Alex Nash / The Mossy Log
Computers create distractions for faculty, students, they should be put away during class time
Sending off a quick email in class, refreshing that one news site, browsing Wikipedia — this is a place we have all been. With many classes requiring computers for at least part of the period, I find myself bringing my laptop everywhere I go. Sometimes it makes sense to pull out the distraction-machine to take some notes in digital form, but not all professors are comfortable with this. Is this the right call, or do laptops have a place in the classroom? It is my opinion that laptops should be minimized in learning environments.
The opportunities to sidetrack yourself on a computer are endless. Every time I pull out my laptop, I find myself subconsciously checking my email. There are landmines everywhere, with tempting chat messages, interesting websites, funny images and even homework for other classes lurking around every corner. Sometimes a forgotten definition is enough to make my fingers start flying over to wikipedia to find out what “autometalogolex” means. Not to mention games.
The impulse to play games is powerful, even in class. The sheer visual stimulus of a few colorful shapes moving around a screen is enough to capture not only the attention of the person playing, but also that of everyone around them. While a quick game of “Run” might not seem too harmful for you, I can confirm as the person sitting behind you that my eyes are on your screen, not on the whiteboard.
Some claim that keeping busy helps them focus, but I refuse to believe that games boost your attention. There are far less distracting ways to fidget, like doodling. If you are playing a game to alleviate the boredom of a painfully slow class, I understand, but other people probably want to pay attention and you are making things difficult for them.
Then there’s also the matter of eco-friendliness. I suspect that laptops are much worse for the environment than paper. Paper is made from cutting down trees, which typically happens on a plantation, not old-growth forests. Unlike deforestation, tree farming can be done sustainably (there are various organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance and the American Tree Farm System which review and certify tree farms as sustainable or not) so paper could be made with net-zero carbon emissions.
Computers, on the other hand, currently cannot be made with only sustainable resources and, in fact, require a host of problematic materials with cartel-based supply lines and destructive mining processes. Computers also consume electricity, so overall it seems unlikely that they are more eco-friendly than paper.
I do not mean to say that computers have no merits. Papers and notebooks take up precious physical space, a fact which becomes increasingly painful as Lewis & Clark packs more and more people into small dorm rooms. Using computers not only reduces clutter and weight, but allows for superior organization. Computers let you quickly search through files for a particular phrase, for instance. Typos and the like are also more easily avoided and fixed on computers, with tools like spellcheck to assist you. All of these benefits, however, only help if you are actually taking notes in the first place.
Finally, a professor’s decision to ban technology in class is done with careful consideration. When I talked to Professor of Religious Studies Jessica Starling, she explained her decision to prohibit laptops originated from a desire for better in-class discussions.
“I’m not phobic of technology,” Starling said. “When we’re separated by a whole bunch of screens that are facing the student, it physically blocks that flow of conversation and engagement.”
The policy has not made classes easier for Starling, who has to go through the arduous task of creating a course reader for every class. Course readers are printed packets that allow students to access all of their readings without having to touch a device. Professor Starling considers this merit well worth the effort.
“Those course readers are pretty affordable and so it’s like this pretty accessible way that students can have all the readings in one place just as I want to present them,” Starling said.
In my personal experience, I have found technology in class extremely distracting and counterproductive to focusing on the material at hand. Concentration and learning simply function better in the absence of laptops and phones. While I fully respect that everyone has their own circumstances and some people need technological assistance, for the most part, I wish my peers would respectfully close the laptop.
As professor Starling said, “It’s a collective project; we all need to show up and support each other’s learning rather than obstruct it, both for ourselves and for our peers.”
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