Prior research suggests that students choose to take notes using laptops in college classes because it is faster and easier, but the technology serves as a distraction and negatively impacts academic performance. The literature also suggests that a more interactive class environment may mitigate the negative effect on performance. We conduct both a field study and experiment with managerial accounting students completing interactive skeleton notes during class sessions. Students choosing to use a laptop to complete the notes did so primarily because of its ease, while those taking longhand notes did so because they felt it enhanced their learning. We found no significant difference in average test scores and course grades between the two groups. However, further analysis revealed that use of a laptop had a strong negative effect for students in the lower half of academic performance as compared to no measurable effect for students in the upper half.