Improve Learning Outcomes

Deliberate Engagement of Laptops to Improve Attentiveness and Engagement

Dr. Perry J. Samson

Figure 1. Student response to “My attentiveness in this class has increased due to laptop use.”

This paper explores the value of in-class Internet technologies to improve student attentiveness, engagement, and learning. When students were given the option to use LectureTools for note-taking, inquiry, and classroom response, over 90% of students attending lecture voluntarily brought their laptops to class and the number of questions asked during class increased dramatically. Students felt more attentive, more engaged, and felt they learned more with the technology than in similar classes without it.

These results suggest that while having laptops in the classroom can be a distraction, students show confidence that they are capable of productive multitasking, showing that they not only can handle this technology when applied through “deliberate engagement” using tools like LectureTools, but thrive with it, as seen through improved attentiveness, learning, and overall engagement even in larger classes.

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