Laptops in Classrooms: Evaluating Potential Benefits of Technology Against Distractions Part 3
Location
CSU Ballroom
Start Date
16-4-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
16-4-2013 4:00 PM
Student's Major
Psychology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Karla Lassonde
Mentor's Department
Psychology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Laptop use in classrooms has sparked a debate in the teaching community about the advantages and disadvantages (e.g., distractions) of using laptops. To shed light on this debate, in a previous study we explored effects of different note-taking methods with either a pen and paper (handwriting condition) or a laptop (typing condition) on memory for text. We found that students in the handwriting condition did better on an assessment of the material compared to students who typed notes; results were approaching significance. The goal of the current study is to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of laptop use for note taking by asking participants to observe a video lecture.
Participants will be assigned to either the typing condition (laptop) or the handwriting condition (pen and paper). They will be instructed to watch a non-psychology introductory video lecture (approx.
20 minutes), and will be asked to take notes on the lecture as if they are going to be tested on the material. After a short distracter task, participants’ memory for the lecture will be tested using a combination of multiple-choice and fill-in-the blank questions. A week later, participants will be given the same assessment test to determine if encoding method (laptop vs. handwritten) influences long-term retention. We hypothesize that participants in the handwriting condition will have a higher retention rate than those who are in the typing condition for both short and long-term retention. We hope that results will inform both students and teachers about best-practices in note taking.
Laptops in Classrooms: Evaluating Potential Benefits of Technology Against Distractions Part 3
CSU Ballroom
Laptop use in classrooms has sparked a debate in the teaching community about the advantages and disadvantages (e.g., distractions) of using laptops. To shed light on this debate, in a previous study we explored effects of different note-taking methods with either a pen and paper (handwriting condition) or a laptop (typing condition) on memory for text. We found that students in the handwriting condition did better on an assessment of the material compared to students who typed notes; results were approaching significance. The goal of the current study is to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of laptop use for note taking by asking participants to observe a video lecture.
Participants will be assigned to either the typing condition (laptop) or the handwriting condition (pen and paper). They will be instructed to watch a non-psychology introductory video lecture (approx.
20 minutes), and will be asked to take notes on the lecture as if they are going to be tested on the material. After a short distracter task, participants’ memory for the lecture will be tested using a combination of multiple-choice and fill-in-the blank questions. A week later, participants will be given the same assessment test to determine if encoding method (laptop vs. handwritten) influences long-term retention. We hypothesize that participants in the handwriting condition will have a higher retention rate than those who are in the typing condition for both short and long-term retention. We hope that results will inform both students and teachers about best-practices in note taking.
Recommended Citation
Almoite, Maria and Felicia Jo VandeNest. "Laptops in Classrooms: Evaluating Potential Benefits of Technology Against Distractions Part 3." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 16, 2013.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2013/poster-session-B/52
