On many (perhaps even most) college campuses around the country, wireless Internet access is almost ubiquitous, even in classrooms. The question becomes, does having Internet access inside classrooms actually help students do better? A new study argues that contrary to that belief, in most cases, having Internet classes turns out to be a distraction that ultimately hurts students:

Instead of zeroing in on the lecture, students who brought laptops to class spent considerable time e-mailing, surfing the Internet and playing games, posing a “significant” distraction to both users and fellow students.

Further, the study found a relationship between laptop use in class and a weaker understanding of course material and a lower overall course performance; the students with laptops earned an average grade of five per cent lower than if they hadn’t brought the computers. . . .

Checking e-mail during the lectures was the most common distraction; 81 per cent admitted to this transgression compared to 68 per cent reporting that they used instant messaging. Forty-three per cent reported surfing the Internet, while 25 per cent reported playing games, the study found.

Honestly, I’m not surprised to learn that many students spend more time being distracted using their laptops than on paying attention to the course material. The article notes that in response to these kinds of situations, many professors around the country have banned the use of laptop computers in their classrooms.

While I have serious doubts about their usefulness inside a classroom, I will probably never actually ban them from my classes because ultimately, I believe in treating my students as adults who can make their own choices about their actions (or inactions) -- but along with that, be willing to accept the consequences of their actions or inactions, which in this case, seems to be lower grades for bringing their laptops to class.