The Use of Computers in Class by College Students

The Use of Computers in Class by College Students
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The Use of Computers in Class by College Students
The use of technology in education is inevitable. Many colleges and universities have made it compulsory for students to be admitted to school with laptops. They say that computers enhance learning and that students who want to perform well must have these devices. In particular, only a few individuals can disagree that there are numerous resources on the Internet that students can access for free. For example, many school libraries and scholarly databases, such as Google Scholar and ProQuest, can now be accessed online. Since many schools provide free Internet connectivity to students, the only learners who benefit are those with computers. Nevertheless, the web can be a source of disruptions and can lead to divided attention among students using laptops during lectures. College students should not be allowed to use computers during their lectures since they do not concentrate on what their professors are teaching, which leads to poor academic performance.
Students’ use of computers in class has substantial adverse effects on their academic performance. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that students who were restricted from using digital devices in class performed better in their examinations than those who were permitted to use computers and had access to the web (Adams, 2016). A lecturer should always control the learning environment for students to concentrate on the topic of discussion. When learners are allowed to use computers, their attention goes away since they might focus on other things not related to what they are taught. One of the common forms of disruption is the social networking platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, where students interact with their friends and families. In some cases, when students use computers and have access to the Internet, they start to chat with their friends, which make them not to concentrate in class. In the long run, such learners do not grasp the concepts taught in class, and they end failing in their exams.
The Internet-enabled electronic gadgets, such as laptops and tablets have transformed the current learning environment and lead to divided attention among students. Although the divided attention between lectures and computers might not have significant effects on the comprehension of concepts learned in the class, it adversely affects the retention of the knowledge acquired in the class (Glass & Kang, 2019). In that case, students who use electronic devices in the classroom are likely to forget crucial points that might help them secure jobs in the future. On the contrary, learners who keep their laptops away during lectures have a high likelihood of grasping knowledge and retaining it since they are attentive and ask questions where they need clarification. Consequently, web-enabled electronic devices cause divided attention in the class, which makes students miss important concepts.
A computer-free learning environment makes students attentive since they want to understand the concepts taught in class. Daniel Kennedy conducted a study where a group of students was ...