Pam Mueller And Oppenheimer: Article Analysis

There’s no denying that technology has grown to play a major role in education and learning. Students are using laptops, tablets, and smartphones to research, complete, and even collaborate on assignments, both in and outside of the classroom. Timothy D. Snyder and Thomas L. Friedman both have written articles expressing their opposing opinions on technology in the classroom. Timothy Snyder is a Professor of History at Yale University who has written five different award-winning books. In his article, “Why Laptops Are Distracting America’s Future Workforce”, Snyder explains to students and teachers why he is against technology in the classroom. Thomas Friedman is a reporter and columnist for The New York Times, author of six award-winning

The article written by Timothy D. Snyder in 2010 titled, “Why Laptops in Class Are Distracting America’s Future Workforce” is a persuasive article. His purpose in writing this article was to persuade professors to ban laptops in the classroom because he feels they are a distraction. Snyder’s arguments against the use of laptops in classrooms are convincing, but he lacks evidence to support his stance and he uses emotionally charge wording to sway the reader.

In defense of laptops in the classroom” Summary/Analysis/Response (SAR) Paper Summary “In defense of laptops in the classroom” written by Rebecca Schuman, talks about the issue of why computers should be allowed in a college classroom. Schuman explains how people of the new generation use computers in classrooms doing almost everything in college now, rather it be taking notes or accessing course material, and it's more affordable for poorer students. Analysis Schuman attempts to use logos, structuring of her article, and has a good purpose to persuade readers of her agreement. Schuman wrote this article “In defense of laptops in the classroom” in order to persuade professors why computers should be allowed in the classroom and how you can combat them if the student isn’t paying attention, plus they are more affordable for poorer students because they’re covered by financial aid. Schuman focuses on this group of audience primarily because some professors do not like computers in their classroom rather it be because the student isn’t paying attention or is using the computer for non-class related things. Schuman attempts to reason the discussion of why computers should be allowed in the class is that it’s completely up to the student whether they use it for good or not. Schuman makes the point early on that she feels that the computer is not faulty, but rather the student who makes the decision on what use to use the computer for. Schuman exemplifies this problem when she

When writing a paper or take notes it's better to use a computer or laptop because it

The research article “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking” was written by Pam A. Muller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer, and published by the Psychological Science in 2014. The article focuses on a series of previous research on the topic and studies with the goal of providing evidence to answer their two main questions. The first question is which one the two note taking strategies works better and increases academic performance longhand note taking or laptop note taking. The second question is how verbatim overlap (word for word) affects our learning. In the article, three studies were conducted similarly but as the studies were made something new was added to explore new aspects of learning.

Learning methods have also been transformed by technology. Before technology was incorporated in schools, essay writing was hand written, regardless of how long the essay was. Mathematical problems were solved mentally or calculated on paper until the solution was found. Handwriting skills in children was good, because of the amount of practice they had using it everyday in their school work. Furthermore, children developed a vast amount of book knowledge by using library resources from actual books. However, today it is not the norm. Almost every school issues students with devices like iPads or tablets from as early as kindergarten. It is important to realize that with the use of technological devices, children would prefer the quick action of iPads and tablets in contrast to handwriting or reading a book to find reference points. To put it another way, children will end up using mobile devices both in and out of school, leaving no room for outdoor forms of recreation. A Northlines article, “Information Technology and Children”, mentions that the availability of Internet connection on mobile devices is harmful, because they can use it negatively, giving children an uncontrolled source of entertainment and connectivity. Similarly, the availability of

Many of our students have smartphones, laptops, and tablets they use throughout the school day for school work. While some students depend on their devices to look up the current fashion trends and football stats, we feel that technology has also enabled students to think in a different way. Many students are quick on their feet to Google information to prove their friend wrong, send texts and emails in less than 10 seconds, and get excited when they are allowed to use their

Mueller states, "taking notes by hand requires different types of cognitive processing than taking notes on a laptop, and these different processes have consequences for learning."

Technology has digitized the traditional setting of a classroom with its enticement of quick access and efficiency. As alluring as it is to Reuben Loewy that we follow along with the times, others believe otherwise, because they believe it puts the students at risk of not only their

In the article Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away by NPR gives the evidence that taking notes by hand helps you retain the information better than transcribing them on a computer. The went on to present the findings of a study by Mueller and Oppenheimer, two college professors. The professors write “ This is suggestive evidence that longhand notes may have a superior external storage as well as superior encoding functions” (NPR, 2). This clearly suggests that their findings lead to the conclusion that longhand notes are more successful. In cessation, NPR showcases the undeniable fact that handwritten notes receive a more preferable outcome for students.

This idea that the physical action of such seemingly meaningless tasks makes me want to leave my phone aside for the few hours I spend at school, learning and enriching my mind. These articles have clarified for me that the negative outcomes of technology in learning prevent my mind from absorbing knowledge. My academic work, whether it be in high school or college, will constantly deteriote if I let technology overpower my ability to think and learn. It is not even the fact that the use of technology will probably lower my grades, but the possibility of not growing or learning makes me realize that the consequences of technology use in the classrom are some that I will avoid and prevent by allowing myself to use my senses and knowledge to gain new ideas and experiences. Such implicaitons are ones that I wish to not face and will do so by simply setting my phone aside to learn, and by letting go of the temptation that technology can be, in such a modern, tech-savy

The article “In Defence of Laptops in the Classroom” by Rebecca Schuman, a university professor, offers a different perspective to the banning of laptops in academics. She argues that while it might be distracting, it is ultimately the student’s own attitude towards education that dictates the effectiveness of electronics in the classroom. As the title suggests, Schuman argues that laptops have a place in the modern day classroom. She emphasises how the current generation lives in an age that “doesn’t learn to write by hand” (5) and argues that it is impossible to separate technology from learning.

Ellen Granberg and James Witte discuss the positive results achieved by two professors who used laptops in social science classes in “Teaching with Laptops for the First Time: Lessons from a Social Science Classroom.” Granberg and Witte begin by describing how “the development of inexpensive laptop computers along with the growing availability of wireless networking has made it much more feasible to bring this technology to the social science classroom” (51). Initially, Granberg and Witte claim, computers only suited problem-based disciplines such as mathematics. However, they argue that laptops have now become applicable to the social sciences. Next, Granberg and Witte illustrate two experiments with laptops. In the first situation, a professor

During the last decades, laptops have become standard learning tools in university and college classrooms. Since today’s students’ are high-technology demanding and tech savvy, laptops manufacturers and engineers are constantly thinking of unique ways to design their products. With advanced functions and specifications, laptops can do various activities and educational tasks for students. Also, as technology advances, yesterday’s laptops are less expensive compared to today’s and tomorrow’s which allows every student to afford a laptop. However, educational institutions are concern about whether laptops in class hinder or facilitate students’ learning. Overtime, new technology and devices have been noticed to weaken student performance in

In a college setting, it is common to see students with a laptop computer taking notes during a lecture. On the surface, it is easy to see why students would prefer to use a keyboard for typing