Friday, October 23, 2026
By Maria Hahn
Have you heard about AI? Of course you have. Each day, multiple new articles hit our inboxes about its power, new data centers, and why we should love or fear it as educators. The flood of information can make one’s head spin.
Instead of adding to the cacophony, this article examines some of the quiet, “old school” ways of teaching and learning, and some of the tried-and-true methods that stick around no matter the available technologies. It is also a reminder that thoughtful course design can go a long way toward keeping students engaged and reaching the course learning goals.
Back to the Past?
Some instructors are returning to pen, paper, notebooks, and bluebooks. Some refer to this phenomenon as the analog classroom. Others call it low-tech teaching, slow pedagogy, and unplugged learning. These instructors are stepping back from educational technologies inside and outside of class to limit or prevent AI from being used as a crutch for homework and exams.
The rise of AI has educators examining their pedagogical practices for good reasons. Student and instructor trust in each other has declined. There’s suspicion when an assignment submission is “too good,” mentioning things that weren’t taught in the class material. Hidden text is planted in assignment directions in case the directions get pasted into a generative AI prompt. Lock-down browsers, multiple video cameras, and classroom policing have become regular strategies to reduce cheating via AI, strategies that instructors find heartbreaking.
AI isn’t the only reason instructors are considering moving away from laptops and phones in the classroom: digital distraction manifests in other ways as well. Students send and receive text messages on their phones, and TikTok reels are more interesting than macroeconomics. In all seriousness, digital distraction is real. Studies suggest that students spend a substantial amount of class time on their phones and laptops doing non-class-related tasks (Flanigan et al., 2023).
Can we encourage our students to put their phones and laptops away? We sure can! But we need to explain why, and of course keep expectations within reason (for instance, some students may need electronic devices for accessibility accommodations).
What’s Your Why?
You know you want to limit digital distractions. Can you explain why it matters to you and why it should matter to your students? Begin by outlining and aligning the reasons with your learning objectives. Your teaching consultants at Pitt love teaching about Backward Design. We also love the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Let’s start with Backward Design. Instead of thinking about your content first, determine your “what” for your course. What will students leave your class knowing? Bloom’s Taxonomy is extremely helpful for identifying measurable and demonstrable verbs to describe what you want students to learn. Think about the students saying, “Hey, Ma! Watch me [fill in the blank].” It’s difficult for Ma to watch them “understand” something, but Ma can watch them describe how something works. Active verbs in the learning objectives help students understand what they will end up knowing by the end of the semester.
Next, consider how to assess that students have learned that objective. In-class, low-stakes formative assessments can help gauge the students’ understanding of what you’re teaching and give them practice for the real deal, also known as summative assessments. Summative assessments determine if they’ve learned what you intended them to learn and also earn them a grade. Authentic assessment involves designing exercises that apply to the “real world.” Authenticity allows students to practice using the material they’re learning in their lives outside of the classroom. Authentic assessments answer the question every student quietly asks: Why am I learning this?
Lastly, select the content that will get them there. Readings, videos, exercises, discussions, and more will become the learning materials you’ll use to reach the learning objectives. Lectures are an important part of classroom instruction, but try to implement active learning when you can to keep students from getting bored and reaching for their phones. Breaking up your lecture every 10–15 minutes is a good strategy to keep the engagement alive during lecture-heavy sessions. If you can, insert discussion activities about homework, readings, videos, etc. Having students interact with you and their peers also keeps TikTok at bay.
Using TILT, consider the results you want from your students via purpose, task, and criteria. Defining the purpose gives the students a reason to complete the assignment (sans AI, if that is what you are looking for). Why should they put time and effort into this assignment? Authentic assessment comes into play here as well. Describing the task helps them understand what exactly you expect them to be doing. This means giving clear directions without being too verbose. Students should spend their energy doing the task, not guessing what you want. Lastly, the criteria help students understand the expected result. A rubric helps here. So do examples. Think about sharing an exemplary or even a mediocre example submission. And no, this framework does not intend to reduce rigor. The intention is to reduce the frustration around students’ understanding of the expectations.
What About Paper?
Paper can be used in the classroom. Strategies include offering extra credit for using a notebook and pen to take notes during class instead of a laptop, returning to bluebooks and Scantron assessment taking, handwritten journal assignments including doodles, and more. Some instructors find it charming to see students’ handwriting and doodles in notebooks and journals after years of digital assignments. Journals are an option for a small classroom.
There are barriers to these methods, of course. Some students write faster than others, and this can cause anxiety. Some students may not be able to write or hold a paper or book. And if students are taking home journals to write in, they can still turn to AI for help.
This is where UDL comes in. Designing multiple means of engagement and assessment in one’s course is beneficial to the students needing accommodations and everyone else. Think about curb cuts in crosswalks. They were designed to benefit people in wheelchairs, but this accommodation benefits people pushing strollers, young children, older adults who cannot lift their legs as high, and others.
So, what should one do?
That is up to the instructor, as always, but your Teaching Center consultants can recommend a few things:
- Have your students create a personal manifesto at the beginning of the semester, noting how, when, and why they will use electronic devices. Return to these every so often. Ask them to reflect on how it’s going.
- Find times to ask students to close their laptops and put their phones down, such as during a think-pair-share activity, a discussion, or a one-minute reflective writing session, and explain why.
- Encourage notebook use for an activity if feasible. Provide a prompt of 1–3 questions. Give them class time to write, draw, explain, and reflect upon something they took away that day. Collect them and provide feedback.
- Some technologies are fine to use, especially if there are reasons for using them. In a large-enrollment classroom, an exit ticket survey via Top Hat could benefit your understanding of your students’ learning.
Remember, alignment with your learning objectives is key to having a successful learning experience for your students. Select technologies, go unplugged, or make it a combination. Find what works best for you and your students.
Normalizing tech-free environments can also help. A Distraction Free Zone is available in Hillman Library on Mondays, October 26, November 2, November 9, and November 16, from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. This can be advertised in your classroom and/or in your Canvas course to provide an opportunity to practice using a tech-free space.
Maria Hahn is senior teaching consultant at the University Center for Teaching and Learning.