UvA course bans screens from lecture theatre
Students on Interdisciplinary Social Science must put away their laptops, phones and tablets during lectures.
The Interdisciplinary Social Science programme at the University of Amsterdam is banning laptops, phones and tablets during lectures this academic year. The measure is intended to reduce distraction and encourage students to engage more actively with the course material.
According to publicly available reporting, the ban applies to lectures within this programme, not to all students or teaching activities at the University of Amsterdam. Students can still take notes on paper. No formal public arrangement has been found regarding exceptions, for example for students with support needs.
The programme is introducing the measure because of concerns about distraction. An associate professor said that 60 to 80 per cent of students also use digital devices for other purposes during lectures. That percentage has been attributed to the lecturer in the available reporting and has not been found in a public programme report.
The UvA writes in general study advice that notifications on mobile phones and laptops can disrupt concentration. This supports the reasoning behind the experiment, but does not prove that a general ban improves learning outcomes. That would require a comparison between teaching with and without a ban, among different groups of students.
The discussion therefore goes beyond the question of whether paper works better than a keyboard. A ban may increase attention in the lecture theatre, but it also reduces students’ freedom of choice. Digital note-taking, accessibility software and aids for students with a disability can be part of good teaching.
The programme could assess the impact on attendance, participation, understanding and student satisfaction. Until such an evaluation exists, it is too early to present the measure as a proven improvement in teaching. Nor is it clear whether other UvA programmes will follow suit.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- According to the reporting, the measure applies to one UvA programme.
- Laptops, phones and tablets are not permitted during lectures.
- The programme cites concentration and active processing as its aims.
- No public evaluation of the effect has been found.
Left
Arguments An educational institution may limit distraction if this improves the learning environment, but it must protect accessibility and individual support needs. Digital tools should not be banned without an alternative.
Values Inclusivity, equal opportunities and demonstrably effective teaching.
Consequences The left fears that a uniform ban will primarily affect students who need digital tools.
Centre
Arguments A clearly defined experiment can be defensible as long as it is temporary, evaluated transparently and includes exceptions. The question should be answered empirically, not ideologically.
Values Professional autonomy, measurability and proportionality.
Consequences The centre emphasises that the programme should set clear criteria and an evaluation point in advance.
Right
Arguments Students are adults and should be expected to take responsibility for their own attention. A programme may set boundaries in the lecture theatre, but should beware of paternalism and a culture in which technology is automatically seen as a problem.
Values Independence, freedom of choice and responsibility.
Consequences The right fears that the ban will teach little about dealing independently with distraction outside the lecture theatre.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The available reporting confirms the measure and its purpose. Because a formal UvA decision and impact assessment are lacking, the limits of the available knowledge have been stated explicitly.
- confirmed The Interdisciplinary Social Science programme bans laptops, phones and tablets during lectures. — Described in the publicly available reporting on the measure. source
- confirmed The measure applies from this academic year. — Mentioned in the publicly available reporting. source
- confirmed The UvA gives general warnings that notifications on mobile phones and laptops can disrupt concentration. — Included in the UvA information on studying with concentration. source
- confirmed It has not been proved that the ban improves learning outcomes. — No public impact assessment for this programme has been found; the text presents this as a limitation of the available information. source
Editor's note
The measure and the stated reasoning behind it can be found in publicly available reporting, but no public programme decision or evaluation has been found. The status is therefore insufficient_sources, and exceptions and effects have deliberately not been filled in.Sources
- UvA verbiedt laptops, telefoons en tablets tijdens colleges — Netgebeurd, op basis van NOS-berichtgeving
- Geconcentreerd studeren — Universiteit van Amsterdam
- Regieplan digitalisering funderend onderwijs — Tweede Kamer
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „uva onderwijs”
- NU.nl — „uva onderwijs”
- De Telegraaf — „uva onderwijs”