Next, some discussion: While this isn't scientifically collected data, there are still some observations worth noting. Clearly, the impact of having a laptop in class varies highly from one student to the next: Some students have no problem with having their laptop; others do. Some students use their laptops for taking notes, researching class material and related educational functions. So, the variables in the equation seem to include the student, the class and the instructor, and the outcome is either attention or distraction.
Finally, some conclusions: To illustrate, I'll use an example from one student's class. The professor began class with a rather lengthy talk about how important personal responsibility is and how each person must work to find what he or she needs to do to be successful. Ironically, after this speech, he announced that too many past students were using their laptops for non-class purposes and that they were banned from his class. This illustrates the worst-case scenario: preaching one thing but not being able to uphold it given the circumstances.
This brings me to the explicit conclusions. First, each student needs to take personal responsibility to do what hee needs to maximize his opportunity to learn and pay attention, which takes time and reflection to find. Second, faculty should do as much as possible to make their classes engaging and interesting, using active-learning techniques and real-life examples as much as possible. Third, banning laptops won't make all students pay attention and will take an important tool away from some, so it should only be done as a last resort.
Returning to motivation theory, these conclusions have some important implications. If laptops are banned from a class when those students have done nothing wrong, it means they are only going to obey the rule only to avoid punishment. On the other hand, if the class is interesting and engaging, yet students are allowing themselves to be distracted by their computer, those students are going to miss important and exciting material as a consequence; therefore, they have an incentive to avoid the distractions. If this is coupled with an emphasis on learning (an intrinsic motivation) as opposed to grades (an extrinsic motivation) it is highly likely that both students and faculty will benefit from the learning environment created.
Again, this is not a scientific study, yet I'm sure that some students and faculty have done research on this topic. If so, I hope that this column serves to start the conversation about these issues so that we, as a campus, can create the best possible learning environment while maximizing the use of the technological tools available to us.
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yup, punishing the masses for other peoples individual behavior. feels like i am back in the army and Private Pile just ate a jelly doughnut. the only way I could see a good reason behind this is if other people on AIM or whatever really distract people trying to learn. somebody should just bring up the fact they save paper by taking notes on their laptop and professors will cave. green trumps everything
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The professors should have the right to teach in whatever environment they choose. If they don't want you to have your laptops out, then learn how to use a pen. If professors are forced to allow laptops in class, then they should by no means be responsible for lost notes when a student's computer crashes.
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I welcome laptops in my Chemistry Class. I encourage my students to use OneNote (for a PC). For my Mac users, I supply pdf files. I ask that the students use their laptops for notetaking. Students that cause a disturbance (facebooking, aiming, gaming, etc.) are asked to leave.
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Thank you, Gary, we are glad to have some profs who respect this. Are your lectures/classes engaging though? The complaints students made in this article are largely focused around that. Adam, you throw the word "right" around far to liberally. Not to mention that I have never heard a story of a prof being held responsible for a student losing notes.
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Adam- Don't students also have the "right" to learn in whatever environment works best for them?
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Yes, I would have to agree that students have a right ro learn in the environment that best serves them. This concept of finding the learning patterns that best fit your needs as a student, was an important factor I was taught in my "Becoming A Successful Student" class at GWC last semester. Remembering what I was taught brings me to my next statement, for those who find learning easier through the use of computers should look into online college courses.
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Sarah, not really. You pay to learn from the professors as the professors see fit to teach. I applaud Gary for his approach to teaching. I am not saying we should ban laptops by any means. I am saying that the professors should be free to choose how the want to conduct their class. Students have the right to choose what college they want to attend, what classes they want to take, what to major in. The only thing that I am trying to say is that it should be professor's choice, and the students should deal with it accordingly.
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I agree to the point of the professors being able to make their own set rules for how they want their class to run. I am seeing that there is a whole lot of emphasis being put on laptops being a distraction for the students, but what about them being a distraction for the professors. There is no one at fault in this situation, it just is, and it needs to be resolved for the sake of education!
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Sometimes you need your laptop for extremely boring classes, like when you're a senior and you realized that you missed a core requirement.
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While it may be true that you have some control over your education (university, major, etc) each decision places restrictions on other choices you can make that are purely structural in nature. For example, attending VT prevents you from majoring in some outlandish major that a liberal arts college may have. Further, once you choose a major, many classes are already chosen for you and once you take a specific class, many only have a handful of professors teaching it. If there is only one professor then that's how that entire course is taught. Personally, I feel that students and faculty need to come to a middle ground. I agree that far too many students abuse their laptops in lectures, but at the same time it's not fair to punish everyone who uses theirs to further their education, myself included.
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Adam, I agree with Eric and add this thought: I don't like being a 'subordinate' in the classroom. How about the good teachers who actually discuss these issues with their students and negotiate on the rules? It's pretty empowering and when their is collective interest in and responsibility for the rules (e.g. no Facebook in class), they tend to be upheld. The same is true for the broader society, which isn't a surprise as these are all people we're talking about.
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Its the student's own responsibility to learn and pay attention in class. As long as a student is not being disruptive, he should be free to do whatever he wants in the class. Besides, isn't asking someone to leave more disruptive than someone quietly checking their facebook? Respect is earned, not something automatic.
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For the most part, college students are adults whether they want to admit it or not. With that in mind, if they want to bring a laptop to class its their decision. They are only wasting their own time and money if they choose to be on Facebook instead learning. If professors think it's disrespectful that students are playing on laptops, need to swallow their pride. Let's be real here. Laptops or not, students aren't going to listen if they don't want to. College students are not 5 years old. There's no need to treat them as such by banning laptops. Let each student deal with the ramifications of his or her choice.
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Well let's put it this way if you were driving on the road and you know the laws is it alright to break them or disrespect other civilians also on the road, nearly the same with laptops in classrooms you go to learn, not be on the internet if this is the case then why go to college stay at home
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