Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers

  • Authors:

  • Faria Sana;Tina Weston;Nicholas J. Cepeda

  • Affiliations:

  • McMaster University, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, & Behaviour, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada;York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada and York University, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, ...;York University, Department of Psychology, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada and York University, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, ...

  • Venue:
  • Computers & Education
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

Laptops are commonplace in university classrooms. In light of cognitive psychology theory on costs associated with multitasking, we examined the effects of in-class laptop use on student learning in a simulated classroom. We found that participants who multitasked on a laptop during a lecture scored lower on a test compared to those who did not multitask, and participants who were in direct view of a multitasking peer scored lower on a test compared to those who were not. The results demonstrate that multitasking on a laptop poses a significant distraction to both users and fellow students and can be detrimental to comprehension of lecture content.