimes, the pen and paper is best.

I learned a long time ago it works best for me to write down the class notes with pencil and paper.  I may never refer to them again, even in advanced college math classes, but the act of writing them down was enough to engrave it into my brain.  I don't understand the connection, but it exists, at least for me.

[Fishrrman]

Frank Cannon wrote:
"The only reason schools started with laptops and tablets is so they could come up with another lame excuse for why kids are failing. Little Johnny doesn't have a Macbook Pro so he can't add and subtract. Give us more money and then he can get one and get straight A's."

I recall reading that Steve Jobs -- who made billions by coming up with the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad -- didn't allow his own kids to have much access to computers or i-devices at home. Instead, he wanted them to develop and learn "the old-fashioned way", as he did.

[Cyber Liberty]

I recall reading that Steve Jobs -- who made billions by coming up with the Mac, the iPhone, the iPad -- didn't allow his own kids to have much access to computers or i-devices at home. Instead, he wanted them to develop and learn "the old-fashioned way", as he did.

He knew that shit would turn his kids' brains into cheese.

[truth_seeker]

I learned a long time ago it works best for me to write down the class notes with pencil and paper.  I may never refer to them again, even in advanced college math classes, but the act of writing them down was enough to engrave it into my brain.  I don't understand the connection, but it exists, at least for me.

Visual, possibly linked to "photographic memory." I can often remember the position of a word, statement or phrase, on a page for example.

[thackney]

I learned a long time ago it works best for me to write down the class notes with pencil and paper.  I may never refer to them again, even in advanced college math classes, but the act of writing them down was enough to engrave it into my brain.  I don't understand the connection, but it exists, at least for me.

+1