Allie Norman Source 3

Allie Norman Source 3

Citation: Linda B. Nilson and Barbara E. Weaver. Enhancing Learning with Laptops in the Classroom. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 2005. Print.

Question: What role does student usage of technology, such as laptops in the classroom play in shaping the academic experiences and success of college students?

Initial thoughts: Before reading this book, and after reading the other articles I’ve found, I’ve been thinking that laptops in the classroom are mostly counterproductive… Everything I’ve read so far has lead me to believe that students as a whole, and my own personal use of a laptop in the classroom setting stalls or completely diminishes academic work altogether. The title of the book caught my eye because it indicates that this source is going to be talking about the different ways that teachers and students can enhance learning with laptops and how to engage the students in classroom lectures by using their laptops to their advantages.

Step 2

Paragraph 1; Summarize:

This books aims to give universities a better understanding of how to implement effective laptop learning into classroom lectures. They note that researchers should take a deeper look into counterproductive usage and the productive laptop usage to identify the key differences between how and why students aren’t getting the same results. The researchers involved in the making of this book address how faculty is trained specifically in teaching with technology and the creative effort from staff and students. They also look into each field and examine the effectiveness of laptops after training has occurred.

Paragraph 2; Think:

While reading this book, I have learned that students aren’t always to blame. Sometimes lectures can be mundane if teachers aren’t properly trained in technology use. Lectures are definitely beneficial if students are actively listening and engaging in the lecture. Whether it be through conversation with the professor, such as questions and comments, or computer based activities. This reminds me of a class I took in high school, at the end of a lecture, for about 10-15 minutes depending on how much time was left, we would play kahoot. Kahoot is an online buzzer game, which asks you questions about the topic you learned in class that day and you buzzed in the right answer. We earned points on them, usually extra credit which is not my point. My point is that, the teachers lectured us for a while, then engaged us in an activity that was based on the notes we took in class. It improved quiz scores and helped us remember what we had learned with quick recollection.

Paragraph 3; Synthesize:

This source, instead of looking at self-reported surveys and student computer monitoring, the researchers look at all different areas where technology in the classroom could possibly go wrong and how to change for the better. Instead of looking purley at the students and how they get off track from where they’re supposed to be, they look at how professors are prepared to teach with technology, what kind of activities they engage in, and how students respond to these kinds of changes. The most important area in this book is how the researchers exam different subjects and how technology relates to each of these versus my first two sources, which don’t mention much about the course they are surveying students in and the complete absence of how the teachers are conducting their classes and whether or not they are engaging their students in the lectures. Instead of focusing on one aspect of laptops in the classroom (students and how much they are distracted), this source focuses on every possible aspect and how laptops can benefit you, if implemented effectively.

Paragraph 4; Question and plan:

From here, I have lead myself to ask the question on whether or not students are purely at fault or if faculty needs technology training to effectively implement it in the classroom? I need to refine that question to make it more exploratory, but I think this needs to be explored in one of my next articles.