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"You can't have put out as many records as we have in the past twenty years," says Ventures drummer Mel Taylor matter-of-factly, "and not have influenced a lot of people."
By all accounts the Ventures are the most popular instrumental group of all time, and some of their numerous records include the hits "Walk—Don't Run," "Perfidia," "Diamond Head," "Lullaby Of The Leaves," and "Hawaii Five-0."
The band celebrated their twentieth anniversary in 1980 by playing their first American date in ten years, with the lineup they've utilized for most of their two decades intact—Bob Bogle on bass, Nokie Edwards on lead guitar, Don Wilson on rhythm, and Mel Taylor on drums.
Taylor, now 42, was born in New York City and was drumming by the time he reached high school. But guitar was Mel's first instrument, and he actually got his first professional work as a musician on a Tennessee radio show, singing and strumming country tunes.
Moving to California in the late '50s, Taylor stayed with country music, but was now back on drums, playing a short stint with Little Jimmy Dickens before landing a steady job as the house drummer at the famous Palomino Club. It was there that he met Don Wilson and Bob Bogle of the Ventures, who at the time had the number two record in the nation with "Walk—Don't Run."
Howie Johnson, who was the Ventures' drummer on their first three albums, had to leave the group when he was injured in an auto accident, so six months after their impromptu jam session at the Palomino, the band enlisted the backbeat of Mel Taylor.
Over the years, the Ventures racked up an unprecedented number of LP's, sometimes recording four or five in a year, and were able to stand the test of time, no matter what the prevailing pop music trend. But in 1970 they ceased to tour America, concentrating instead on Europe and Asia, most notably Japan where they remain that country's hottest act.
In the early '70s Taylor took a leave of absence from the group to concentrate on the business end of things. By this time he had also recorded three albums as Mel Taylor & the Dynamics. He returned to active duty as a full-time Venture in 1978.
In 1980, L.A. disc-jockey Rodney Bingenheimer persuaded the Ventures to play an L.A. punk club, the now-defunct Starwood. Bingenheimer had been playing some of the Ventures' classics on his new wave radio show to enthusiastic response.
One would expect that after twenty years, any band would be a bit over-the hill, but in their recent U.S. concert appearances the Ventures have shown that they and their music are as vital as ever, maybe even a little more so. Their nonstop hour-and-a-half set is like an onstage, in person History Of Instrumental Rock, with most of the standards being either original hits or reinterpretations from the Ventures' vast catalog. "Apache," "Driving Guitars," "Walk—Don't Run "64," "Slaughter on 10th Avenue," "Out Of Limits, " and on and on until the final encore, "Caravan, " where the guitars take a backseat and Mel Taylor gets to shine. Playing on the kit, around the kit, and away from the kit, Taylor ends the tour de force with his trademark "bass solo"—beating out syncopated rolls on an electric bass, held and fingered by Bob Bogle.
But even more impressive than the quartet's string of hits or their playing abilities is how contemporary they sound. "We're trying to show that we're not a nostalgia band," stresses Taylor. "We are current, with the stuff we've been doing, even though it's twenty years old. Because it's timeless. And some of the kids who are getting off on it weren't even born when 'Walk—Don't Run' was first a hit, so they're not being nostalgic; they're not reminiscing. Reminiscing about what?
"We played the 930 Club, a new wave place in Washington, D.C., and they had television cameras there, interviewing some of the kids outside the club. And they talked to this one guy who had to be no older than fifteen years old. He said, 'I'll tell you what I like about them: They're straight rock and roll, and there ain't no bullshit about 'em.' And that's about where it's at. We don't pretend to be what we're not."
DF: Have you heard any of the new instrumental groups, like the Raybeats and Jon & the Nightriders?
MT: Yeah, I have; in fact, I have some of their records. I think for the most part they're in the pocket. Some of them are really authentic—not the real echoey stuff, but the things with a little bit of reverb on it. That, to me, is where it's at. They're trying to get into the roots, you know, which is hard to do. Either you've done it or you're trying to do it.
DF: What about the new wave and punk bands?
MT: I caught the Ramones in Boulder. I kind of got off on some of the stuff they were doing. I liked the energy I saw coming off the stage. Of course, the new wave and punk thing is old already. They were doing that in England five years ago. I kind of liked some of it, because it seemed to be getting back to what rock and roll music is all about. Some of the records I've heard were just garbage, but there are other things that are real good. I liked the Specials. I showed up at a club they were playing in Japan in the summer of '80. That was my first exposure to a new wave audience. They came right out of the woodwork, as soon as the band started playing. At first I thought it was kind of strange, but then I remembered what happened to. us in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the mid-'60s—same thing.
DF: When you made your American comeback at the Starwood in L.A., was it like that all over again?
MT: Absolutely. I didn't know what was going to happen. The Plimsouls opened for us, and when I walked in I thought everyone was there to see them. I was just hoping we'd get half the reception that they got. When we got onstage, the place went crazy. It reminded me of playing in Japan in 1965—when we got to the airport there were 15,000 people waiting.
DF: When rock and roll first came in, in the mid-'50s, what was your reaction?
MT: My reaction to rock and roll was, "What is it?" Bill Haley, of course, was the first thing I really remember. I liked it; it was kind of uplifting to me.
DF: Before rock and roll were you into jazz?
MT: No, as a matter of fact I was into country music.
DF: The type of drumming you do now doesn't seem even remotely related to what you hear most country drummers do.
MT: Well, the funny thing about it is, the guy that hired me and got me started in the California scene is the same guy we're working for Saturday night, at the Palomino Club. I worked there as the house drummer, in '61. That's where I met the Ventures as a matter of fact. They just came in one night after a gig. They didn't have their drummer with them, so they were asked to sit in. They said, "Well, we don't have our drummer with us." I said, "I know your hit" (laughs)—at that time it was just the one hit. So they came up and Don did two or three vocals and then they went into "Walk—Don't Run." And about six months later they called me, looking for a drummer.
DF: Who did you play with before the stint at the Palomino?
