Unlocking Student Potential: Why Professors Advocate for Limited Technology Use in the Classroom

As students head back to school, they are facing different rules about technology from their new professors.

In many classrooms, it’s common to see students with laptops open, but not for taking notes.

Dianne Bragg, an associate professor in Journalism and Creative Media, has noticed this trend. “Most of them aren’t paying attention. They’re shopping or doing homework for other classes,” she observed.

Some students think that rules against technology are just a way for professors to control them. For Bragg, though, it’s more than that. Around ten years ago, she read a study suggesting that taking notes by hand helps students understand better than typing does.

Curious, she looked at the grades of students who typed notes versus those who wrote them by hand. “Those who typed had an overall average a letter grade lower,” she said, admitting this was just her personal observation.

In Scientific American, Charlotte Hu explains that writing notes by hand forces students to focus more. They must process what they hear, deciding what is important and connecting it to what they already know.

Other professors limit technology for reasons like promoting engagement and concentration.

Ariana McIntyre, a senior in neuroscience, shared her thoughts about a class where technology wasn’t allowed. “Without technology, I was able to engage more with my classmates. I wasn’t distracted by my laptop or phone,” she said.

Still, McIntyre found the no-tech rule challenging. “I struggled to keep up with note-taking. I type much faster than I can write by hand,” she mentioned.

In another article from Scientific American, Cindi May discusses a similar concern. While typing may help with detailed note-taking, the benefits of handwriting notes are significant. Even if writing is slower, studies show that it improves understanding and application of the material.

Bragg noted that most students react negatively to the idea of handwriting notes at first. “They complain that their hands hurt since they don’t write much anymore. But with time, they get used to it,” she said. “I hope they take these skills with them beyond the classroom.”