A new study from the US has found that using a laptop in class can lead to lower grades, especially for male and low-performing students. The study’s principal investigators found that students who used laptops, typically in “laptop required” or “laptop optional” classes, scored between 0.27 and 0.38 grade points lower on a four-point grade point average scale than those who took notes using pen and paper, which translates into a difference of half of a letter grade. “Students believe that laptops will improve their productivity but the opposite occurs,” said study co-author Richard Patterson, adding that the effect was “either due to the superiority of pen and paper, the unforeseen influence of distractions, or some other unseen factor.” Times Higher Education