MT: I played with Tennessee Ernie Ford, which came quite by accident. I was working at a radio station in Bristol, Virginia, still playing guitar. One day I went into the studio and there was a bluegrass band there, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. And there was a snare drum and a bass drum set up, so I walked over, sat down, and started fooling around with this pair of brushes. So in walked the Clinch Mountain Boys, getting ready to go on the air, and they said, "Why don't you stay there and play drums along with us?" And never before had there been a drummer with a bluegrass band. So I just went "boom-cha, boom-cha, boom-cha." Next thing I knew the following band, a rockabilly group called Joe Franklin & the Mimosa Boys, asked me if I was looking for a job as a drummer. I said, "Sure, why not?" We did a lot of Little Richard and Fats Domino stuff. I did the Ed Sullivan Show with them in '57 or '58; that was my first TV show.
DF: Did you ever take lessons?
MT: No. I joined a drum and bugle corps in New York called the Fabian Mellodeers. I hadn't had any lessons, but the conductor would put everybody around a table and teach us some of the rudiments. From there on out, I just sort of followed along and picked things up from other drummers. I based a lot of what I played on what I learned from Gene Krupa records.
DF: It does seem like you're playing rock and roll with a little bit of a big band, swing approach.
MT: And country also.
DF: Where does that come in?
MT: The country element comes in from originally playing guitar as a country singer. That and the bluegrass and rockabilly is really where my approach, technique, or whatever you want to call it came from. It's more than just rock and roll, or more than just swing, because rock and roll is really hard to define. I just do what I know how to do, and it's a combination of all those things put together.
DF: How did the Ventures eventually ask you to join the group?
MT: They were looking for a drummer when they came to the Palomino and sat in. And people had come into the Palomino before and asked me to do sessions with them. Producers would ask me if I was interested in playing on demo sessions— knowing all the time they were going to make masters out of them. So I don't know how many mediocre hits I'm on. I played on a lot of dates with Gary Paxton, a few with Kim Fowley. I know that's my drums on "Monster Mash," and I know I'm on "Alley Oop." I also played on Herb Alpert's original record of "The Lonely Bull."
DF: As an instrumental group, the Ventures were able to bend just enough to fit in with whatever style was popular at the time. Was that difficult, or was it as easy as you made it look?
MT: The way we did that was, we would listen to the radio, and nobody would listen to the same station. Then we'd come back in a rehearsal before we'd make a record, each with different ideas from what we'd heard off these four radio stations. That's how we got "Telstar." But to answer your question, it was hard in some respects, but it wasn't hard because we played so much together. Like these al bums we just did for Japan, they've really got some happening things—different accents—that we'd never done before. We did the album in two weeks, and that was pretty difficult for us. But as long as it was straight rock and roll, it was very easy for us to bend. We'd try to stay on top of the trend that was happening at the time and go a little bit beyond that.
DF: What was different for you as a drummer with surf music as opposed to the earlier Ventures sound of, say, "Walk—Don't Run"?
MT: Well, when we recorded "Pipeline," the drums were very subdued, way down, because that's the way the surf sound was. It was more guitar; more rhythm. So I had to lay back and get that feel. I think it was more a feel type of thing than specific playing or technique.
DF: When you recorded the albums under your own name, did it still have sort of a Ventures sound?
MT: Where are you gonna go? You either do Herb Alpert or you do the Ventures, you know. What's in between? I did Mel Taylor & the Dynamics album for Warner Bros., and we were looking for someplace to go between Herb Alpert and the Ventures. We couldn't do Sandy Nelson, because there's only one Sandy Nelson. It was hard.
DF: With all the changes and advances in drums in the past twenty years, do you find you can still get close to that early rock sound you helped start?
MT: Basically I can. I still play the same. I think the performing part of it is still the same. A lot of it has to do with what you do in the studio. For a while there they were trying to get a snare drum sound that was almost a tubby sound—which I did. I went for it and got it, but I didn't like it. But it was the thing that was needed at that particular time. Like for disco, they wanted that real tubby, "splat" type of sound, rather than the high-pitched, tighter sound. I like the higher sound.
DF: How elaborate was the drum miking when you first began recording with the Ventures?
MT: We were recording on three-track. What I remember most about recording was when we did the Mashed Potatoe album, which was the first time I recorded anything where everything went direct except the drums. So I could play just as hard as I wanted to. It was at RCA Victor, and Al Schmitt was the engineer. They had, like, twenty-five mic's on me; I couldn't believe it. Up to then I had maybe five or six mic's on the drums. I loved it. I could play just like I did onstage.
DF: Does the band usually record live in the studio?
MT: Yes. It depends on the material and how much time we've had to rehearse, but I like to do it as a unit.
DF: Do you ever read on sessions?
MT: I translate it into my own code. I can count bar lines, obviously, but I can't read notes.
DF: Has your solo on "Caravan" changed much over the years?
MT: Yeah, but it's still basically the same solo. I always play the same solo more or less, even if the song is different. In Japan we tried to do a different song for that part of the show—we did the Cozy Cole song, "Topsy, Part II"—but it didn't go over as well; they still wanted to hear "Caravan." But I still play some of the same licks I played on the early records. My solo depends on what reaction I get from the crowd. If I start getting a reaction right away, I'll change and go to the next segment. If I don't get a reaction I'll work it for a certain amount of time and then go on because by then I know I'm not going to get any reaction.
DF: You guys play about a ninety minute set and usually come back for several encores, the finale usually being "Caravan." How do you keep up the stamina night after night?
MT: I don't know. I guess I get off doing it. You get to a certain point where the adrenalin's pumping. It just keeps me going.
DF: When you play something like "Wipe Out," you seem to be hitting it at full bore.
Are you still holding a little in reserve?
MT: Oh yeah. I could play harder. With the miking techniques the way they are now, you don't have to kill yourself, but you do have to play. A lot of people think because they're miked they don't have to play, but there's a certain sound you get when you lay into it, as opposed to just playing it. There's no way you get the sound playing soft and amplifying it. You have to lay into it.
DF: What do you think about when you're playing? What's your main objective?
