Fried 2008

In-class laptop use and its eVects on student learning

1. Références

• Référence complète APA : Fried, C. B. (2008). In-class laptop use and its effects on student learning. Computers & Education, 50(3), 906–914.

• Auteur(s) : Carrie Fried

• Revue : Computers & Education

2. Copies

• Copie en ligne :

• Copie locale : Fichier:Fried 2008.pdf

• Copie physique :

3. Mots-clés

• ordinateur portable

4. Abstract

Recently, a debate has begun over whether in-class laptops aid or hinder learning. While some research demonstrates that laptops can be an important learning tool, anecdotal evidence suggests more and more faculty are banning laptops from their classrooms because of perceptions that they distract students and detract from learning. The current research examines the nature of in-class laptop use in a large lecture course and how that use is related to student learning. Students completed weekly surveys of attendance, laptop use, and aspects of the classroom environment. Results showed that stu- dents who used laptops in class spent considerable time multitasking and that the laptop use posed a signiWcant distraction to both users and fellow students. Most importantly, the level of laptop use was negatively related to several measures of student learning, including self-reported understanding of course material and overall course performance. The practical implications of these Wndings are discussed.

5. Résumé (facultatif)

Intro

• Arguments et références en faveur du laptop en salle de cours p.2. Cependant :
  • Limites méthodologiques : "often lacks objective measures of learning or a non-laptop control group"
  • Dans la plupart des cas le dispositif a été adapté à l'usage des laptops (usage encadré par le prof).
• Mouvement contre les laptops plus récemment, mais sans réelles bases objectives.
• P. 3 : mécanismes cognitifs permettant de prédire que le portable peut avoir un effet négatif sur l'attention et l'apprentissage, notamment la distraction et la surcharge cognitive.

Méthodo

• 3 questions de recherche :
  • (1) What is the level and character of laptop use in the classroom?
  • (2) How does laptop use aVect learning outcomes?
  • (3) Do laptops present a sizable distraction to other students in the classroom?

• Sujets : "One hundred thirty-seven students, from two sections of General Psychology taught by the same instructor"

• Dispositif pédagogique :
  • "The research was limited to a lecture oriented class where laptops were not utilized in any organized fashion."
  • "All students in the class had laptops with wireless networking capabilities and both classrooms were equipped with wi-W. Students were told at the beginning of the course that they could bring the laptops to class to take notes if they wanted to, but that they would never need their laptops."
  • Textbook
  • ex cathedra 70% du temps
  • Occasional videos, in-class demon- strations, and discussions, which accounted for approximately 25% of class time
  • Evaluation : 4 exams and 10 homework assignments; 89% of the possible points were based on objective multiple-choice exams

• Instruments :
  • Student learning was measured by performance on objective exams and the completion of homework assignments.
  • weekly surveys on various aspects of the class focused on class attendance, classroom experiences, and lap- top use.
  • In the first nine surveys, students were asked, in an open-ended format, to report on any aspects of the class- room experience or the behavior of their fellow students that they found distracting or that prevented them from paying attention to lectures.
  • American College Test (ACT) scores and high-school rank (HSR), obtained from the university assessment oYce, provided measures of each students academic preparation and aptitude.

Résultats

• Degré d'utilisation :
  • Of the total participants, 64.3% reported using their laptops in at least one class period; those who used lap- tops used them during 48.7% of the class periods on average.
  • Users reported that they multitasked (did things other than take lecture notes) for an average of 17 min out of each 75 min class period.
• "Students admit to spending considerable time during lectures using their laptops for things other than taking notes." (et ceci malgré la désirabilité sociale). Of the students who reported their laptop uses during lectures (n D 78), 81% reported that they checked email during the lectures, 68% reported that they used instant messaging, 43% reported surWng the net, 25% reported playing games, and 35% reported doing “other” activities.

• Impact sur l'apprentissage :
  • Corrélation négative avec le résultat au cours : "The more students used their laptops in class, the lower their class performance."
  • Corrélation négative avec la perception de l'attention
  • Corrélation négative avec la perception de la clarté du cours
  • Corrélation négative avec la perception de la compréhension
  • Les ét rapportent que le plus grand distracteur = usage des portables par leurs pairs
  • "The pattern of the correlations suggests that laptop use interfered with students’ abilities to pay attention to and understand the lecture material, which in turn resulted in lower test scores."
  • "Obviously, the correlational nature of this research prevents drawing clear causal relationships. It is possible that students who are struggling in class are more likely to bring their laptops as a diversion."