Laptops in the humanities: Classroom walls come tumbling down

Weaver, Barbara E.

doi:10.1002/tl.189

Cited by 3 publications

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“…When it comes to educational technology, such claims often concern the connectivity it makes possible: Lock (2015), for instance, celebrates how the microcosm of the traditional face-to-face classroom has been eclipsed by the contemporary global classroom : 1 “This new technology-enhanced learning environment provides opportunities for educators to design learning that empowers students to reach beyond local resources and people and to engage in learning with and from others from anywhere and anytime in the world” (p. 140). Educational technology facilitates learning outside the walls of the classroom (Veira et al, 2014), thereby making classroom walls come tumbling down (Weaver, 2005). By dissolving the boundaries that seclude the classroom from the outside world, educational technology “enhances” learning.…”

Section: Introduction: the Paradox Of Educational Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking down barriers: The ambivalent nature of technologies in the classroom

Aagaard

2016

New Media & Society

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This article provides a critical study of the ambivalent nature of educational technology. Departing from the fact that the contemporary classroom is no longer a bounded and discrete space, the article uses ethnographic participant observation to provide thick descriptions of technologies-in-use at a Danish business college. These observations suggest that educational technologies play much more nuanced roles than hitherto imagined. Building on the notion of spatial imaginaries, the article explores two complementary patterns of spatial relations in the classroom: Educational technologies open a gateway to the world that can be used both to bring relevant information into the space of the classroom ("outside-in") and to escape educational activities in favor of off-task activity ("inside-out"). By exploring these twin movements, this article hopes not only to provide a glimpse into the 21st-century digitized classroom but also to showcase the uneasy position of educational technology between burden and blessing.

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Section: Introduction: the Paradox Of Educational Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking down barriers: The ambivalent nature of technologies in the classroom

Aagaard

2016

New Media & Society

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“…First, the predominant method of data collection is the case study (Weaver, 2005;Weaver & Nilson, 2005;Hyden, 2005;Birrenkott, Birtrand & Bolt, 2005;Brown, 2005;Granberg & Witte, 2005;Ohland & Stephan, 2005;Pargas & Weaver, 2005;Stephens, 2005;McVay, Snyder & Graetz, 2005). While this approach offers guidance and advice on best practices for using laptops, the reliability and validity of the data have yet to be confirmed for the general population.…”

Section: Methodological Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The Laptop Effectiveness Scale (LES)

Lauricella

Kay

2010

AJET

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Considerable research has been conducted examining the use of laptops in higher education, however, a reliable and valid scale to assess in-class use of laptops has yet to be developed. The purpose of the following study was to develop and evaluate the Laptop Effectiveness Scale (LES). The scale consisted of four constructs: academic use and three areas of non-academic use (communication, watching movies, playing games). Tested on 177 higher education students, the data generated using the LES showed acceptable internal reliability, construct validity, content and convergent validity. Feedback from students suggested that both academic and non-academic constructs assessed by the LES could be expanded to incorporate a wider range of laptop related behaviour. OverviewThere is extensive debate about the efficacy of laptop computers in the classroom. Several studies have identified benefits such as keeping students on task and engaged (Hyden, 2005), or following lectures via PowerPoint or multimedia (Debevec, Shih & Kashyap, 2006). However, other research indicates that using laptops in class can be a disadvantage (Fried, 2008). For example, in lecture based classes, students have been reported using laptops for social activities such as surfing the web and sending emails (Barkhuus, 2005;Barak, Lipson & Lerman, 2006). To date, no systematic measure of inclass laptop behaviour has been designed for higher education. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and evaluate a scale that can be used to assess the in-class effectiveness of laptops. Laptop use in higher educationA number of themes have emerged regarding the use of laptops in higher education including general use, communication, student attitudes toward learning, student achievement, and distractions. Each of these will be discussed in turn. General useResearchers have examined how students use laptops for learning. For example, Demb, Erickson and Hawkins-Wilding (2004) found that 16% of overall laptop use involved typing papers and notes. Arend's (2004) work showed that out of class work such as writing papers, using software programs, searching the Internet, and completing group projects constituted the bulk of laptop use. McVay, Snyder and Graetz (2005) added that students reported using their laptops an average of five hours per day, with 36% of that time being spent on academic activities. 152Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2010, 26(2) Communication Students report that using a laptop to communicate with faculty via email is generally gratifying (Mitra & Steffensmeier, 2000), and that with email, they communicate with faculty more often and more freely (Arend, 2004). Traditional office hours are being replaced with email communication (Dickson & Segars, 1999; Reynolds, 2003), as students can ask brief questions of faculty without having to meet in person. This asynchronous communication allows for greater flexibility for students and faculty, and also provides faculty with an electronic record of student advising and counselling (Par...

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“…Students have expressed that using laptops positively affects their studying habits, academic success and perceptions of their technological readiness (Demb et al, 2004;Finn & Inman, 2004). Potentially, they enhance student-centred, practical and exploratory learning as well as meaningful interactions with peers and teachers (Weaver, 2005). In particular, students with children have found laptops important, as they increase the flexibility and effectiveness of their studying (Eriksson et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Different backgrounds – different priorities? Student perceptions of a technology initiative

Eriksson¹,

Vuojärvi²

2013

Higher Education Research & Development

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A multitude of studies has assessed the success of different technology initiatives but rarely has the focus been on special groups. This paper examines whether university students with children and those without have different perceptions of a technology initiative where students were able to acquire university sponsored laptops and were provided with a wireless local area network around campus. The division of students into these two groups is based on earlier research suggesting that the study of students with children is heavily restricted by their multiple commitments and they might, therefore, have quite different priorities from other students in their perception of this technology initiative. The results acquired by the combined use of 'strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats' (SWOT) analysis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) suggest that both students with and without children consider the increased 'effectiveness of studying' the most important strength of the laptop initiative. It seems, however, that students with children especially appreciate the mobility and flexibility that laptops and networks offer, while other students value more the functionality of the university infrastructure and are more concerned about the deteriorative effects of technology on communality within the university. Results, therefore, indicate that students' background affects their priorities when assessing technology initiatives and university attention to this may prevent drop out and prolonged graduation.

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Laptops in the humanities: Classroom walls come tumbling down

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Breaking down barriers: The ambivalent nature of technologies in the classroom

Breaking down barriers: The ambivalent nature of technologies in the classroom

Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The Laptop Effectiveness Scale (LES)

Different backgrounds – different priorities? Student perceptions of a technology initiative

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