Technology is Advancing, and KU Should Too: Allowing Computers in Every Class

Prepared by Anna Pick

November 13, 2019
Audience: Jean Redeker (Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs)

Executive Summary
The ability for students to use a laptop during class on campus is left to each professor’s
discretion. This causes several debates on whether our laptop policy should change to where
laptops are allowed no matter the circumstances. 87% of the full time, KU students that I
surveyed, claimed they feel at a disadvantage when they aren’t allowed to take notes on a
computer during class (Source 9). In fact, Jesse Stommel who directs Division and Learning
Technologies at the University of Mary Washington considers laptop bans in classes an
infringement on a student’s freedom and form of control (Source 5).

As technology is getting more advanced and popular over the years, it is time to let the students
decide for their own good whether they can handle taking notes on a laptop. The policy
regarding laptops on campus needs to change to allow laptops in every class as well as having
this policy strictly enforced among all professors. Taking away laptops from students may take
away possible distractions, but in the real work world, students need to know how to manage
those distractions and this isn’t helping students learn how to do that (Source 4). There will
always be students who use laptops as a distraction, but as Derek Bruff, mathematician and
director of the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, explains, if students have an activity
that is productive and on-topic to do with their devices, it reduces idle browsing (Source 5).
Therefore, laptop use in class should instead be encouraged which could help with laptop
distractions professors are worried about .

Students Struggle Without Laptops

With electronic devices prevalent in today’s society, students are at a disadvantage when not able
to use them in classrooms (Source 1). Serena Gaskell who is a Junior at KU took a class and felt
it was unfair that the professor didn’t allow her to take notes on her computer. She felt that the
professor went too fast when lecturing and she was barely able to get anything written. It was
especially difficult because the professor did not post anything regarding the notes online either
(Source 8). Serena isn’t the only one who feels this way, 100% of the students who took my
survey said they had a professor not allow them electronics in class and struggled in some way
because of that (Source 9).

Negatively Affects Students’ Learning

For many students, their notes are not legible because of their handwriting, which happens to be
the case for student Lexi Lieberman who attends a different university. It’s hard for her to do
well on her exams when she is not able to read her handwritten notes, which is why she prefers
to take notes online (Source 6). A research study done by professor Lauren Elliott-Dorans found
that a history class that didn’t allow laptops in class had a significantly lower grade on the
response papers than the history
class that did allow laptops. The
graph to the right shows the actual
average grade differences between
the classes in the fall and the
spring. The students who were
allowed to use laptops in class are
the light gray bar and the students
who weren’t allowed to use laptops
in class are the dark gray bar. This goes to show, not being able to use a computer in class can
negatively impact how a student learns. It wasn’t just written paper grades that were affected, but
also attendance was also. More students would attend class when allowed to have computers
which helped them learn more (Source1).

Affects Which College Students Choose

After surveying full time KU students, 67% of them said that the ability to use laptops in every
class would be a consideration on what college to attend (Source 9). As computers become more
important, allowing them in classes is important for students and can be a factor in which college
would be best for them to attend. Encouraging students to look up additional information on the
internet empowers students to explore areas that interest them, but not allowing students to do
that in class can sway their decision on whether they would want to come to KU (Source 4).

A Change in Policy Is the Best Fix

Allowing students to use computers in every class would be implemented by changing the
current policy that exists and enforcing it. There are several advantages that students can have
with computers including being able to copy and paste notes over to a quizlet (digital flashcards),
which will help them study faster and more efficiently (Source 2). Permitting students to have
laptops, but encouraging them to surf the internet is a way to help students better succeed in their
classes, which is what the professor Dunlosky at Kent State recommends (Source 3).

Implementing The Policy Will Help Students in Class

This policy would need to be strictly enforced across campus, in order for students to get the
complete benefit of laptop use. In order to have it be strictly enforced, have the instructor of
every class know how important this policy is to students and to encourage students to report any
breaking of this policy. Between 57% to 79% of students already use laptops in laptop-allowed
classes, therefore this policy will affect many students (Source 1). Past research has found that
taking more notes leads to better test performance (Source 7). I can personally say that as a
student who’s been in classes where laptops are allowed, it helped me to jot down notes quickly
during lectures when professors speak fast.