MT: My main objective is to turn the people on and get them going. I just lay into it and have a good time. I'm also always visible. I can't stand drummers that are hidden. I think it's a total waste of talent. As far as I'm concerned, that's part of the act. It'd be just like putting a guitar player up there and not being able to see him. That's one of the reasons I stick with 20″ bass drums, because then I don't have to bring those tom-toms up in front of my face and slant them down. I don't like to play slanted tom-toms. I've got to lay on it. A lot of drummers have their toms at a 45 ° angle, but you can't lay into a tom-tom that way—at least I can't.
DF: Do you slant the snare drum towards you or away from you?
MT: It's slanted away from me a little bit. That's because of the way I hold the stick, which is the traditional grip. I play openhanded almost, with the stick between the thumb and the meat of the hand, not the fingers. The guy who taught me when I was in the Fabian Melodeers told me that if I lost my fingers I could still play.
DF: Do you ever get tired of playing "Walk—Don't Run" and "Perfidia" and ' "Caravan" night after night?
MT: Well, as long as the audience is there, I'm going to be there. It's going to have the same feel for me as the first time I played those songs. I get off entertaining the people, and when they respond, it just keeps me going that much more.


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3 search results
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subset: commoncrawl


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Ultimate performance furnaces for Galvanizing Technology Symposium
Fives presented its galvanizing furnaces at the Galvanizing Technology Symposium held on January 16-17, 2018 at Tata Steel Ijmuiden, Netherlands.
Efficient wiping with a new generation system
In order to enhance the performance of rolling mills, Fives has developed the 3rd generation of the wiping system: DMS Wiper SCP 3.0.
Ultra high-strength steel Fives' furnaces change the game
Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel, China again contracted Fives to design and supply a new galvanizing line furnace and inductors dedicated to the production of ultra high-strength steels at its Caofeidian facility.
DMS cold rolling mill revamping for Aperam Gueugnon
Fives and Aperam Gueugnon (France) successfully implemented revamping of the DMS cold rolling mill TS06 dedicated to stainless steel strips.
Process equipment delivery for the unique coil coating line
Fives has started to deliver process equipment for the unique coating line to produce zinc and aluminum painted coils at Asturiana de Laminados, Spain.
India calling: emerging technologies to produce high value-added steels
Fives, being a technological leader, sponsored two major steel events in India and presented a paper on its digital program to develop a wide range of high value-added automotive steels.
Baosteel inaugurates Zhanjiang steel production complex equipped with Fives' technologies
Baosteel, the largest automotive steel producer in China, inaugurated the completion of Zhanjiang integrated steel production complex in southeastern China's Guangdong province on August 17, 2017.
Bronx two-roll straighteners for premium quality steel bars
Bronx straightening machines to process high-yield, heat-treated premium quality steel bars are in demand by Baosteel Special Metals Shaoguan in China and ÇEMTAŞ in Turkey.
Intelligent steel: big and smart data at Future Steel Forum
The forum, a live discussion of the issues surrounding Industry 4.0 or "smart manufacturing", hosted speakers from academia and the steel industry to look at how innovative technologies can be brought together to revolutionize the way steel is made during June 14-15, 2017 in Warsaw,...
Stein reheating furnace for Turkish market
Kar-demir, a leading steel producer of long products in Turkey, has entrusted Fives with a contract to design and supply a new walking hearth furnace.


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A bath is a Biblical unit of measure equal to 5.5 gallons or 20.8 liters.
While a bath is a liquid measurement Ezekiel 45:11 sets it equivalent to the dry measurement of an ephah.
According to 1 Kings 23-26, the "molten sea" in Solomon's temple held 2,000 baths.
Related Definition: ephah


text: Herbie Hancock -- Concert Review 9:47 PM PDT 10/14/2010 by AP FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Empty TWITTER Empty The evening might have been titled "Herbie Hancock: Seven Decades -- The Birthday Celebration," but the guest of honor clearly had no interest in hogging the spotlight. This terrific concert, presented as part of the CareFusion Jazz Festival New York, featured a stellar lineup of some of the greatest jazz musicians of the last half century as well as plenty of other notables. It was a fitting tribute to the renowned jazz pianist and composer, still riding high from his 2008 Grammy for album of the year for "River: The Joni Letters." Hosted by ubiquitous jazz fan Bill Cosby, the evening was divided into two parts: The first featured Hancock -- who belied his age by practically bounding onto the stage -- performing with an ensemble that alternately included Terence Blanchard and Wallace Roney (trumpet), Ron Carter and Dave Holland (bass), Wayne Shorter and Joe Lovano (sax), Lionel Loueke (guitar) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). The second half featured selections from the just-released globalization-themed "Imagine Project," for which Hancock collaborated with a dozen guest artists from throughout the world, some of whom were on hand to reprise their performances. It was hard to avoid the feeling that the ghost of Miles Davis was hovering over the first set, with Hancock, Carter and Shorter all veterans of his late '60s quintet. That legendary group's free-jazz style was very much on display in the superb renditions of such classics as Shorter's "Footprints," Carter's "81" and "My Funny Valentine," with ample time given to extended solos and sizzling exchanges, particularly among the dueling horn players. Providing superb support was DeJohnette, whose fierce but controlled rhythmic explosions on "81" were particularly mesmerizing. The set culminated with Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," featuring an effortless segue to the funky "Cantaloupe Island." The second set featured a different lineup -- with the exception of Loueke -- that included Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Greg Phillinganes (keyboards) and Tal Wilkenfield (bass). After a brief nod to "River" with Kristina Train providing a jazzy vocal on "Court and Spark," it was devoted to selections from the new album. Indie.Arie gave a funky vibe to the title track by John Lennon; vocalist Train demonstrated her versatility with Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" and the Spanish-language "La Tierra," and guitarist Derek Trucks and singer Susan Tedeschi brought bluesy sizzle to "Space Captain." Surprisingly, all of the instrumentalists had a chance to show off their vocal chops. Phillinganes garnered cheers with his soulful singing on "A Change Is Gonna Come," as did Loueke with "Exodus" and Wilkenfeld on "The Times, They Are a' Changin'." His piano situated at the rear of the stage, but his presence ever felt through his gorgeous harmonic stylings, Hancock well demonstrated the reasons for his career longevity. Venue: Carnegie Hall, New York (Thursday, June 24). FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME AP email@example.com @thr


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Equity – A Shared Responsibility
The foundational belief that every human being is a child of God, with an innate dignity, underlies all equity work at York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB). In partnership with the home and Church, the YCDSB believes in the need to develop students' character through the teaching of Gospel values, and to prepare students for their role in society as engaged, productive, and responsible global citizens. York Catholic strongly believes that active and engaged citizens are aware of their rights, but more importantly, they accept responsibility for protecting their rights and the rights of others.
