Is it a good idea to forbid students from using laptops in class?

 "We shouldn't let students use laptops in class." That's what Lars Tummers, a professor of Public Administration and Organisational Science at Utrecht University, called for in a popular LinkedIn post. He argued that students learn better without laptops, and their interaction with each other and the teacher also improves. 

Tummers is not the only one in his department asking students to keep their laptops in their bags and take notes by hand. But what do other students and lecturers at UU think about a laptop ban? DUB asked the following question to its panel of students and faculty:

Would it be a good idea to ban laptops in class?

Most respondents would welcome laptop-free lectures, but they think that a ban would go too far. After all, a ban must apply to all courses. It shouldn't be something lecturers could implement at their own discretion.

Philosophy student Nina Keijzer says:

“The use of laptops is discouraged in the undergraduate Philosophy programme. Laptops are allowed in lectures, but not in seminars. Most students dislike this, as they are used to laptops.

Personally, I don't take my laptop to lectures or seminars anymore. I only take notes by hand now, and I’ve noticed that I understand the course material better. My notes are more focused than they used to be. Using pen and paper has helped me distinguish more clearly between the main and secondary points.

From what I've noticed, students benefit most from clarity and consistency. They get annoyed when laptops are allowed in one course but not in another.”

Educational scientist Kirsten Buist says:

“There are both pros and cons to a laptop ban. As a lecturer, it's not that inspiring to stare at a bunch of screens and bowed heads, especially if you suspect that not everyone is actively engaged with the lecture. Besides, people tend to memorise handwritten notes slightly better than typed ones, so a laptop ban would also benefit the learning process.

On the other hand, if I were a student, I would be annoyed by such a ban. First, writing notes by hand takes longer, so you are more likely to miss things, and second, because handwritten notes are harder to find and search through. They may also be less legible, as not everyone writes neatly these days.

I think it would be good to inform students at the start of a course about the benefits of handwritten notes, but I would leave the decision about whether to use a laptop up to students.

'Back when I was a student, I’d sometimes find myself browsing online shops during boring lectures’

Kimberly Naber, PhD candidate in Intercultural Communication:

“I'll probably sound like a boomer now, but as a lecturer, I fully agree that laptops should stay in students' bags. Numerous studies have shown that students who take notes by hand tend to retain information significantly better. Now that AI has come into the picture, we have even more reasons to switch to pen and paper. If you want students to brainstorm, and the first thing they do is open ChatGPT, the whole thought process gets lost.

In addition, people tend to interact less when a screen is in front of them, which can also be a barrier to their learning process. In the past, students used to get away with the argument that it would be time-consuming to type up their rough notes to create a summary. Now I would tell them to scan their notes and convert them into a digital text. That way, you get the best of both worlds.

“Back when I was a student, I'd sometimes find myself browsing online shops during boring lectures. Pen and paper have forced me to stay focused.”

‘I often have the slides open on my own laptop so I can look back if something went too fast’

Lester Prins, Master’s student in Climate Physics:

“Virtually no one uses a laptop in my degree due to the amount of maths in it. At most, they use a graphics tablet. Most people just use pen and paper. Personally, I think that works much better than laptops. You remember things better, and you’re also much more flexible, as you can easily draw little sketches or graphs.

However, if the lecturer uses slides, I don’t think a laptop ban is practical. I often have the slides open on my own laptop so I can look back if something went too fast. It'd be a shame if I didn't have the option to do that anymore. Therefore, my conclusion is that we should encourage students to take handwritten notes without banning laptops.”

Levi Bierhuizen, Master’s student in Clinical Psychology:

“I'm in favour of a laptop ban. From a psychological perspective, I know there are advantages to taking notes by hand. In my opinion, there needs to be a programme-wide policy, and the ban should be communicated clearly. Things should be clear so we don’t have to debate whether we’re allowed to use laptops in every single course.

When it comes to recording lectures, it's pretty frustrating that there’s no uniform policy within the programme. People start debating this all over again with each new course." 

‘Maybe we should take a look at the lecturers’ own screen use’

Philosopher Floris van den Berg says:

“I think it would be good if a screen ban were the default rule for our lectures and seminars. So, it wouldn't just be a matter of keeping your laptop in your bag, but doing the same to your phone, which should be on aeroplane mode. 

I defend this because phones and laptops tempt students to check social media, even when they are taking notes. Screens also distract the people around you. Students in seminars sit defensively at their laptops, as if behind a shield. This does not encourage interactions.

Maybe we should also take a look at the lecturers’ own screen use. I do not think that PowerPoint should be the standard format for a lecture. We are all spending more and more time in front of screens, increasingly living in a virtual world. At a time like this, the role of education is to transfer knowledge and promote interactions between lecturers and students.

I'm going to make my classes screen-free. I will announce this to the students in advance and discuss the policy during the first lecture (or at least make my arguments clear).”

Educational scientist Casper Hulshof:

“This is a commendable initiative, and a discussion that pops up every now and then. There is an educational argument for banning laptops in class, but I don't do that because students are adults who are perfectly capable of making their own judgments.

Additionally, most of them only have the course literature in digital form. If I were a student, I would feel terribly patronised if a lecturer imposed a laptop ban.”

The Innovation scientist Frank van Rijnsoever says:

“Generally speaking, I prefer it when students don’t use laptops, especially when teaching in large lecture halls. Sometimes, I find myself staring at a wall of laptops, which doesn't always encourage interactions.

That said, it also depends on the type of lecture you’re giving and what your aim is. The effects of laptop use on students’ grades seem fairly modest. I think students should reflect on what leads to the best learning outcomes for them. So, I’m not in favour of a laptop ban, but rather of a cultural shift.”

Philosopher Brandt van der Gaast:

"It is not good for students to always have a screen in front of them. Everyone understands that it is pointless to lift weights in the gym using hydraulic jacks because you are not training your muscles that way. 

Similarly, it is pointless for students to have a laptop to hand at all times, as the temptation is great to let the computer do things that you should actually be practising yourself.

Studying a text requires slow reading, and you can't do that if you’re distracted by social media or using shortcuts such as AI. In fact, many of our lecturers have switched back to paper readers."