Era of New Technology in the Classroom
Investigating the impact of the trend of iPads in classrooms
—By Sho Matono
Before the Covid pandemic, classrooms were filled with paper and pencils. After in-person classes were reinstated at U-M, classrooms were flooded with the electronic lights coming from tablets. Note-taking has evolved from the prehistoric paper and pencil to a now revolutionary electronic-dependent style. Students are now shifting to carrying laptops and iPads in their backpacks instead of notebooks. Rather than hearing the scribbling of pencil on paper and the shuffle as pages are flipped, classrooms are now filled with the click-clack of a keyboard and tapping of a stylus on an iPad. In fact, the number of iPads sold skyrocketed from 45.2 million in 2019 to 71.1 million in 2020. While some may say this new style of note-taking with electronics can pose a distraction to learning, others may say it helps them learn.
The attack against technology
In 2008, some professors at U-M banned laptops in class, fearing the distraction they posed outweighed the benefits of such technology. Professor Don Herzong noticed that students were doing everything, but taking notes, such as reading news articles, buying clothes, or even finding a place to live. These professors argue that laptops pose a distraction to their classes, especially during discussions. By banning laptops in the classroom, they saw an increase in attention and participation.
At one point, the U-M law school even blocked access to the wireless internet when students were in class, a complex and expensive system requiring a database containing all student’s schedules. However, students still found a way to get around the system and as a result, the school discontinued this process.
However, as the years went by and technology became more and more developed, there was a shift in accepting technology in classrooms. Today, following the many technological advancements, this shift in technology has evolved from laptops to tablets and iPads.
Changing sides
While some professors are still not fond of technology in their classrooms, in 2017, U-M launched the LSA Laptop Loan Program, providing low-income students in the LSA degree program with the opportunity to borrow a university-owned MacBook Air during their time as an undergraduate student, citing the importance of technology in academic success to put all students on an even playing field.
Indeed, with such technological advancements, schools have started to become more and more technologically dependent, forcing students to rely on technology in order to succeed. Most classes are now operated through Canvas, a web-based learning management system, allowing professors to post files, assignments, and even exams online for students to access. Canvas also allows students to check their assignment due dates through its Calendar section, allowing students to stay on top of their work. Most assignments are now submitted through Canvas, rather than collected in class. With such dependence on Canvas, it would be almost impossible to succeed without a device capable of accessing the internet.
Online only
In March 2020, U-M canceled in-person classes and forced students out of dorms due to the Covid pandemic. This meant students would not only have to have a laptop to attend online classes, complete and submit assignments, and to take exams, but a stable internet connection as well, forcing the absolute necessity of technology for academic success. However, with the CARES Act, U-M has provided over 12 million dollars in financial aid to provide students with help during the covid pandemic, including assistance with paying for technology required for classes. The school has also ramped up a laptop loaner program, Sites @ Home, providing any U-M student in the United States with the opportunity to borrow a laptop. Without a doubt, access to the internet is an absolute necessity for academic success.
Evolution
In September 2021, U-M made a decision to make most classes in-person. As students enter classrooms once again, they’re met with familiar shining screens, but rather than a sea of laptops, it’s a sea of iPads. Similarly to laptops, iPads provide similar access to the internet along with smartphone-like technology and accessibility such as taking pictures, texting, and calling. Students are using iPads for the same reason they use laptops: to take notes, only this time rather than typing the notes out, they’re writing them down with a stylus.
It seems ironic when we once shifted from writing notes to typing them, only to go back to writing them. However, iPads provide certain applications that make note taking easier. Third year U-M undergraduate Scott Westrick says, “I gain a deeper understanding when I use the iPad because I can download the lecture straight from Canvas and it becomes very interactive which I believe is critical for learning.” Certain note-taking applications such as Notability and GoodNotes have become popular among iPad users because they provide a platform that allows users to download files and write directly on them. This allows some students to focus more on listening over writing, thus leading them to absorbing more information in lecture through a method of learning called active learning.
Westrick uses Notability, which also allows the user to also highlight important information, search for keywords, and organize their notes. “Not to mention everything is in the same place so it is very convenient and organized”, Westrick adds. The file system on Notability is very similar to that of a computer, allowing users to store notes on their iPad and name them for quick and easy access. Rather than flipping through countless pages to find a small and specific section, iPad users can quickly locate and open the file containing the specific information they are looking for, as long as they name their files properly.
To try to capture the convenience of an iPad, U-M undergraduate Vincent Elfrink prints the lecture slides and writes his notes directly on the printed copies. He states, “I would love to have one because I have spent over $30 on printing colored lectures and now need someone to print for me now that my print money is used up.” U-M students are allocated around $24 for printing per term. Printing colored copies costs about 23 cents per page, meaning students can only print 130 pages before exhausting their budget. With an iPad, Elfrink would be able to download the slides and write directly on them in contrast to spending time and money printing physical copies of the slides that he can write on.
While iPads certainly bring convenience to some students in classrooms, they occasionally bring distractions along with them. An iPad has very similar functionality as an iPhone, with the only difference being the size of the device, and can pose the same distractions as a smartphone. Ironically, the conveniences brought by iPads can also pose a distraction. “It was during finals week,” Westrick says. “Because of all the variety of colors Notability has, I ended up doodling instead of taking notes”. Westrick believes that the array of colors in front of him made him more inclined to start doodling and would likely not have occurred if he had a graphite pencil and paper in front of him.