The York Catholic District School Board's Equity and Inclusive Education policy provides a framework for all Board operations to ensure an educational and working environment which supports diversity by adhering to the guiding principles outlined in Ontario's Education Equity Action Plan. This plan provides a foundation and framework to meet individual needs, identify and eliminate barriers, promote a sense of belonging, engage community members, build on, and enhance previous and existing initiatives, and incorporate the principles of equity and inclusion in its actions.
The Board is committed to improving student success and well-being and to closing achievement gaps for students by:
- identifying, addressing, and removing all barriers and forms of discrimination,
- celebrating student successes,
- designing and implementing an inclusive curriculum,
- providing staff training and professional development opportunities on equity, diversity and bias,
- ensuring hiring decisions are fair and bias free, and
- engaging our communities.
Staff Training
Bias Free Hiring
Equity and Inclusion: YCDSB Core Values
Engaging our Communities
Improving Communication
Equity Office
The YCDSB's Equity Office identifies inequities and develops system-wide strategies to bring about equity, justice and harmony in a Christ-centered learning and working environment.


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Literature Review : Student Laptop Use in the Higher Education Classroom
Dr. Jerusha Lederman
Literature Review : Student Laptop Use in the Higher Education Classroom by Jerusha Lederman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This is a literary review of a selection of scholarly publications pertaining to laptop use in Higher Education (HE) classrooms. The body of literature examined spans a period from approximately 1998 – present. This informal report is intended as a starting point from which further research into the topic of student laptop use in the HE classroom can be predicated. Accordingly, this work provides a general background regarding student behaviours with respect to laptop usage in HE classrooms, potential advantages and disadvantages of the same and addresses the possibility of faculty including laptop technology as part of the active learning process.
In a nutshell, this review presents:
- An overview of selected key publications that discuss the pros and cons of student laptop use in HE classrooms,
- A general overview of primary research studies that have been conducted to date, examining the use of laptops as learning enhancement tools along with a summary of methodologies and techniques used,
- An analysis of findings emanating from the research reviewed; and finally,
- A brief commentary on the gaps in the research reviewed and suggestions for future research directions on this subject.
In an increasingly digital age, student laptops are often present in the HE classroom (Sana, Weston & Cepeda, 2013). In fact, in 2011, it was estimated that approximately 90% of HE students owned personal laptops (Dahlstrom et al, 2011). The issue of whether student laptops should be allowed into Higher Education (HE) classrooms and lecture halls has been the subject of debate. Laptops have been considered as potentially being the single most useful tool in HE (Kay & Lauricella, 2015). Certain studies have shown, however, that despite being beneficial, their use can constitute a serious distraction for students (Kladko, 2005; Schwartz, 2003; Szaniszlo, 2006; Young, 2006).
Purpose of the Review
There are many articles that speak to the broad topic covered by this review. The purpose of this review is to provide a synopsis of key research to date on this issue with an analysis of the findings. Additionally, this article provides commentary on gaps that are apparent in the research outlined with a view to facilitating further research and to assist faculty in considering and pursuing additional studies in this area.
Scope of Research
Selection of publications to review was made based on their direct relevance to the general topic of usage of student laptops in HE classrooms. I included the latest research studies since one of the objectives of this paper is to be a starting point for future research. I also chose papers that not only reported on the advantageous use of student laptops in the HE classroom but also those papers that noted disadvantages in order to present both sides of the issue. My sources were primarily taken from high impact educational journals with the focus being on those researchers who were most prolific and cited widely as experts in the field.
I have included one paper (Rockman et al., 1998) that deals with a study of use of laptops in a K-12 setting because the methodologies used were both quantitative and qualitative involving surveys, shadowing and interviews. This study is also important as it is one of the earliest dealing with portable personal computers as an educational classroom tool and incorporating non-laptop using control groups into the study results.
Methodologies and techniques documented in several publications included polling surveys, statistical analysis of responses and experiments undertaken in the HE classroom in varying subject areas across a diverse student population. Based on evidence gathered by these methods, findings can be simplified in a general manner as follows: student laptops in the HE classroom can function as engaging and effective active learning tools when deliberately incorporated into an instructor's lesson plan (Samson, 2010; Kay and Lauricella, 2011; Lauricella and Kay, 2015). Conversely, use of student laptops can constitute a draw back in that many see laptop use as a distraction. Specifically, some students do not pay attention and tend to use laptops for non-academic reasons during lectures and may distract other students within view of the laptop from paying attention to the lecture (Grace-Martin & Gay, 2001; Sana, Weston and Cepeda, 2013). Consequently, lectures turn into a laptop vs. professor contest for students' attention (Fried, 2008; Hembrooke & Gay, 2003).
The media has been actively reporting on a backlash against student laptop use in the classroom primarily led by faculty members at institutes of higher learning. This began early in the millennium with The Wall Street Journal (McWilliams, 2005) reporting that faculty from well established institutions such as Harvard attempted to enforce laptop bans in the classroom in order to minimize distraction to students. Kay & Lauricella (2011) comment that total bans on technology in the classroom suggest to students that professors believe that they are not responsible enough to be entrusted with responsibility for their own learning. Another view is that bans that are excessive may limit faculty who want to use technology as a learning enhancement tool (Kay & Lauricella, 2011). Given the current state of the available research on the subject, it appears that at the institutional level, some universities are leaving it up to faculty members to develop their own policy on how laptops may or may not be used during lectures (eg. University of Washington Law School, University of Michigan, N.D.).
