WSJ.com: There's a widely shared image on the Internet of a teacher's note that says: "Dear students, I know when you're texting in class. Seriously, no one just looks down at their crotch and smiles."
College students returning to class this month would be wise to heed such warnings. You're not as clever as you think—your professors are on to you. The best way to stay in their good graces is to learn what behavior they expect with technology in and around the classroom.
26 comments:
This is a topic I think about often. Selfishly, I would like to be able to use my laptop in class. I don't have any educational basis for this desire, and I am aware of that. I want to be able to click onto Facebook or wherever else and alleviate my boredom for five precious minutes (let's face it, kids, no matter which way you spin it, regardless of whether you are madly in love with your craft or not, class is damn boring.) So then, it's probably better that they aren't allowed, because at least I'm being forced into paying attention, right? Wrong. It is an uphill battle to engage me in what you are saying. I don't admit that to be mean, I admit that because I KNOW I'm not the only one it's true for. I don't think laptops will help the attention issue, which is widespread, but they may not actually hurt it. I think there are deeper issues at play when it comes to modern classrooms, one's that many professors believe will be solved simply by banning technology usage. Truthfully, you can hide these problems all you want, but that doesn't mean they aren't still there.
The classroom is the teacher's place, and rules should be up to them (unless the university/property owner has more specific ones). That being said, some (engineering, computer science, etc.) classes require a computer of some sort. Many others would greatly benefit from it, for instant research or fact checking. Granted, some students undoubtedly will use it for silly social media, but if the classroom environment is one that commands constant participation of all students, I think many will refrain from pulling out their laptops for fear of drawing attention. Personally, I'm using it to take notes anyway and have no problem with a teacher walking by and checking or students behind me "tattling."
And I agree with Kassondra; aside from a few particular students who may have ADD or similar involuntary concentration problems, keeping the students engaged is largely up to the professor. If most of your students are obviously bored and need to resort to technological distractions to stay awake, there's something wrong. It may not be that your class is boring, maybe they've been up all night doing homework or something, but taking said technology out of the classroom is not the most effective solution.
Laptops in class are definitely a difficult issue. I know they can be useful. For example, in our foundations class someone had a question about history that the teacher didn't know the exact answer to, and we were quickly able to look it up using someone's computer. I know some people also have systems for taking notes that need a computer to function. However, I've seen far too much use of computers to go online shopping or to check facebook during class, which is an obviously inappropriate use. I find sometimes those with computers are less likely to be fully engaged with the class. I don't think the solution is banning laptops entirely, but it is something that needs to be addressed.
Regarding the section on email etiquette- I wish there were more clear expectations about how we should email professors here at CMU. The level of formality we should use in communication here is often confusing to me, since quite a lot of what we do here is rather informal. For example, it's taken a while for me to get used to calling teachers by their first names (and it's still a little uncomfortable using first names in emails). Because of this, I'm not sure how formal I should be in my emails to professors.
Personally I believe that students should not be able to use any sort of electronics in the classroom, it is simply a distraction. I have seen many students in class with their laptops open "taking notes" when the reality is they are on Facebook, Pinterest, or Amazon. How they are focusing while on these websites is beyond me. I know that for me personally I would be too tempted to go play a game then take notes in class, most students are also under this impression. Students should not be allowed to have a their laptops, iPads, or phones in class, they need to be fully focused on class and nothing else.
Personally, I do not feel any inclination to use my laptop in class. I like hand-writing notes and I don't want to open myself up to any distraction. But for others, I feel like the decision could be up to them. If a student isn't going to pay attention in class, it doesn't matter much if they've got a notebook or computer in front of them, they are still going to chose whether or not they want to learn.
One thing that the article brought to my attention however, was the idea that the internet not only could open students up to outside distractions, it could expose them to information that could change the class discussion. There was a huge focus on this in the article, but it does mention that students could google questions during class discussions and thus have extra information available. This does make the issue of laptops a little more complicated to me. On one hand, I feel that its up to the student if they want to be engaged or not. But when the integrity of a class discussion comes into question, I'm not so sure.
I am a huge fan of using laptops in class because it allows me to take notes faster in a neater way. However, I can see where teachers are coming from when they say that using a laptop creates more distractions. What it boils down to is to will the student let this powerful tool become a distraction, and does the teacher trust the student to not let their laptop to become a distraction. Hopefully as time and technology progress we will continue finding value for using computers in education.
This article, as many are, was good and correct, but also had an abundance of commonsense. especially the part about emailing professors with bad joke email addresses. I mean, that is almost hard to believe people still do that. And that is not just a problem when emailing professors. After you are about fifteen anyone you email that is not one of your closest friends will loose quite a bit of respect for you if your emailing them from a disrespectful email address. It is kind of scary but now days everyone including professors and future employers can get what they think of as a good feel for you just by going through the information that appears about you on the internet and unfortunately that can make or break you, with the later being the more common. As far as us using our laptops in class I do not think that is a one sure answer type of question. Some classes you absolutely must bring your laptop and some it is distracting. I do wish there was a way to type up your notes during class and have the teacher know for sure that you were actually paying attention and not goofing off.