The Positives Outweigh the Negatives

The main reason laptop bans in classes are in place is because of the distractions that they can
cause (Source 3). The ability to take more complete notes during class, though, outweighs the
negative effects of distractions (Source 1). Students will learn how to manage the distractions or
discover the consequences of being distracted, which will help them manage their time in the
workforce after college (Source 4). Although many older professors believe that participation in
class is negatively affected by the allowance of computers in class, a research study proves this
theory is wrong. The research shows that the participation in class with laptops actually has a
slight better rate of participation than the class that doesn’t allow computers (Source 1). The
graph to the right shows what the
exact study found. The light gray
bar is the class that wasn’t allowed
to have laptops in class and the
dark gray bar is the class that was
allowed to have laptops in class.
This is a major positive aspect that
many professors have previously
thought to be a negative of
technology.

Students Deserve the Freedom of Using a Laptop in Class

The fact of the matter is, technology is evolving every day and KU needs to adapt the current
policy to strictly enforce the allowance of laptops in every class. Laptops can be useful in class to
help learn. Sometimes in class, though, professors can recognize that it is useful to shut down the
computers for a while, but blocking computers as a whole for every class is not helpful for
students overall (Source 5).

Consider the change of this policy for the benefit of the students of KU and for the potential KU
students who may choose different universities over KU because of these issues. Don’t let the
non-allowance of computers in class be the reason that people are doing bad in class or not
participating as much (Source 1). This could be a large change for the better and the students
would appreciate it. As technology is advancing, KU should too.
 Reference List

Source 1: Research Article

Author Lauren R. Elliott-Dorans

Publication Date November, 2018

Title To ban or not to ban? The effect of permissive

versus restrictive laptop policies on student
outcomes and teaching evaluations

Source Title Science Direct Website

Link https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
pii/S0360131518301830

Source 2: Blog

Author Allison Wignall

Publication Date October 10, 2019

Title Laptop vs. Notebook: Which is Better to Take

Notes On?

Source Title College Raptor

Link https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/a
rticles/tips-tools-advice/laptop-vs-notebook-b
etter-take-notes/

Source 3: Article

Author Beckie Supiano

Publication Date February 6, 2019

Title Should You Allow Laptops in Class? Here’s

What the Latest Study Adds to That Debate

Source Title The Chronicle of Higher Education

 Link https://www.chronicle.com/article/Should-Yo
u-Allow-Laptops-in/245625

Source 4: Scholarly Article

Author Lauren Margulieux

Publication Date 2019

Title The Case for Laptops in the Classroom

Source Title Georgia Tech Center for 21st Century

Universities

Link https://c21u.gatech.edu/blog/case-laptops-clas
sroom

Source 5: Article

Author Anya Kamenetz

Publication Date January 24, 2018

Title Laptops And Phones In The Classroom: Yea,

Nay Or A Third Way?

Source Title NPR Website

Link https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/01/24/5
78437957/laptops-and-phones-in-the-classroo
m-yea-nay-or-a-third-way

Source 6: Blog

Author Lexi Lieberman

Publication Date September 13, 2017

Title Should You Be Allowed to Use Your Laptop

in Class?

Source Title Study Break Website

 Link https://studybreaks.com/college/should-you-b
e-allowed-to-use-your-laptop-in-class/

Source 7: Article

Author Winston Sieck

Publication Date January 1, 2019

Title Strategies for Taking Notes on Computer

Source Title Thinker Academy

Link https://thinkeracademy.com/taking-notes-on-c
omputer/

Source 8: Interview

Name of Interviewee Serena Gaskell

Date November 10th

Title Student at University of Kansas

Interview Questions 1. Have you ever had a class that you

weren’t allowed to have technology
in? How did you feel about that?
2. When do you think a policy regarding
computer use would be the most
helpful?
3. Do you think a policy regarding
computer use in every class allowed
would be a positive addition for KU?

Source 9: Survey

Survey Title KU Student Laptop Survey

Date November 13, 2019

Number/Description of Participants 30 Students Attending KU

Survey Questions 1. Do you believe laptops in being
allowed in every class would be
beneficial?
2. Have you had a professor not allow
you to use a computer in class?
3. How often do you take notes on your
computer if you can?
4. Do you feel at a disadvantage when
you aren’t allowed to take notes on a
computer?
5. If you knew that another university
offered all classes have the ability to
use laptops, would that be a serious
consideration on what college you
attend?