Subject: Re: Laptops in Class as a Negative Externality
From: "Adam J. Levitin" <[email-masked]>
To: Gregg Bloche <[email-masked]>
Cc: Law Faculty and Visitors <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 04:00:07 +0000

Having been part of the law school laptop generation, let me relate that the guy in front of me in Con Law used to alternate between watching porn and horror movies on his laptop during class.  I think he may have gone on to win the Sears Prize.

Adam

On Sep 29, 2014, at 11:54 PM, Gregg Bloche <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Dear All,

My apologies for adding to inbox clutter, but this reflection (from a professor of social media) on the time-honored subject of laptops in class is compelling.  It offers up the usual quibbles (persuasive enough), including the corrosive effect of keyboard multitasking on the concentration that’s necessary for critical processing of ideas, plus the mismatch between classroom teachers’ and social media software-writers’ tools for seizing human attention.  But it goes beyond this to warn, based on evidence, that a student’s laptop multitasking in class yields negative externalities, in the form of distraction that undermines others’ concentration, commitment to classroom engagement, and academic performance.

Worthy of thought.  Here’s the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/09/25/why-a-leading-professor-of-new-media-just-banned-technology-use-in-class/?tid=trending_strip_4

Best,

Gregg