Not for everyone
However, this style of note-taking isn’t for everyone. Some students prefer taking notes with paper and pencil. Alex Li, a third year U-M undergraduate says, “I prefer taking notes with pencil and paper because when I go back through my notes and study for exams, it feels more fulfilling when I can flip through all my pages. I don’t really get this if I was to scroll through my notes on a tablet.” Some people are driven by a sense of accomplishment, and it definitely is easier to visualize your hard work with a physical notebook over electronic files.
“I’ve always taken notes on paper since high school so it’s also very familiar to me and changing that in the middle of college feels like a needless change in workflow”, Li adds. No doubt, almost every single one of us was taking notes with paper and pencil in high school. Very few, if any, took notes with a laptop, or even an iPad. Note-taking was a skill we developed slowly through our elementary through high school education and changing it just for college may be difficult or pointless for some.
Why the shift?
Certainly, humankind evolves with technology, bringing convenience to their hands whenever possible. For many students, it seems iPads make note-taking more convenient than past methods. In 2020, among covid, the number of iPads sold increased 57% (from 45.2 million units sold in 2019 to 71.1 million units in 2020). Compared to this, the number of iPhones sold increased just under 10% in the same time frame. So what brought this change?
One reason popular among students who own iPads is cost. In October 2020, Apple released the iPad Air 4th Generation, priced around $600. Although this isn’t considered affordable, it’s $200 cheaper than the iPad Pro and $400 cheaper than the MacBook Air, Apple’s cheapest laptop. Not only is the iPad Air cheaper than the iPad Pro, but it has very similar essential capabilities for note-taking without all the exta unneeded aspects as well as better portability.
Another popular reason is the ease of reading on an iPad compared to a laptop. One can use their finger to follow the words on the iPad whereas this process would be more difficult to do on a laptop. Growing up, most of us read books with the book in our hands or flat on the table. This familiarity can be achieved with the iPad, which may help to explain why some feel the iPad makes it easier to read compared to the laptop. College students are often subjected to reading assignments for many classes, requiring hours and hours of reading throughout the semester. One student, who asks to remain anonymous, stated, “Some classes ask us to buy textbooks, but they’re really expensive. I usually end up finding electronic copies online, but I find it hard to follow when I read it on my laptop. My iPad lets me read the textbook almost like a normal physical copy of the textbook, but for free. To be honest, I might have saved more money buying an iPad instead of all the textbooks.” It isn’t a secret to both students and professors that there are websites that have a database of free and online versions of textbooks. However, we can’t really blame these students due to how absurd the pricings of textbooks are nowadays..
The costs of technology
For those with an iPad, everything that was once paper and pencil is now replaced with a screen. For these students, this means going to class and staring at a screen to take notes, going back home to do homework on a screen, and reviewing their notes through a screen. Including the time spent on one’s phone, this could mean upwards of 10 hours of staring at a screen.
Nothing in the world is without risks. In exchange for convenience, those who spend too much time with their technology are met with health risks that include: eye fatigue, nearsightedness, and retinal damage. Devices such as laptops and iPads emit blue light, which research has shown may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In macular degeneration, the macula, which is responsible for sharp and detailed vision, slowly wears down. AMD is the leading cause for severe and permanent vision loss in those over 60 years old. With any type of technology, it’s important to remember to rest one’s eyes every now and then, especially now where technology seems to be in every nook and cranny of this world.
Save the trees?
Both paper notebooks and tablets have their own individual contribution to the environment. While manufacturing paper may need trees to be cut down, there is no need for other energy inputs to power notetaking with a physical notebook. On the other hand, while iPads don’t need trees to be cut down, they still utilize valuable minerals and materials and require energy in order to function. In the case of environmental impact, there really is no “best choice”. A 2020 study done by U-M’s department of civil and environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering found that paper notebooks had a greater effect on land-related impacts and ozone depletion whereas tablets led to more health-related impacts and ecotoxicity. However, these impacts differ from individual to individual and are based on paper quantity usage, as well as circuit board mass, usage allocation, and electricity emission factors.
To get or to not get?
The method of taking notes is as unique to each person as their own fingerprint. Some of us may prefer to take notes with paper and pencil while others may prefer to rely on technology such as laptops and iPads. In terms of notetaking, it’s important to recognize whether you’ll benefit more from having the slides in front of you and writing minor points or listening and writing major points. As for health risks, it’s important to know when to rest your eyes from electronics to keep your eyes healthy. From an environmental standpoint, the issue becomes more complex and depends on how many notebooks you go through per semester and how much you intend on using an iPad. Of course, as our planet is deteriorating from pollution and waste, companies are forced to become more and more environmentally-friendly. However, it’s up to us as individuals to do our part and consider the benefits and risks of certain decisions. Depending on our daily lives and actions, the choices we make, such as whether or not to buy an iPad, will differ between each and every person.
With more and more students shifting to iPads, it will also be interesting to see the actions U-M will take to accommodate students who do not have the financial ability to purchase these expensive devices. Will they provide an iPad loaner program similar to U-M’s laptop loaner program? Will professors start to lighten the ban on electronics in classrooms or will they expand the ban to include iPads as well?
Featured Photo Credit by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash