The Observer, November 16, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 11
Editorial: Campus-wide ban on technology in the classroom won't solve anything
Should laptops and cell phones be banned in the classroom?
This was the topic of a Share the Vision forum that took place last Friday afternoon. Approximately 60 people showed up for a heated discussion on whether these devices are necessities or hindrances in the classroom. Though there was no general consensus, most professors agreed that laptops and cell phones don't belong in class. Some students also agreed that the devices are seldom used for educational purposes and are annoying to both professors and fellow students. Text messaging people across the room, neglecting to turn off or silence cell phones, and watching movies or playing computer games were all cited as common practices, especially in large introductory lecture classes.
Yes, it can be annoying when someone's cell phone goes off during class. But a campus-wide ban on cell phones and laptops would be absolutely ridiculous. Some people do legitimately take notes with a laptop (or even a cell phone) during class. If a professor posts slides or notes ahead of time, it saves paper to follow along on a computer screen rather than printing them out. The same is true if students are assigned a long research article to read.
Furthermore, it is the student's responsibility to pay attention in class. We pay a lot to go to this school, and if a student chooses to forfeit his education, it's his own fault. We aren't in high school anymore! We need to make our own decisions and accept the consequences.
Why are these devices any more annoying to professors than, for instance, newspapers? The back page of The Observer is a common distraction for students on Fridays – should that be banned too? Maybe professors just aren't as accustomed to seeing laptops and cell phones in class as we are.
Each professor should set his or her own policy for laptops and cell phones – this is what is done for attendance and tardiness, and it works just fine. In addition, they need to think about how technology could be used in an engaging way. Case is a school where technology is both essential and a bragging point, and for this reason professors should make an effort to update their teaching methods. Make classes more interesting. Realize that lecture-based classes rarely capture students' attention, and that adding discussions to a class can really make a difference. Don't take it personally if a few students decide to waste time instead of pay attention.
One graduate student at the forum commented that he's never seen anyone pull out a laptop in a graduate-level class, evidence that this is simply a matter of commitment, interest, and maturity. Students are responsible for their own actions, and teachers should only be able to influence them on a class-to-class basis.
