Leave the laptop out of this

Whether in the largest lecture or the smallest seminar, laptop use during class is a ubiquitous Princeton phenomenon. In many ways, this prevalence reflects positive trends, such as the wide access to computers that students enjoy. That said, the rise of laptop use represents a major shift in the University’s academic environment and one that must not be ignored. Today, however, very few faculty members make any comments regarding the use of such technology. This is a mistake. Laptops have had significant consequences for the learning process, and these consequences call for a serious re-evaluation of our policies toward computer use in class.

Obviously, there are legitimate reasons to bring one’s computer to class: to take notes electronically or to reference class readings. Most of the time, however, those who use laptops end up succumbing, intentionally or not, to the myriad distractions that the internet has to offer. Indeed, even the most focused of Princetonians have found themselves drifting off to facebook.com during lecture or precept, weakening their connections to and absorption of classroom content. Furthermore, even if laptops are only used for electronic note-taking, they may still take away from student engagement and involvement in the learning process. Beyond limiting their own opportunities, such students distract others, and, in doing so, undermine the overall academic experience.

With this in mind, several steps should be taken. First, in large lectures, the potential academic pitfalls that laptops pose should at least be directly addressed and discussed. Ideally, as a result of this process, lecturers should apply creative remedies to mitigate the problems computers may cause, such as requesting those with laptops to sit in the back row, holding a class vote on whether to permit computers in lecture or establishing a good-faith agreement that students will only use their laptops for notes. Even if the only result of such practices is to make students aware of the impact of their use of laptops, they will still contribute positively to Princeton’s educational environment.

Furthermore, though laptop use in lectures may on balance be beneficial, in precepts and smaller classes the Editorial Board strongly recommends that laptops be banned entirely. The purpose of the precept system is to provide forums for argument, debate and the processing of new information, none of which are well served by a jaunt to espn.com. Additionally, the adverse impact of laptops on other students is greatly exacerbated in the smaller setting of the precept. We are not Luddites, but the time has come to recognize that, in many cases, laptops pose more bane than boon.

Want to join the Editorial Board? E-mail opinion@dailyprincetonian.com by Feb. 20 for details and an application.