Background on founding research
In 1998, Rockman et al., a research organization based in California, conducted a pilot program sponsored by Microsoft and Toshiba. The purpose of the pilot program was to establish that by every student having a notebook computer in the classroom and at home, there would be significant educational benefits that facilitated learning, "anytime, anywhere."
Prior to the Rockman study, there was an original concept of "anytime, everywhere" access to computers which emanated from Mark Weiser, Chief Technologist at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. In 1991, Weiser authored a visionary paper, outlining a new paradigm of computing called "ubiquitous computing:" a movement of society away from mainframes to smaller personal, portable, relatively inexpensive, networked computing devices. Weiser's vision was a starting point for consideration of how personal computers could be utilized in everyday life. In the HE sector, the term "ubiquitous computing" has been used subsequently to be synonymous with an HE campus where all faculty and students have similarly configured laptops with internet access and all buildings have wifi access (Brown and Petitto, 2003; Fried, 2008). This promoted recognition that universities needed to look at the question of student laptop usage in classrooms closely.
The Rockman et al. study involved laptops being distributed to elementary and high school students for use in the classroom and at home. The research methodology was complex and among other things, included surveys for both teacher and student, shadow studies of students with laptops and a comparison group of non-laptop students. Survey results were compiled from more than 144 teachers and 450 students. Results of the overall study showed that:
- students engage in more collaborative work with peers when using laptops,
- teachers and students find that laptops when used with direction for project work stimulate twice the participation in projects (i.e. Experiential Education(EE)),
- students and teachers take on increasingly different roles: teachers become facilitators as opposed to lecturers, students become collaborators and self directed learners.
- While both laptop using and non laptop using students were able to tackle a problem, researching with laptops encouraged critical thinking and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) vs. purely logic based, deductive reasoning arguments. Non-laptop users tended to see everything in terms of the big picture and followed a train of thought. Laptop use tended to engage in argument based reasoning, relating to real life as opposed to just descriptively reporting on where they thought something should go.
It should be noted that the Rockman shadow studies involved a very small sample of students and teachers (totaling about 12). The shadow studies and interviews were supplemented by a much larger body of students and teachers. Nonetheless, the findings may not be totally applicable or transferrable to an HE setting particularly given the sample subjects and the educational environment which is different from the university environment. Moreover, while methodologies used in the Rockman study were multifaceted, there was a bias in the research because the study was sponsored by Microsoft and Toshiba who, through Rockman, clearly stated their intention to demonstrate that there were great educational benefits to using laptops in a school setting.
Nonetheless, the findings from the Rockman study are important in that they suggest that when used with explicit direction, laptops enhance active learning. A major difference between laptop use in K-12 and HE is that in the Rockman study, students were directed on how to use laptops whereas many HE faculty do not build laptop based exercises into their lectures. Consequently, in an HE setting faculty would need to tailor their lesson material to laptop usage in the HE classroom. It is likely this could be a highly beneficial form of Experiential Education (EE.)
Current selected research noting advantages of laptop use in the HE classroom
Since the Rockman study with its findings of definitive advantages for laptop use in the K-12 classroom, there have been research studies performed in the HE setting that essentially agree with the Rockman conclusions. Several researchers suggest that HE students can use laptops effectively in the classroom provided that the traditional lecture-based format is replaced with a more active approach to teaching (Barab & Luehmann, 2002; Barak, Lipson, & Lerman, 2006; Gay, Stefanone, Grace-Martin, & Hembrooke, 2001, Samson, 2010.) Certain studies (Barak, Lipson and Lerman, 2006; Kay and Lauricella, 2011; Lindorth and Bergquist, 2010; Mackinnon and Vibert, 2002; Samson, 2010; Skolnik and Puzo, 2008; Weaver and Nilson, 2005) which included 'pro-laptop' findings commonly recognized the following ways through which students found laptops in the HE classroom to be a learning enhancement tool:
- Greater, easier and immediate classroom access to academic resources through the internet enabling students to obtain information which allowed them to investigate topics, formulate ideas and through simulation, explore, visualize and concretize abstract concepts (Barak et al, 2006; Kay & Lauricella, 2011).
- By some instructors integrating student laptops as an active learning tool, the use of new in-class, subject based software (Barak et al, 2006; Kolar et al., 2002; Skolnik & Puzo, 2008) was introduced. Incorporation of laptops also facilitated small group online problem solving exercises which emulated real world situations (Chompu-inwai & Doolen, 2006; Kolar et al., 2002.) Use of laptops in class also allowed for students to access additional resources (Lindorth and Bergquist, 2010), multimedia such as video podcasts and online surveys and case studies (Kay & Lauricella, 2011.)
- Increased productivity due to better student focus in the classroom (Kay & Lauricella, 2011) including improved notetaking (Arend, 2005; Efaw, Hampton, Martinez & Smith, 2004; Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Lindorth & Bergquist, 2010; Skolnik & Puzo, 2008) with better organized data collection (Kay & Lauricella, 2011). In fact, one study (Efaw et al., 2005) reported increased grades on seven in-class exams due to the instructors integrating laptop computers into their learning strategies. The average score of the laptop using student group was 86.8% compared to the average 83.5% score of the non-laptop using students who were taught using traditional instructional and note taking strategies.
- Higher level of beneficial peer collaboration (Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Kolar et al., 2002; Lindorth & Bergquist, 2010; Nicol & MacLeod, 2005). This included instant communication among peers through online messaging to clarify concepts covered in class (Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Lindorth & Bergquist, 2010; Mackinnon & Vibert, 2002).
From several studies (Fried, 2008; Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Kay & Lauricella, 2015; Mayes & de Freitas, 2007), it was seen that the personal pedagogy of the instructor and the learning strategies employed (i.e. active vs. passive) had a great impact on the efficacy of student laptops in HE classrooms as learning tools. The literature suggests that certain pedagogies are supportive of technology enhanced learning. Specifically, if the instructor employs the following learning modalities listed in Table 1, the ensuing classroom "lends" itself to digital active learning.
