Abstract

In this article an ethnographical study of laptopers’ activities during lectures in a university milieu is analyzed as different kinds of involvements. Through interviews and observations we have focused on how these involvements influence the laptopers’ alignment towards the educational practice. The analysis shows the importance of separating the educational practice and the personal learning situation. Studying students’ learning intentions, rather than certain laptop related activities, we get a deeper understanding of the role the laptop can take during learning activities. Five general characteristics of laptoping are found. Negotiating the laptops’ different roles in the educational practice opens up for an understanding of the students personal learning situation as being more than just listening to a lecturer. Additionally, competent integration of digital tools into the learning situation extends the dimensions of the lecture beyond the lecturing hours and personal note taking. Such knowledge is vital for creating foundations for digital competency in a digitized society.

Citation

Lindroth, T. & Bergquist, M. (2010). Laptopers in an educational practice: Promoting the personal learning situation. Computers & Education, 54(2), 311-320. Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved October 3, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/67253/.

Keywords

• Classroom Research
• College Students
• computer literacy
• Computer Uses in Education
• computer-mediated communication
• Cooperative/collaborative learning
• Educational Practices
• improving classroom teaching
• Intention
• Interviews
• Laptop Computers
• Lecture Method
• media in education
• Notetaking
• Observation
• Student Behavior
• student motivation