Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom • Hacker News Board

Re: Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom

#251

Post by compuguy » Thu, Jul 13, 2017, 2:39 PM UTC

jaclaz wrote: post #212

wott wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 15 years of studies, I have never ever heard anyone complaining about his own handwriting. Even with a handwriting that can be very bad for others, one can always reread 99.9% of what one has written, because it is one's own handwriting and one knows its quirks. This kind of complaint magically appeared after students got Internet-enabled laptops and were allowed to bring them at school. That's bullshit of the sam…

>Laptop in a classroom are used to play, browse the web and social networks; the rest are made-up justifications to be allowed to bring them. As a side note, if you actually need/want to take notes on an electronic device such a laptop, it doesn't mean that the device MUST have a browser AND be connected to the internet. If there was a word processor ONLY laptop with no browser nor games on it, air-gaped from the int…

There was such a product as you described: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaSmart

They stopped making them in 2013.

Re: Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom

#252

Post by throwawayjava » Thu, Jul 13, 2017, 6:16 PM UTC

anonymfus wrote: post #227

throwawayjava wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I realize my experience is anecdotal FWIW I'm not totally convinced that the paper isn't also anecdotal. They selected for people who would agree to have their internet activity spied on in exchange for extra credit, and then from that group selected only for people using the internet -- not their computers, but the internet! -- in more than half the lectures. And did all of this in a large enrollment undergraduate…

These processes are called a self-selection bias and a sampling bias. Please don't use the word "anecdotal" in such contexts.

The use of "anecdotal" here is a rhetorical device, mirroring parent's language to emphasize that strongly biased data isn't necessarily any more valuable than mere anecdote. This is a conversation, not a peer review.

Re: Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom

#253

Post by preben » Fri, Jul 14, 2017, 5:21 PM UTC

legolassexyman wrote: post #168

ams6110 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you really write LaTeX equations fast enough to keep up with the lecture? I'm impressed. When I was in school I was often hard pressed to keep up with simple paper and pencil.

Seems like an exaggeration. I really doubt there's anyone taking realtime notes in LaTeX.

It's totally doable. I type fast and know my LaTeX. Only time I feel like I'm at a significant disadvantage is when new symbols are introduced that I have to look up.

Only math is done in LaTeX, for clarification. They're rendered as images and imported into OneNote (via EqualX, if anyone's looking to do the same).

Re: Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom

#254

Post by calvano915 » Sat, Jul 15, 2017, 4:41 PM UTC

Just putting in my 2c that as a senior in dual BS and a minor, technology has allowed me to be more successful than paper ever will. I can get more notes written, can draw (I've used a tablet from day one, upgraded to an SP4 recently), import everything to keep it all organized, etc. These arguments about tech vs. paper are the same about learning styles. People are different, and what works for them will be different. Professors should allow any tools that are effective for some to be used, as long as a student is not abusing the privilege by distracting/harming other's learning. I've let my mind wander (by means of browsing facebook or some other distraction) in maybe 10 lectures max over the last 3 years of school. The rest of the time, I had OneNote open and was fully engaged. When students aren't engaged, they will find distraction be it on paper or tech. STOP TELLING ME THAT A COMPUTER WILL LOWER MY GRADES. I have a 3.84 and rising, and I refuse to change what makes me successful.

Re: Students Are Better Off Without a Laptop in the Classroom

#255

Post by ahussain » Sun, Jul 16, 2017, 10:59 AM UTC

striking wrote: post #152

wott wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can but you won't as long as it is possible to bypass the trick, because you are inevitably attracted (not to say addicted) to the online web content and interactions and you'll quickly switch back to it.

I see that as a problem with the person viewing the content, not the device that enables them. There are technological tools to help you. There are psychological tools to help you. You can call upon your friends and family for help. But for gods' sake, don't blame the computer. That's not going to help anyone.

This is a fair position, but we shouldn't forget that companies have poured billions of dollars into making these "tools" as addictive as possible, because that's ultimately how they make their money. See [1] and [2] for more.

[1] - Addiction by Design (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Addiction-Design-Machine-Gambling-V...)

[2] - Chomsky on Advertising (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CFwSQiTu3I&t=186s)