Table 1: 4 Pedagogies supportive of the digital age (Kay & Lauricella, 2015, Mayes and de Freitas, 2007)
|Theory of Learning
|Computer skills
|Gagne, 1985
Wilson & Meyers, 2000
|Accumulating understanding, knowledge and skills in a step by step manner
|Lecture : following slides
Lecture: note taking
|Constructive (individual)
|Bruner, 1960
Newell, 1980
Piaget, 1970
|Developing personal comprehension of subject through active discovery performed independently
|Web search for location research materials
Organizing of digital files
Using software programs
|Constructive (social)
|Laurillard, 2002
Vygotsky, 1978
|Developing comprehension through group discussion and dialogue
|Communications software, chat, etc.
Web forums
|Lave & Wenger, 1991
|Learning through practice and community oriented tasks
|Use of realistic web simulation tools and software
Adapted from Kay & Lauricella, 2015
In spite of general advantages noted, some selected studies revealed that there was a correlation between the subject matter of the course and student benefits with respect to using laptops in class. For example, Computer Science students who browsed the web for on-topic material did consistently better grade-wise compared to Communications students who also browsed the web for on-topic course material (Grace-Martin & Gay, 2001; Kay & Lauricella, 2011.) Another study by Gardner et al. showed that the use of laptops in the classroom had a positive effect on science subjects whereas the use of laptops had no such positive effect for English or mathematics courses (Gardner, Morrison, Jarman, Reilly & McNally, 1994).
The benefits that students gained in using laptops in the classroom were affected by how proficient students were in using laptops (Chompu-inwai & Dooley, 2006; Grace-Martin & Gay, 2001). Additionally, the level of ability of a student's computer skills determined how beneficial use of the laptop in the classroom really was. Those with good computer skills benefitted more than those with poor computer skills (Efaw et al., 2004). In a study by Efaw and colleagues at West Point, 32% of students who elected not to use laptops in class did so because they were not skilled in typing and found that their learning was better when they could physically write down. However, in the same study, the researchers note that a great benefit to encouraging use of laptops in the classroom is that it promotes computer skills which are becoming more and more important in the workplace and for employability (Efaw et al., 2004).
With respect to gender differences in using computers in the classroom, studies done over the years suggest that gender played a role in students' attitude and proficiency. Most of the research done in this area was conducted with teens and adults. Male students were found to have stronger computer skills and were accordingly more accepting on the use of computers in the classroom (Whitley, 1997). Later studies (Barker and Aspray, 2006; Kay, 2006) confirmed this finding with males having stronger computer skills than females. In a 2007 review of the gender issue pertaining to laptop use in the HE classroom, Kay suggests that more research can be done on the gender gap in younger students as the gender discrepancy increases with age and there are strategies that can be used in lower level grades to try to equalize the attitudes and proficiencies of both male and female students (Kay, 2007).
Current selected research noting disadvantages re laptop use in the HE classroom
Key disadvantages in allowing laptops to be used by students in HE classrooms can be summarized as follows:
- Main distractions: students do not pay attention and tend to use laptops for non-academic reasons such as surfing the web for non-academic purposes (Barak et al, 2006; Fried, 2008; Grace-Martin & Gay, 2001; Hembrooke & Gay, 2003; Kay & Lauricella, 2011; Skolnik & Puzo, 2008) and using social media, g. Facebook, instant messaging and emails. According to Kay (2010), social networking took place almost as frequently as surfing the web. 60% of students communicated socially with peers through these media. These activities were noted by students as diverting them from classroom activities (Kay, 2010). Consequently, lectures turn into a laptop vs. professor contest for students' attention (Fried, 2008; Kladko, 2005; Schwartz, 2003; Szaniszlo, 2006; Young, 2006).
In some instances, students in HE classrooms using laptops retained less lecture content than those not using laptops (Hembrooke & Gay, 2003). In this vein, certain evidence showed that the more students used laptops in the classroom, the less attention they paid to the lecture, the less they understood course material and consequently, the lower the grade they achieved (Fried, 2008.)
- Multitasking: According to Lang's Limited Process Capacity (LPC) model of the brain, humans are only capable of focusing attention in so many directions at once before becoming inefficient (Lang, 2000). Multitasking studies done with students groups in different courses showed universally that those students who engaged in multiple simultaneous activities such as web surfing, instant messaging, emailing and leaving a variety of non-academic related windows open generally had overall lower scores than students who used their laptops in an academically on task manner (Kraushaar & Novak, 2010; Ellis, Daniels & Jauregui, 2010). In one study, spyware was used to monitor "distractive windows" left open by students with the finding that students had these windows open 42% of the class time and interestingly, did not accurately report the amount of multitasking they had undertaken during class (Kraushaar et al., 2010).
Students' non-academic and academic activities on laptops inside and outside the HE classroom along with their frequency were quantified in a 2010 study by Lauricella & Kay. They developed the "Laptop Efficiency Scale" (LES). Subsequently, in 2015 Kay and Lauricella used the LES with a specific student population to report on popularity and frequency of academic and non-academic activities by the students in class. I am including Table 2 to provide a list of the most popular academic and non academic activities along with frequency ranking as reported by Kay and Lauricella, 2015.
Specifically with respect to multitasking, the LES relied on polls and questionnaires to ascertain how much multitasking was occurring. Given the reliance on student participation and response, it would seem that there is a margin for error on the conclusion re multitasking particularly in light of the finding by Kraushaar et al. (2010) that students under reported their multitasking activities in surveys undertaken. Short of installing tracking software as was done by Kraushaar et al., student reported data on multitasking may be somewhat questionable.
