Electronics Usage Policy

Research shows that computer/tablet/phone usage during class, even for taking notes, has a negative impact on retention, processing, and performance.

Therefore, except for pre-generated materials such as presentations, the use of electonic device during lectures is disallowed, even if computers are accessible in the room.

Exception

An exception can be granted by writing a 1-page paper arguing why you choose to use an electronic device in the classroom.

This paper must provide a reasonable argument against studies and articles like the following.

• The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, by Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer, Sage Journals, 2014.
  Sage Journals, copy

  • cited in Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away, by James Doubek, NPR, 2016.
    NPR, copy

• Knowing when to hand write notes and when you should type will help you to remember the most important facts, recall concepts, and get smarter overall, by Drake Baer and Mark Stenberg, Business Insider, 2020.
  Business Insider, copy

• Psychology says people who type notes instead of writing them by hands may process information differently in their brain, by (unknown), The Economic Times, 2026.
  Economic Times, copy

Grading

Although this exception page is on Brightspace as an Assignment, I will not "grade" this assignment beyond checking whether your submission seemed reasonable and then indicating this in a comment.

If reasonable, I expect you to use your devices responsibly and to sit where you will not disturb others. You should use your device to do only the things that are directly related to current classroom activities, such as taking notes or refering to your ebook. You should refrain from using your device to do tasks not related to the course, such as checking your email, engaging in social networks, surfing the web, playing video games, watching shows, etc.

Using your device for anything other than class-related activities will count against your participation.

If you do not submit a response but use your device anyways, this will count against your participation.