Computers in class?

Brace yourself for another old-man-esque rant about technology…

If you sit down in the middle of a pharmacy lecture and tune out the professor (something I may occasionally be guilty of) you hear one sound: the incessant pitter-patter of keyboards.  Now I understand the appeal of using a computer to take notes, but I think sometimes, it's a little unnecessary and can sometimes be detrimental, both to yourself and those around you.

There are a lot of arguments for bringing a computer to class.  I do agree with some of them, but I think that the reasons not to bring it outweigh the positives.  The biggest argument you'll probably hear is that it's easier to take notes on a computer.  Ok, for some that may be true.  However, I think that pen(cil) and paper offers much more.  Learning to take notes in a shorthand form is important so that you can write more quickly and not miss as much of the lecture.  Part of that shorthand is using symbols (arrows, abbrevs that require non-letter/number characters, etc.) and making those symbols, drawing arrows to different parts of the notes, and making quick diagrams takes much longer on a computer.  Some people say they can type faster than they can write, which I believe, but for a lot of the people who use their computers in class, that isn't true.  The slowdown of typing and trying to make crude diagrams on the pdf of the notes causes them to lose time.  They miss points made and have to either ask their neighbor or interrupt class to ask the professor to repeat himself.

Another advantage of pen/paper notes is that when you go to study, you have the wonderful opportunity to copy those notes, organize them, and make them legible.  Seeing (and especially writing) something more frequently means that you learn it better.  If you want computerized notes, just add it into the pdf at home when you are reviewing the lecture.

You may disagree with the points I've made so far.  Fine.  Everyone learns differently and has different talents with typing, writing, and drawing.  But the aforementioned reasons are not the only reasons that computers don't usually belong in the classroom.  Computers are a distraction both for the user and those around him.  Computers open you up to any resource you could dream of, which could enhance your learning (if you need to, just look it up after class, I say…), but they also open you up to distractions like shopping, facebook, chat, email, and lots of other things that you don't need to be doing during class.  If you are just going to come to class day after day and not pay attention because the internet is so enticing, why even come to lecture?  I know how hard it is to resist temptation.  I'm often guilty of checking my phone during a dull point in class, but what bothers me are the people I sit behind who, without fail, are doing five or six things during every single class.  It's not uncommon for someone to have open facebook, google chat, their email, the Coach shopping site, many other random things, and somewhere in the background, their notes.   Not only are you distracting yourself, you're distracting the people around you who can't help but see your shopping or chat windows flashing different colors as you talk to classmates.  I will say, though, that there are a rare few who I have sat behind and do nothing but pay attention and take notes.  I commend them on their ability to resist the powerful pull of the world wide web.

One other thing… computers are pretty heavy.  Even with lighter computers, once you factor in the protective case and power adapter, that adds up to much more than a small stack of looseleaf paper and a pencil or two.  You're not doing your back any favors by lugging that thing around every day.

I may be old-fashioned with my learning styles (see my post on why powerpoint is an asinine alternative to overhead projectors), but I do think that more often than not, computers are used for non-academic purposes when they are being used during class.  There are definitely times when computers can be of great benefit during a class, but most of the time, they're unnecessary.  I don't really care all that much when so many people have their computers; when an interesting person is lecturing, it's not hard to focus solely on him or her and take my notes on my sheet of paper.  The people distracted by their computers are the ones who have the potential to lose out on a good lecture or miss good points made that weren't in the furnished notes.