There are many unique qualities that come with being a religion major. Our idea of a social event is watching “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Many of us have a song to remember the 27 books of the New Testament in order, and we are obligated to have donuts as a department every Thursday at 9:00a.m. sharp. But one of the quirks about the religion department isn’t that quirky at all—we have a department-wide policy banning screens of any sort in the classroom.
That means that in every religion class I have ever taken, there is no laptop in sight, and all students take notes on paper or on tablets that lie flat on the desk. All readings are brought to class on paper with handwritten annotations. And while this policy is annoying, inconvenient and even infuriating at times, I believe a screen-free classroom is one of the best environments for efficient learning and focus.
I’d like to preface by saying that I am entirely in favor of exceptions being made on the basis of any sort of physical or mental disability that prevents students from efficiently working on paper. For these students, any benefits of a screen-free classroom would be outweighed by the barrier to taking paper notes, so they should be allowed to use screens to fully participate. However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of students only need a pen, paper,and printed readings to be successful in any lecture- or discussion-based class.
I graduated from high school in 2023, meaning every single year of my high school education was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The second half of my freshman year and the entirety of my sophomore year were virtual, meaning my entire day was spent sitting in front of a screen. I would try to take notes in class, but the temptations of my email inbox, breaking news alerts and social media notifications would often draw me away. Even when I returned to in-person learning for my last two years, teachers had already moved most of their assignments online, so I moved from class to class, screwing around on my computer instead of paying attention.
It was my AP Bio teacher, Mr. Boyle—who to this day is one of my favorite teachers from before Carleton—who made it clear on the very first day of my senior year that computers were not to be used unless we specifically needed them for an educational purpose, and that all notes were to be taken on paper. It was a struggle keeping up with his lectures at first, but after toughing out a few weeks of hand cramps and asking, “Can you go back to the last slide?” I realized that studying for tests took a lot less time because I actually remembered the material.
Scientific research also backs up the benefits of writing over typing. Beyond the simple fact that a notebook and pen have fewer distractions than devices that are designed to keep you engaged, the embodied experience of writing helps deepen the process of learning. NPR reports that handwriting notes during a lecture rather than typing them helps to deepen a listener’s understanding of the material.
A screen-free classroom isn’t just better for an individual learner to focus; it’s a better environment for learning overall. While handwriting notes can sometimes be tiring, it’s also hard to have in-class discussions when you have to look at your classmates from behind a screen. Taking away the screens removes a barrier that can sometimes impede communication.
I am not writing this viewpoint as a shill for screen-free classrooms or to be a teacher’s pet. I will be the first to complain about how much of a bother it is to have to write for over an hour at a time or to not be able to read my own handwriting when I look back at my notes. It’s also not a pleasurable experience to have to trek to the nearest printer every time I realize I have a reading to do — not to mention the abysmal state of my annual printing budget. But I also know that I am much more focused when I don’t use a screen. Writing this article would probably have taken about half as long had I written it on paper, but I clicked out of my Google Doc for some reason or another more times than I can count. As online content becomes increasingly fast-paced and our attention spans get shorter, we reach a point where we need controls to learn effectively. And if that means a few more late-night runs to the printer, I’d be happy to do it if it makes me a better student, and you should too.
