TOEFL® interview questions: Technology in the classroom

In my statistics class, the teacher used an online poll after explaining a new method. We answered on our phones, and the screen showed how many people chose each option. I usually feel nervous about raising my hand, so this made joining easier for me. One day, many of us selected the wrong answer. The teacher explained the example again without naming anyone. I liked that because my mistake helped the lesson, but I did not feel embarrassed in front of everyone.

• without naming anyone · ‘Without’ plus a gerund shows how anonymous feedback avoided embarrassment.
• feel nervous about raising my hand · ‘About’ plus a gerund names the specific thing that made joining in hard.

An anonymous poll made a surprising difference in my statistics class. I would normally wait for someone more confident to speak, but submitting a choice privately felt manageable. When the results appeared, nearly half the class had made the same mistake as me. The lecturer went back through the example and explained the step we'd missed, without asking anyone to defend a wrong answer publicly. I felt more willing to try the next question. What helped wasn't the screen itself; it was the way the tool made uncertainty visible without turning it into an embarrassing performance for individual students.

• went back through the example · ‘Go back through’ means re-explaining something step by step.
• made uncertainty visible · ‘Make’ plus an object and adjective neatly sums up what the anonymous poll did.

I would rather write by hand for most lectures. When I use a laptop, I try to type almost everything the teacher says. My notes become long, but I do not always understand them. With a notebook, I have to choose the main ideas and draw small arrows between them. This works well in my history class. I still use a laptop when there are many figures or shared documents, but paper helps me pay attention to the explanation.

• have to choose the main ideas · ‘Have to’ shows how slower handwriting makes the writer select information.
• arrows between them · A concrete detail from the notes shows how the ideas were linked.

For a lecture built around ideas, I'd choose a notebook. Typing is faster for me, but that can be a disadvantage: I start collecting sentences without deciding what they mean. Writing by hand forces me to leave things out, connect points with arrows, and mark questions for later. In a history lecture last term, that helped me see how two explanations of the same event differed. I wouldn't insist on paper in every class, though. My choice would depend on the task, but for listening and making sense of an argument, the slower tool usually keeps me more involved.

• forces me to leave things out · ‘Force someone to do’ explains how handwriting makes the writer pick the key points.
• making sense of an argument · ‘Make sense of’ means understanding an argument, more specific than just listening.

I partly agree because open laptops can distract people nearby. I once sat behind a student watching a sports video, and I kept looking at the movement on the screen. But some students need laptops for notes or reading larger text. I would prefer a rule about using devices only for class work. The teacher could explain the reason and ask us to close them during discussions. That would reduce distraction without stopping useful ways of learning in the classroom.

• people nearby · ‘Nearby’ makes clear that screens distract the students sitting around them.
• without stopping useful ways of learning · A ‘without’ phrase says the rule should still allow useful ways of studying.

I understand the reason, but I wouldn't support a blanket rule. A video on a nearby laptop once distracted me throughout a lecture. At the same time, some classmates use digital notes, larger text, or tools that help them follow the lecture. Requiring them to request an exception publicly could be uncomfortable. I'd prefer a clear expectation that devices should support the activity, with screens closed during particular discussions when that is practical. A rule tied to what we are doing would feel more reasonable to me than treating every open laptop as evidence of inattention.

• a blanket rule · ‘Blanket rule’ precisely means one rule applied to everyone, whatever the situation.
• A rule tied to what we are doing · A past-participle phrase says the rule should depend on the current class activity.

I think teachers should decide, but universities should offer training. A digital poll can help in a large lecture, while it may not be necessary in a small discussion class. If every teacher must use a tool, some may add it only to follow the rule. I have seen a lesson lose time because nobody understood an app. The university could share good examples and provide technical help. Teachers could then choose tools that solve a real problem in their classes.

• only to follow the rule · ‘Only to’ shows how a requirement can lead to using tools just to tick a box.
• solve a real problem · Sets a practical function as the test for choosing a tool.

I'd require lecturers to think about participation, but I'd leave the choice of tool to them. A poll transformed my experience in a large statistics lecture, yet the same app would add little to a seminar with six students already talking freely. If the university measures success by whether a screen is used, teachers may spend time satisfying the requirement instead of improving learning. Students could then give feedback on whether the activity helped them understand or contribute. That would encourage thoughtful use of technology while recognising that a good discussion, a drawing on the board, or a simple question can also be interactive.

• leave the choice of tool to them · ‘Leave something to someone’ clearly assigns who makes the decision.
• whether the activity helped them understand or contribute · A ‘whether’ clause ties student feedback to understanding and taking part.