In an attempt to combat the rise of cheating via artificial intelligence and reduce distractions from personal computers, an increasing number of teachers now require students to use school-provided Chromebooks in their classes. The specific requirements vary by teacher, with some requiring Chromebooks for every class, some only mandating Chromebooks for testing and others not mandating Chromebooks at all.
In an Aug. 30 opt-in Schoology survey conducted by The Campanile, 93.3% of the 45 respondents said they had at least one class that requires Chromebook use, while 60% of respondents said they were only required to use Chromebooks in some classroom situations.
Although mandatory Chromebook policies receive mixed reviews from students, some teachers say they minimize distractions and promote productivity in the classroom.
English teacher Alanna Williamson said requiring Chromebooks was an additional step she took this year to minimize outside distractions from apps and websites.
“As more (teachers) have taken away cell phones in class and added (a) cell phone policy,” Williamson said, “this is the next step for us to (ensure) everyone’s on task.”
But English teacher Hunter Reardon said technical problems exclusive to Chromebooks have slowed down his class.
“Every single day I have at least one student, and usually more than one student, who has some kind of issue with their Chromebook,” Reardon said. “‘It’s not turning on. It turns on, but it’s going really slow. It needs to be reset. The internet isn’t connecting.’ Just all these different issues that I think are tied in some way to technology.”
Junior Kathryn Chen said she has also found the process of checking out a loaner Chromebook can delay learning.
“If you want to get a loaner Chromebook, you have to leave class, leave your collateral item
like your phone or your wallet, come back to class, and then go back and pick it up before the next period starts,” Chen said. “It takes time that could be otherwise spent on getting homework done or class instruction.”
And Reardon said personal devices such as Apple laptops have resources that help students create high-quality work that are not available on a Chromebook.
“I have plenty of situations, especially ninth grade, where I assign some creative projects where students have many more options for what they are able to create when they have access to a MacBook,” Reardon said. “They have access to the native desktop version of Adobe Suite, and they might have access to video editing software like iMovie. They just have more choices.”
Although personal devices may provide additional benefits, Williamson said requiring Chromebooks is the most sensible policy to minimize distractions because it utilizes school resources.
“People got them for free from the school, so we should use the resources that the school has already given us,” Williamson said.
In addition, Williamson said the lockdown browser feature on Chromebooks helps mitigate cheating, a prevalent issue in her classes in recent years.
“We know workarounds, and there are ways that people can cheat on lockdown browsers, but it does make it a little bit more challenging,” Williamson said. “We will still be looking at people’s screens, but this is a good safety net.”
Reardon thinks old schools ways to prevent cheating may be better, though. Instead of mandating Chromebooks, he said he has moved to paper assignments to prevent digital distractions.
“Do students also find ways to do things other than classwork in the middle of class on Chromebooks?” Reardon said. “Absolutely. Half of the students in my classes have found a way to play Tetris. I don’t think changing the device they’re on is going to fix that problem. What does fix that problem is closed Chromebooks and work on paper.”
Reardon also said he bothered by the restriction of student choice that comes with a mandated Chromebook policy.
“In order for 33-plus people to sit in a room together and learn something in an organized fashion, there need to be rules,” Reardon said. “There need to be systems in place that take away from student autonomy. That is just part of making public school work. But I don’t believe in taking away student autonomy when it’s not absolutely necessary. And I think this is one of those cases where personal choice should win out.”
Regardless of potential drawbacks to a mandated Chromebook policy, Williamson encourages students to have an open mind.
“Just give it a chance,” Williamson said. “I understand why it’s annoying, but I think we’ll all get used to it. Just like any new thing, change is hard, but I don’t think it’s going to be bad.”