Although I understand that technology has the potential to be distracting in the classroom, I don't believe it has to be. I am personally a big believer in integrating technology into the classroom, it opens up a world of opportunities for extending learning. A great example is when a professor makes reference to something you don't know or understand during a lecture. Asking questions of the professor is great, but they don't necessarily clear up everything, being able to look up the topic and learn a bit more about it allows the student to follow along the rest of the lecture and helps them better understand the topic.
I believe that students should be aloud to use their laptop in class. The primary reason being college students are paying adults who choose to be in class, unlike high schoolers who would be wasting tax payer dollars. If someone is stupid enough to sit on facebook during class, then they can take the fall when they miss all the material discussed that day. It's really just part of being an adult! As long as students are not disturbing the class, how does the professor have the right to be telling them they can't use their device? That being said I typically choose not to use my laptop in class. I find that it just distracts me and I can take notes faster by hand. If I need to do something really quick like check my email or lookup something that is the only time I really take out my computer.
I would hope that at this point time, after having technology for so long, that students would understand the code of ethics that comes along. Yet, I still see kids selfishly whip out their laptops and just start browsing the web in the middle of class. I completely understand the use of laptops in class for truly academic reasons, however, using it to just browse the web and scan through your friends' drunk pictures from Saturday night not only wastes the time of the professor, but also the money that you have invested into a college education.
I don't think students should be allowed to use their laptops in class, but if they do there should be something that keeps them from getting distracted whether it is a policy that rewards students for throwing each other under the bus, or something else. I personally don't find it helpful to have my computer in class unless I'm doing research for a project or paper. I don't remember my notes when I type them and I will always, without fail, get distracted. I tend to also get distracted by the people who have their computers and are sitting next to or in front of me. I think it's disrespectful to our teachers and It's a waste of time to go to a class that we are paying for and then sit there on facebook the whole time. I'll admit that I sometimes can't resist checking my phone in class, which is a bad habit that I think everyone should be at least trying to break, but again, it's disrespectful and it shouldn't happen in class. what happened to doodling in our notebooks and passing notes and daydreaming out the window? If a student doesn't want to pay attention then they won't pay attention whether or not there is a screen in front of their face.
The article made some good points, and I agree with the policy on technology. I don't like using my phone during class, or even if I'm have a serious discussion with a friend. I also don't like bringing a laptop to class. Besides the fact that I take better notes on paper, it's six extra pounds and I need to worry about something that can break or get stolen. That's just my personal preference though, and people can do whatever they want to do. If they want to use Facebook or play games during classes, it's their tuition to waste. I liked how the author also posed the suggestion that teachers should make the rules on technology in their classes clear in the syllabus.
This is always a difficult issue. Yes, there are times when a laptop or iPad or other similar device can be useful in class. Some people just can’t take paper notes effectively. I can admit that I don’t take paper notes as well as I do on the computer, but I also admit I’m always tempted to check out Facebook or the Amazon Deal of the Day. My opinion is that students should be able to do what they want, as long as it doesn’t affect anybody else’s ability to learn.
I've never found having a laptop in class helpful. Phones fall under that same category. The main issue with computers in class is that there are way to many things that can act as a distraction, and when class gets really boring (which it inevitably does at some point) the computer is our go to. There is no reason to have one in class unless the class is actually about computer technology (ex: excel, adobe. etc.). Taking notes by hand is more affective and the only distraction that paper affords is doodling. That said our desire to use laptops is because we find class drearily boring. Maybe the solution to that is to give more than one 10 minute break during a three hour lecture class or engage the class in a debate rather than just lecturing all of class. But finding a way to decrease boredom will surely decrease the dependance on technology during class.
Technology in the classroom is a hot button issue and for good reasons. There are definitely pros and cons to both sides. Personally I don't really find having a laptop in class all that helpful. I feel like I would end up spending more time formatting my notes to make them useful than taking them in the first place, although it would be nice since often I can't really read my own handwriting. But there is something more convenient about taking notes on paper. I would also be too tempted to use my laptop for other things not class related. Its hard enough not to get distracted when I'm working on homework and it would only be worse in class.
On the other hand I don't really care if people around me want to use theirs, for whatever purpose they choose to. If they want to squander their time in class doing other things that is their problem, not mine.
This is always a sticky topic and everybody has made good points, but ultimately there is no answer to this question. It really is up to the individual professors and teachers unless there is a school/university policy that overrules everybody. There are students that are able to control the urges to check social media and use computers/technology appropriately in class and there are those that aren't able to. The best way to deal with this, in my opinion, is after giving people information to make an informed decision, let the professors decide what to do and make informed decisions. Of course, this is slightly different for high schools and what I am talking about is for colleges/universities.
