Debunking Myths for Banning Laptops from the Law School Classroom

In Let Them Use Laptops: Debunking the Assumptions Underlying the Debate Over Laptops in the Classroom [SSRN] (Oklahoma City University Law Review, forthcoming), Temple law prof Kristen E. Murray writes:

What has troubled me about the debate is that both sides consistently make arguments based on untested assumptions about how students are using their laptops. The debate has also been uninformed because it often fails to take account of existing knowledge about today’s law student learners; there has been little discussion of the issue in the context of the effect of laptops on student learning.

Armed with survey data and education research, Murray proceeds to debunk five untested assumptions that arise in the classroom laptop debate:

Myth #1: Students Use Laptops to Take Transcript-Style Notes

Myth #2: Laptops in Class Lead to Decreased Class Participation and Engagement

Myth #3: Laptops Primarily Provide Law Students with Opportunities for Distraction

Myth #4: Because They Are Digital Natives, Law Students Make Informed Choices About Laptops and Learning

Myth #5: Law Professors Have Developed Sufficient Standards for Measuring the Results of Law School Laptop Bans

Murray concludes that "to ban [laptops] completely from a lecture hall is to deny students a powerful learning tool—one that many students already use to enhance their learning."

Hat tip to Legal Writing Prof Blog. [JH]