Upon entering the typical McGill classroom, a sea of screens makes it clear that the use of laptops and tablets for note-taking has become commonplace. In response to this phenomenon, professors tend to clarify their technology policy during their first lecture of the semester: Even if they permit the use[Read More…]
Tag: laptops
Which is mightier: The pen or the keyboard?
The debate over whether or not students should be allowed to use laptops during lectures is a heated one that has sparked controversy at McGill for years. There are cases for both sides; a number of studies vilify laptops as distractions inhibiting students from fully processing information, yet, many students[Read More…]
In defence of laptops: Students must not be forced to take handwritten notes
When entering their first classes of the semester, students are often apprehensive as they wait to hear the professor’s policy on laptops in class. While insisting on handwritten notes is not the norm at McGill, some professors nonetheless present students with articles and studies that explain how writing notes by[Read More…]
The perks of being a hand writer
One of the quickest ways that professors can get students to drop their course after the first lecture is to announce that laptops are not permitted. The feeling in the lecture hall is almost palpable as everyone pictures lectures with nothing but a pen, some paper, and a professor attempting[Read More…]