I think this takes an interesting view on the use of technology in classrooms because it presents both sides of the issue as opposed to most articles on this subject that have a clear bias. One thing that i have found at carnegie mellon though, that this article neglects to mention though, is students not using their laptops in class to play games or something, but instead to do work for other classes. Maybe this is just a cmu thing, but I think it speaks to a larger time issue for cmu students. I personally feel like laptops should be allowed and then if a student is not paying attention, the consequences will present themselves for that student.
Much like many of the users before me, I have to agree that this is a very hot topic with a plethora of different angles to argue and justify. There are times when I believe that laptops are completely justified in the classroom because they do in fact have the potential to help the student take cleaner and more efficient notes. Then other times they can be a complete distraction and not be beneficial at all.. I think plenty of the argument can be split up between high school education and college. In college, you are making the choice to come to class and pay for your education, if you so choose to waste your time and money by screwing around in class on your laptop, you should be allowed to do so. You will have have more to do in the end, it all boils down to making good decisions.
I I think that laptops should definitely be allowed in classes. They have revolutionized note taking and made it infinitely easier for students to reference outside materials in class discussions. Of course, there will be people who misuse their computers and take class time to text or shop, but I don't think that those are good enough reason to take that tool from the other student, who thrive through its use. It would be better to teach appropriate computer use as apart of classroom etiquette, instead of banning them all together.
As someone who has witnessed and been frustrated by other students messing around on their computers during class time, I can see the logic behind wanting to reward students for ratting on each other's misbehavior. It makes a difference in everyone in the class's ability to learn and pay attention during lectures if one or more people are distracting themselves on their computers. It is not only detrimental to the students, but flat out rude and disrespectful to the teacher. I do not think technology should be banned from the classroom, I just believe computer and cellphone usage should be used minimally in order to limit distraction from class content.
Having been in classes where laptops were allowed and others where they were forbidden, I can say that classes tend to be much more engaging and engaged when there are no laptops present. As great as people's intentions are in using their laptops during class to take notes or follow along with the powerpoint slide, there will always be the ever growing temptation to just click on the Facebook bookmark or quickly check your email. These quick, "Just for a second" clicks quickly turn into 15-20 minutes of zoning out and not paying attention. I understand some people's points above that laptops are incredibly useful, but for many, if not all, classes, they aren't necessary during class.
While I fully understand the reasoning behind not wanting the use of laptops in class, I personally learn more in class when I use them. Taking notes on paper just doesn't work for me, I cant read my own handwriting and I never go back and look at the notes again. where as on a computer they are easy to access and I can always read them. Laptops are definitely more effective for me when taking notes it's just a matter of staying on task.
Much of this discussion tries to address this issue as a blanket issue, a one size fits all solution to whether or not computers are allowed. Truth be told, I think it largely depends on the class. There are some classes that are mainly lecture based, where a note book and pencil is the most efficient tool to keep up with the class. There are other classes which are more discussion based or directly involve technology where computers can be used as a great resource to contribute to the learning. Pedagogically, computers are a double edged sword. Another important part that this article brings up is that of distractions, that computer users often find themselves on facebook and not paying attention. However, even when the computer is absent, there is no way to know where a student’s mind is. It could be doodling or daydreaming even though their eyes are on the teacher, seemingly aware. It is the responsibility of the student to absorb the information. It is the responsibility of the teacher to teach, not play classroom cop.
I use both handwriting and laptops in terms of taking notes. In comparison I feel that using a laptop allows me to take better quality notes at a faster pace. But I do feel like when I'm handwriting my notes I retain more from the class because I only jot down what I'm needing. I think the real root of this issue is that students are not getting an education in how to take notes and synthesize the material their hearing in useful formats that are actually useful long term.
I guess I'll contribute with my own anecdotal experience. I find that for me, I try to avoid using technology in the classroom when I can avoid it. I retain things better and learn faster when I'm working on paper. This is not to say I dislike technology at all! I love computer stuff, but it's just too easy to become distracted by it in the classroom. Furthermore, it's too easy for me to quickly type something I heard without really registering what the teacher is saying. Each to their own, but I believe that one fundamentally retains information better when working with paper and pencil.
I believe that overall laptops distract students from lectures.
However, I truly believe that if a student doesn't want to listen in class then it's his problem. If he wants to mess around with his computer, again, his problem.
As long as you are not bothering anyone, I think that you are responsible for yourself in the classroom.
The fact is, at least in college, if you don't listen, you probably won't do well. And that's such a waste of time and money.
I think that sometimes teachers baby their students too much. They should let their students take responsibility over what they do in class and the consequences it brings.
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