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I agree with his conclusion. Open laptops degrade the classroom experience -- especially when the classes (like Clay's) are meant to be both lectures and conver
by chasing 12y ago
I agree with his conclusion. Open laptops degrade the classroom experience -- especially when the classes (like Clay's) are meant to be both lectures and conversations. Behind laptops, too many students seem to treat the class itself like a television program that happens to be running in the background. Instead of something they need to actively engage with.
Note-taking is the only thing I'm concerned about interfering with. I think note-taking can actually increase engagement with the content. Going back to pen and paper feels weird. But so does expecting students to just take notes on a device that, as Shirky notes, is pretty much designed for distraction.
- rjsw 12y agoI'm old enough to have been at college before laptops, back then it was perfectly possible to take written notes without really thinking about the lecture. The discipline has stayed with me though, I don't power up any of my toys if I'm at a conference.
- tfederman 12y agoWhen I take notes because I need to retain something, the writing part is more valuable than reviewing it later. And writing on paper is important, typing isn't effective for that part. When I take notes just to record details that I can look up later on demand it's faster to type and there's no downside. But that matches work more than it does school.