Are Laptops Distracting Educational Tools in Classrooms

Abstract

Laptop use for undergraduate students is increasingly becoming popular; it is often deemed a necessity. Students are using laptops for academic as well as non-academic activities. Researchers are debating on the effect of this trend on students’ educational and learning outcomes. There is therefore a need for investigation in order to determine how efficient the use of laptops is in the educational process. The main purpose of this study is to investigate if laptops could be distracting educational tools inside classrooms during the learning phase of undergraduate students. A questionnaire was designed and completed by a random sample of students at the United Arab Emirates University's Colleges of Engineering, Science, and Information Technology. Data analysis showed that students used laptops mainly for academic as well as non-academic purpose which was indicative that laptops were indeed distracting tools in the classrooms.