While laptops, tablets, and phones are common in classrooms, supporting note-taking and participation in polls and other activities, they also create significant distractions for users and those around them. Some instructors have begun to implement screen-free or low-tech classroom policies to improve their students’ focus and engagement, with exceptions for accommodations or other circumstances. This resource offers key considerations for these policies.

Reasons for Limiting Laptops, Tablets, or Phones in Class

There are a number of reasons why instructors might consider limiting the use of technology in their classrooms:

• Lower comprehension and poorer academic performance among students who multitask (or switch-task) with digital technologies (Glass & Kang, 2019; Kraushaar & Novak, 2010; Walker, 2017, 2017; Wood et al., 2012).
• Distraction caused by off-task laptop use reduces learning for both the user and those sitting near them (Hall et al., 2020; Sana et al., 2013).
• Unauthorized AI use during class activities can circumvent the intended learning.
• Cornell instructors who have implemented a screen-free classroom policy report that their students demonstrate more focused intellectual engagement, better discussions and in-class questions, and greater participation in small group activities.

Faculty Advice on Implementing Class Technology Policies

The following tips come from Cornell instructors who have implemented either no-screen or limited-technology policies:

• Decide what kinds of technology to allow and when. For example, tablets might be allowed for notetaking if they lie flat on the desk (less likely to distract others), or laptops might be used for notetaking, but put away during discussions and activities.
  • Some instructors designate laptop-free zones or sides of the classroom to give students options.
• Clearly state your policy in the syllabus and communicate it in class.
  • Encourage students with particular needs for technology or other circumstances to talk with you about what would be helpful for their learning.
• Spend time discussing your reasoning for the policy. Consider sharing an article or research findings (see some references below), or facilitating a class discussion on students’ experiences with digital distractions and what helps them to focus.
• Give gentle reminders in class: “Laptops away, please.”
  • You and your TAs may need to give more frequent reminders in the first few weeks of class and repeat them later in the semester as work piles up and students are tempted to complete other assignments during class.
  • Because 100% compliance is difficult, interrupting the flow of class to enforce the policy too strictly is often not worth it. Talking separately with certain students outside of class can be helpful.  
• Consider surveying students about their opinions on the policy. It’s often surprising to see the positive response from many students who recognize that putting away their devices helps them focus.
• If students are concerned about taking notes by hand, you may want to:
  • Pause periodically and check if students need time to catch up with note-taking.
  • Share your course slides or a list of key terms or concepts to help students focus on what’s important.
  • Provide paper handouts with prompts or skeleton notes (with an outline of the main topics and places to write) to help with note-taking.
  • Share the resources from the Learning Strategies Center on how to take good notes.

Example Policy Language for a Syllabus

“In this class, the use of laptops, tablets, and phones is prohibited, with the exception of certain class sessions when we will use laptops for learning activities. Research shows that the use of laptops and phones in class can have negative effects on learning because of the potential for distraction. If you have particular needs for using a device in class, please come talk to me separately.”

References

Glass, A. L., & Kang, M. (2019). Dividing attention in the classroom reduces exam performance. Educational Psychology, 39(3), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1489046 

Hall, A. C. G., Lineweaver, T. T., Hogan, E. E., & O’Brien, S. W. (2020). On or off task: The negative influence of laptops on neighboring students’ learning depends on how they are used. Computers & Education, 153, 103901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103901 

Kraushaar, J., & Novak, D. (2010). Examining the effects of student multitasking with laptops during the lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(2), 241–252. 

Quesenberry, K. A. (2022). Engaging the disengaged: Implementing a no-tech policy after years of adding tech to the classroom. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 77(3), 339–347. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958221106020 

Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2013). Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers & Education, 62, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.003 

Walker, S. P. C., Kyle Greenberg, Michael S. (2017, August 22). Should professors ban laptops? Education Next. 17(4).
https://www.educationnext.org/should-professors-ban-laptops-classroom-computer-use-affects-student-learning-study/ 

Wood, E., Zivcakova, L., Gentile, P., Archer, K., De Pasquale, D., & Nosko, A. (2012). Examining the impact of off-task multi-tasking with technology on real-time classroom learning. Computers & Education, 58(1), 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.029