![northwestern chem draw northwestern chem draw](https://cdnsciencepub.com/cms/10.1139/cjes-2018-0283/asset/images/large/cjes-2018-0283con.jpeg)
“In small classes you can do that a little bit more … but it’s a disciplinary thing in the sense of how you create the most focused learning environment.” “So much of it isn’t about individual student learning but about the community as a whole,” Kaplan said.
![northwestern chem draw northwestern chem draw](https://www.coursehero.com/thumb/53/82/53828d3a3d909c9817d7ed614c94bc223b0d04f4_180.jpg)
Kaplan, a teaching assistant for the gender and sexuality studies department, said a classroom should be “a place to develop a new skill set” and that if a professor requires handwritten notes, it is an opportunity for students to practice a skill set that might otherwise go unused. Kyle Kaplan, a fifth-year doctoral student in musicology and a Mellon Interdisciplinary Cluster Fellow with the gender and sexuality studies program, said he doesn’t allow laptops when teaching. “It really helps me to focus when I can draw visual aides.”Ī study published in March 2013 found that students who multitasked on a laptop during class and students who were in direct view of the multitasking student scored lower on a test compared to students who didn’t. “I exclusively use notebooks, and I like to draw in them,” Cimarusti said. He said he remembers sitting in past classes where he couldn’t ignore a student sitting in front of him scrolling through Twitter during lectures. Weinberg junior Luke Cimarusti said laptops can be extremely distracting for students not even using their laptops.
![northwestern chem draw northwestern chem draw](https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/19/10129/2019/acp-19-10129-2019-f13-web.png)
Just like doodling, small distractions on laptops could be a way for students to manage their attention to increase overall productivity, Jean said.
![northwestern chem draw northwestern chem draw](https://www.mdpi.com/toxins/toxins-13-00634/article_deploy/html/images/toxins-13-00634-g003.png)
Jean added that small distractions can be beneficial, since it can be difficult for some students to focus for an entire 80-minute class. “Certainly students can be distracted by it, but that’s something I allow them to manage themselves.” “Electronic notes are easier to save, easier to search and easier to share,” Jean said. Marshall Jean said laptops shouldn’t be blamed for distracting students, and the benefits of typing notes more than make up for any potential pitfalls. However, some NU professors allow laptops in their classrooms because of their practical benefits. Nguyen added that for STEM majors, handwritten notes can be important because much of the material consists of drawings and diagrams, which require pen and paper. “You have to use the muscles in your hand to coordinate with the imprinting in your brain.” “If you really want to learn a subject, you have to write it down,” Nguyen said. SonBinh Nguyen said he doesn’t allow laptops during lectures because he finds they distract students from the material. In NU classrooms, this topic is contested.Ĭhemistry Prof. However, a recent study published in the Educational Psychology Review found that there’s not a significant difference between typed and handwritten notes. NU professors who ban laptops often cite a 2014 study that suggests writing notes by hand helps students retain information better than typing notes. Some Northwestern students slip their computers into bags and backpacks without so much as a second thought, but the laptop - the ever-present symbol of on-the-go college students - and its role in the college classroom are still up for debate.