Logged In and Zoned Out

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Laptops are common in university classrooms, offering educational benefits but also internet distractions.
• Previous research on internet use and academic performance relied on self-reported data, limiting objectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively assess the relationship between in-class internet usage (academic and nonacademic) and student performance.
• To determine if factors like intelligence, motivation, and interest mediate the link between internet use and academic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An introductory psychology course's students' internet activity was monitored via a proxy server during class.
• Objective data on time, frequency, and browsing history of internet usage were collected.
• Intelligence, motivation, and interest in course material were also assessed.

Main Results:

• Nonacademic internet use was prevalent among laptop-using students and negatively correlated with class performance.
• This inverse relationship between nonacademic internet use and performance remained significant after controlling for cognitive and motivational factors.
• Academic internet use during class did not show a positive association with improved classroom performance.

Conclusions:

• Objective monitoring reveals that nonacademic internet use during lectures significantly hinders student academic performance.
• Cognitive abilities and motivation do not fully explain the detrimental impact of nonacademic internet use on learning.
• Educational strategies may need to address the pervasive issue of in-class digital distractions to improve student outcomes.