‘Technology Timeouts’ Revitalize Critical Thinking

• In a capstone course at Rowan University, students participate in scheduled tech-free sessions to build leadership skills such as communicating, problem-solving, and motivating employees.
• Students quickly learn that they build more effective, efficient teams when they work together without turning to AI tools at the very beginning.
• The course incorporates the technology timeouts as professional development opportunities that will help students enhance the leadership skills that recruiters seek.

 
Business educators are facing a challenge that could undermine the academic and professional success of our students: Too many learners are relying too heavily on search engines and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems and make decisions for them.

This overuse of AI diminishes both the confidence and critical thinking skills of our students. It also creates a mindset and work ethic that students are likely to bring with them into the business world. How can we encourage our students to develop the skills, passion, and integrity to “do the work,” rather than utilizing AI tools to “do the work” for them? How can we ensure that AI does not diminish the critical thinking skills of the next generation of business leaders?

At Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business in Glassboro, New Jersey, we have found one simple answer: We use “technology timeouts” to impress on our students how important it is for them to engage in critical thinking instead of allowing AI tools to think for them. To that end, we have embedded technology timeouts at strategic points throughout Business Policy, our semesterlong capstone course.

As students undertake tech-free activities, they must use their intelligence, academic preparation, and relevant experience to make decisions and solve problems. They not only enhance their ability to engage in critical thinking, but also gain the confidence to utilize their own talents rather than simply adopt AI tools at the outset.

Organizing the Sessions

We introduce technology timeouts at the start of the semester for two main reasons. First, many students are already using AI to complete assignments, so we want to transform their mindsets about AI from the very beginning of the class. Second, by introducing the timeout exercises early, we can position them as professional development activities that will prepare learners to excel as both students and business professionals.

Unlike other course activities, timeouts do not require students to engage in advance preparation. Rather, on certain days, students are asked to turn off their technology—including phones and laptops—for a segment of the class. Our academic success center has assisted in ensuring that students with documented needs for accommodations are comfortable participating in these essential class experiences.

Each technology timeout begins with the instructor introducing a contemporary business topic that aligns with the course’s mission, goals, and learning objectives. The discussion topics are not disclosed until the scheduled day so students don’t have an opportunity to consult AI sources in advance.

Students see that professional teams can function more effectively when drawing upon the diverse talents and expertise of their members rather than relying solely on AI tools.

Students initially consider the topic individually, then engage in group discussions with the teams they will work with throughout the semester. Finally, all the teams share with the class what they talked about and what conclusions they drew regarding the assigned topic.

By making group activities part of the timeouts, we help students see that professional teams can function more effectively and efficiently when drawing upon the diverse talents and expertise of their members rather than relying solely on AI tools. As they work together without the assistance of AI, teams become more cohesive and effective. That’s important, because the course culminates with teams developing and presenting comprehensive strategic plans for contemporary organizations.

Once sessions are over, we allow students to compare the conclusions their teams reached with the decisions that are suggested by AI. They soon realize that—by drawing on their own intelligence, academic preparation, and experience—they can make decisions that are typically better than those based on the “wisdom” of AI.

This is an enlightening moment. Students see that, while AI has a useful purpose, it is just a tool. And only by using it appropriately and ethically will graduates achieve professional success within the challenging contemporary world of business.

Choosing Topics—With Student Input

All technology timeout activities focus on skills that will be essential for graduates’ success, such as preparing to be leaders, leading in times of crisis, using power and influence, and working with stakeholders. While faculty members determine potential topics in advance, they stay flexible so they can add topics based on student interest. Affording students opportunities to suggest relevant topics and contribute to the ongoing assessment of these activities contributes to high student engagement.

The first technology timeout last semester required students to identify the management and leadership skills that would help them secure desirable positions for their initial jobs and enable their success throughout their careers. The timing was deliberate because most students were planning to participate in a business career and internship fair the following week.

We also invited interested students to deliver 30-second pitches that highlighted their management and leadership abilities, which further helped them prepare to interact with recruiters at the career fair. A member of our in-house professional development center participated in this session and provided insightful feedback to students.

Technology timeouts focus on skills such as preparing to be leaders, leading in times of crisis, using power and influence, and working with stakeholders.

During that initial technology timeout session, students identified many common skills they wanted to master, including communicating, making decisions, solving problems, managing change, and managing conflict. Several of these topics had already been planned as technology timeouts. But students also persuasively made the case for adding topics such as managing time and motivating subordinates, with the result that these were added later during the semester.

When students have opportunities to chart the course of these activities, they participate with greater interest and enthusiasm. In fact, several students noted that this approach aligns with “customer responsiveness,” one of the building blocks of competitive advantage that we discuss in the course.

Recognizing the Value

It’s been rewarding to observe the momentum that has built around the technology timeouts as students look forward to upcoming sessions. While we anticipated potential pushback from students who did not see the value of these activities, fortunately we have not experienced that.

One reason for this positive response is that we take the time at the beginning of the semester to introduce technology timeouts as valuable professional development opportunities. We also invite the staff of our professional development center to observe the first session and comment on what the teams can accomplish without the use of AI tools.

We have found that most students recognize the value of the tech-free sessions and the importance of periodically assessing their approaches to business challenges. In particular, students have noted that an ability to draw on their own knowledge and experience, rather than the false guidance of AI tools, is especially helpful during their internships. They also expect that this ability will contribute to their professional success throughout their careers.

We believe that the technology timeouts will help students secure meaningful jobs, given that recruiters are looking for graduates with highly developed critical thinking and conceptual skills. These recruiters don’t want new hires who rely heavily on internet searches and AI skills, rather than thinking independently and working effectively with team members. Technology timeouts help students develop their abilities in both areas.

Spreading the Word

Business Policy, our capstone course, was an appropriate course in which to implement technology timeouts because all business students are required to complete it during their senior year as they prepare for their job searches. One of the objectives of this capstone course is to ensure that students have the necessary critical thinking and conceptual skills that will distinguish them as aspiring business leaders, and this exercise aids in achieving that goal.

There are, however, numerous other courses in the typical business curriculum that could benefit from tech-free activities that promote critical thinking skills. In fact, several faculty members at Rowan have embraced this concept and plan to implement it in their own classes, and attendees at recent business conferences have greeted the idea with enthusiasm.

We certainly want students to use technological tools when appropriate. But we also want to make sure they realize that true critical thinking should be informed by their intelligence, academic preparation, and experience.