Table 2: Most popular academic and non-academic uses of laptops during class, adapted from Kay & Lauricella, 2015.
|# Frequency ranking of exhibited student laptop behavior (most – least frequent) inside & outside the classroom
|Academic Uses
|Non-Academic Uses
|On task oriented software programs
|Instant messaging / chat
|Review of posted notes / files
|Web search (personal)
|Review of lecturer's powerpoint presentation
|Web search and research queries (academic)
|Personal email
|Communication about course material with peers
|Note taking
|Watching podcasts
|Use of interactive tools, eg. applets to visualize sophisticated concepts
|Watching longer duration movies
|Online survey participation / Clicker-type interaction
Analysis of selected research and gaps
From the selected research on this broad topic, it is clear that many studies and reviews have been done in this area by professionals over a span of approximately two decades. The research has produced conclusive findings and results that are helpful to the HE community. Researchers employed many methodologies similar to those used in the Rockman et al. study in 1998. These methodologies included focus groups, surveys and shadow studies. One of the major differences in the studies that I reviewed subsequent to Rockman et al. was that the researchers did not start off with a presupposition that laptops were beneficial to student learning. The research widely shows that there are concrete benefits to students using laptops in the HE classroom.
The benefits as outlined in the section entitled "Current selected research noting advantages re laptop use in the HE classroom" can be summarized generally as increased learning, better grades and encouragement of better computer skills and abilities. As previously listed in this review, researchers generally agreed on four major advantages of using student laptops in the HE classroom. Even though these studies were done independently at different institutions with varying student population samples, there does not seem to be much controversy among researchers on what the advantages and disadvantages are in the long run.
Gaps in the research related to insufficient HE studies with respect to the impact of gender around the use of laptops in classrooms and the use of laptops by disabled students. Future research, therefore can be undertaken in these areas although issues of privacy and student consent will no doubt arise. Additionally, as indicated by Kay (2011), further research needs to be done on what steps may be involved in faculty members moving to integrate student laptop use into their classes. This will involve issues of pedagogy, new software applications and new technologies, concerns that not all students may own laptops and the impetus to adopt this new form of teaching and learning.
This review was undertaken to provide a broadly based summary of the most relevant research of use of student laptops in the HE classroom. The conclusion is that there are definite benefits and definite disadvantages noted fairly consistently in all the selected research papers. The end result is that for laptop usage to be successful in HE classrooms, faculty have to agree that for their particular courses there has to be a benefit and they can develop strategies to incorporate this technology as an effective active learning tool. Steps will have to be taken to ensure that the disadvantages of allowing laptops in classrooms are addressed and minimized without infringing on student independence, self direction and motivation.
References and Additional Resources
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Barab, S. A., & Luehmann, A. L. (2002). Building sustainable science curriculum: acknowledging and accommodating local adaptation. Science Education, 87, 454–467
Barak, L. (2012). Multitasking in the university classroom. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 6 (2) http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/v6n2.html.
Barak, M., Lipson, A., & Lerman, S. (2006). Wireless laptops as means for promoting active learning in large lecture halls. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(3), 245-263.
Barker, L. J., & Aspray, W. (2006). The state of research on girls and IT. In J. M. Cohoon & W. Aspray (Eds.), Women and information technology (pp. 3–54). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Bergquist, M. (2010). Laptopers in an educational practice: Promoting the personal learning situation. Computer & Education, 54(2), 311-320. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2009.07.014
Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Waite, B. M. and Dendron, M. (2010). Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading. Computers & Education, 54, 927-931.
Chompu-inwai, R., & Doolen, T. L. (2006). A methodology for studying the impact of laptops in engineering. 36th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, San Diego, CA. doi: 10.1109/FIE.2006.322680
Demb, A., Erickson, D., & Hawkins-Wilding, S. (2004). The laptop alternative: Student reactions and strategic implications. Computers & Education, 43(4), 383-401. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2003.08.008
Dickson, G. W., and Segars, A. "Redefining the High-Technology Classroom." Journal of Education for Business 74, no. 3 (January-February 1999): 152-156.
Efaw, J., Hampton, S., Martinez, S., and S. Smith (2004). Miracle or Menace: Teaching and Learning with Laptop Computers in the Classroom, Educause online review.
Ehrmann, S. C. (1997) "Asking the Right Question: What Does Research Tell Us about Technology and Higher Learning?" The Annenberg/PBS Projects Learner Online http://www.learner.org/edtech/rscheval/rightquestion.html
Ellis, Y., Daniels, W. and Jauregui, A. (2010). The effect of multitasking on the grade performance of business students. Research in Higher Education Journal, http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/10498.pdf
Fried, C. B. (2008). In-class laptop use and its effects on student learning. Computers & Education, 50(3), 906-914. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2006.09.006
Gardner, J. (1994) Personal portable computers and the curriculum, Edinburgh, Scotland: Scottish Council for Research in Education. (ED 369 388)
Gardner, J., Morrison, H., Jarman, R., Reilly C., & McNally, H. (1994). Learning with portable computers. Computer & Education, 22, 161–171.
Gay, G., Stefanone, M., Grace-Martin, M., & Hembrooke, H. (2001). The effects of wireless computing in collaborative learning environments. International Journal of Human Computer Interaction, 13(2), 257-276. doi: 10.1207/S15327590IJHC1302_10
Grace-Martin, M., & Gay, G. (2001). Web browsing, mobile computing and academic performance. Educational Technology and Society, 4(3), 95-107. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/4_3/grace_martin.pdf
Hembrooke, H., & Gay, G. (2003). The laptop and the lecture: The effects of multitasking in learning environments. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 15(1), 46-64.
Hyden, P. (2005). Teaching statistics by taking advantage of the laptop's ubiquity. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 101, 37-42.
Junco, R. and Cotten, S.R. (2012). The relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Journal of Computers and Education, 59, 505-514.
Kay, R. H. (2006). Addressing gender differences in computer ability, attitudes and use: The laptop effect. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 34, 187–211.
Kay, R. H. (2007). Gender differences in computer attitudes, ability, and use in the elementary classroom. Research into Practice, Ontario Ministry of Education. Monograph #8, 1-4.
Kay, R.H., & Lauricella, S. (2011a). Gender differences in the use of laptops in higher education: A formative analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 44(3), 357-376.
Kay, R.H., & Lauricella, S. (2011b). Exploring the benefits and challenges of using laptop computers in higher education classrooms: A formative analysis. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 37(1).
Kay, R.H., & Lauricella, S. (2011c). Unstructured vs. structured use of laptops in higher education. Journal of Information Technology Education, 10, 33-42.
