Laptops and Learning

I don't use my laptop to take notes in class anymore. I find it to be a bit too distracting. I can't take down notes nearly as fast by hand but I'm not a huge note taker. Furthermore notes weren't meant to be taken verbatim and I take in the information better if I just listen. Some law schools have gone so far as to ban laptops in class. While I find this unnecessary I do believe that they can be thoroughly distracting.
In my Civ Pro class we did a one day experiment where laptops were banished for a single class period. There were some strong objections from around the class but I actually thought it was kind of nice. Class was a bit quieter without all the mashing on keyboards and I had already decided at that point that laptop note taking was not for me. In the following class we briefly discussed the pros and cons of laptop use in class. The general consensus was that laptop use in class is advantageous. I think that many students don't find them as distracting as I do and many students take more notes than I do. So while I don't think laptops are my best tool for note taking, I do think that they are helpful for the class as a whole.