Students not using computers in class score higher

A new study pro­hib­ited com­puter devices in ran­domly selected class­rooms of an intro­duc­tory eco­nom­ics course at the United States Military Academy. Average final exam scores among stu­dents assigned to class­rooms that allowed com­put­ers were 18 per­cent of a stan­dard devi­a­tion lower than exam scores of stu­dents in class­rooms that pro­hib­ited com­put­ers.

Through the use of two sep­a­rate approaches, the study finds evi­dence that this neg­a­tive effect occurs in class­rooms where lap­tops and tablets are per­mit­ted with­out restric­tion and in class­rooms where stu­dents are only per­mit­ted to use tablets that must remain flat on the desk surface.