Kay, R. H., & Lauricella, S. (2015). Investigating and comparing communication media used in higher education. Journal of Communication Technology and Human Behaviors, 2(1), 1-20. doi: 10.7726/jcthb.2015.1001
Kladko, B. (2005, April 16). Wireless classrooms: Tool or distraction? The Record, p. A1.
Kolar, R. L., Sabatini, D. A., & Fink, L. D. (2002). Laptops in the classroom: Do they make a difference? Journal of Engineering Education, 91(4), 397-401. Laptop. (n.d.). in Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laptop.
Kraushaar, J. M. and Novak, D. C. (2010). Examining the affects of student multitasking with laptops during lecture. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21 (2), 241-251.
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Lauricella, S. L., & Kay. R. H. (2009a). Appendix A – The laptop effectiveness scale. Retrieved May 2009, from http://faculty.uoit.ca/kay/papers/bc/AppendixA.pdf
Lauricella, S. L., & Kay. R. H. (2009b). Appendix B – coding system for laptop behaviour comments. Retrieved August 2009, from http://faculty.uoit.ca/kay/papers/bc/AppendixB.pdf
Lauricella, S., & Kay, R. H. (2010). Assessing laptop use in higher education classrooms: The laptop effectiveness scale (LES). Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2), 151-163. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/lauricella.pdf
Lindorth, T., & Bergquist, M. (2010). Laptopers in an educational practice: Promoting the personal learning situation. Computer & Education, 54(2), 311-320.
Mackinnon, G. R., & Vibert, C. (2002). Judging the constructive impacts of communication technologies: A business education study. Education and Information Technologies, 7(2), 127-135.
McWilliams, G. (2005, October 14). The laptop backlash. The Wall Street Journal, p. B1.
Montgomery, K. C. (2009). Generation digital: Politics, commerce, and childhood in the age of the Internet . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Nicol, D. J., & MacLeod, I. A. (2005). Using a shared workspace and wireless laptops to improve collaborative project learning in an engineering design class. Computers & Education, 44(4), 459-475. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2004.04.008
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Schwartz, J. (2003, January 2). Professors vie with Web for class's attention. New York Times, p. A1.
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Skolnik, R., & Puzo, M. (2008). Utilization of laptop computers in the school of business classroom. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 12(2), 1-10.
Smith, S. D., Salaway, G., & Caruso, J. B. (2009). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology, 2009. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0906/rs/ERS0906w.pdf
Szaniszlo, M. (2006, June 4). Harvard profs lay down law: no laptops in class. The Boston Herald, p. A6.
Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. NY: McGraw-Hill.
University of Washington Law School, N.D. https://www.law.washington.edu/students/academics/LaptopPolicy.aspx
Weaver, B. E., & Nilson, L. B. (2005). Laptops in class: What are they good for? What can you do with them? New Directions in Teaching and Learning, 101, 3-13. doi: 10.1002/tl.182
Whitley, B.E. Jr (1997), Gender differences in computer-related attitudes and behaviours: a meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behaviour, 13(1), 1-22.
Wilen-Daugenti, T. (2008). Higher Education Trends & Statistics, Issue 1. Retrieved from http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/edu/trends/issue01.html.
Wurst, C., Smarkola, C., & Gaffney, M. A. (2008). Ubiquitous laptop usage in higher education: Effects on student achievement, student satisfaction, and constructivist measures in honors and traditional classrooms. Computers & Education, 51(4), 1766-1783.
Young, J. R. (2006, June 2). The fight for classroom attention: Professor vs. laptop. Chronicle of Higher Education, pp. A27–A29.


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Tuesday, 21st May 2019
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After a 2.5 week long Digital Detox, Boss lady Vashtie came back to us and shared why she made the conscious decision to step away.
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Bundled payments are being considered for many different episodes of care with hospitals. The most notable bundled payment model is the joint replacement model created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). But other models are generating interest as well – including a potential bundled payment model for maternity care.
A growing number of facilities and payors are exploring the idea of bundling payments for services rendered after a mother gives birth. The feds are on board, too, so this could be the next big trend with value-based care.
According to an article published in Hospitals & Health Networks, the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, a federally affiliated network of both public and private healthcare shareholders, has identified maternity care as one of its top priorities for implementing bundled payments.
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Mercedes-AMG GT Now Available Exclusively in CSR Racing
Zynga and NaturalMotion are proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz to offer players the chance to purchase an exclusive new car as part of the Apps for (RED) campaign.
Making its debut, and exclusive to CSR Racing, the Mercedes-AMG GT is the world's next generation sports car and will deliver all the speed and thrills in-game as its real-world counterpart. The car will be available to players in CSR Racing through December 7 for $4.99 with 100% of proceeds to go to (RED)'s fight against AIDS.
FarmVille 2: Country Escape Rolls Out the (RED) Carpet
In FarmVille 2: Country Escape, players will have a chance to roll out the (RED) carpet on their farm with special offers on (PRODUCT)RED items, as well as (RED) specific quests:
- (COZY COW)RED: This special, limited edition (PRODUCT)RED Winter Cow delivers triple the milk of a regular cow, allowing players to be more productive on their farms.
- (ST. BERNARD)RED: This (PRODUCT)RED Bernard, clad in a red winter scarf, helps to find rare (RED) event items faster.
- A Bottomless Well: One tap on this (PRODUCT)RED Bottomless Well completely refills a player's water supply.
- Exclusive (RED) Sale on Keys: Get started on giving back with a sale on keys and exclusive starter packs. Starting at $2.99, players can enjoy special discounts on Keys up to 25% off. 100% of proceeds will go to (RED)'s fight against AIDS.
- Limited-Time (RED) Themed Quests and Ingredients: Enjoy special (RED) quests and search for new limited-time items to find and craft on your farm.
Download FarmVille 2: Country Escape and CSR Racing today on the App Store to join (RED)'s fight against AIDS.
To the millions of players that have donated to an important cause through Zynga games, thanks for playing. Let's all band together to deliver the first AIDS FREE GENERATION in over 30 years!
Ken Weber
Executive Director, Zynga.org
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