Comments on: Computers in the Classroom

By: Hugh

Hugh — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:19:45 +0000

You know, thinking back to my big first year lectures, where Queen’s packed 250-300 students into a lecture hall to “learn” Physics or Chem from a better or worse prof slapping on the overheads … maybe this is a question of reaping & sowing. If you give students an unengaging learning environment, then is it their fault if they are not engaged? Some lectures I just did not attend because there was no point: it was easier to learn from the textbook, rather than suffering through class. Other classes were the same.

But I think there is a big difference between university, where the students are supposedly adults, and elementary & high school. though there again, maybe there is a bigger question about how to better engage students.

By: Laurence Miall

Laurence Miall — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:21:36 +0000

I would generally side with those who believe an instructor should be empowered to ban any electronic device they want in class, unless that device has a specific purpose. I have sat in classes with grad students and 3rd/4th year undergrads, and seen people simply surfing the Net, checking their email, updating their Facebook — not only while the instructor is talking, but also while other students are giving presentations. It’s enormously distracting and disrespectful, and undermines the learning atmosphere we strive to build. The Internet is, of course, a wonderful thing — or else I wouldn’t be here! — but it does tend to shorten people’s attention spans. Students especially would benefit from learning to sit still and pay attention for long periods of time. Even if they’re bored, that’s good for ’em, I say. It’s when your mind wanders that you come across wonderful discoveries of your own. We don’t need endless amusement.

For the record, I believe so strongly in this that last year, I took a fellow student aside after class and chastised him for his disrespectful computer use during a student presentation. He didn’t have a single good excuse for using the computer in class. I bet he’s far from alone.

By: Laurence Miall

Laurence Miall — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:21:05 +0000

I would generally side with those who believe an instructor should be empowered to ban any electronic device they want in class, unless that device has a specific purpose. I have sat in classes with grad students and 3rd/4th year undergrads, and seen people simply surfing the Net, checking their email, updating their Facebook — not only while the instructor is talking, but also while other students are giving presentations. It’s enormously distracting and disrespectful, and undermines the learning atmosphere we strive to build. The Internet is, of course, a wonderful thing — or else I wouldn’t be here! — but it does tend to shortern people’s attention spans. Students especially would benefit from learning to sit still and pay attention for long periods of time. Even if they’re bored, that’s good for ’em, I say. It’s when your mind wanders that you come across wonderful discoveries of your own. We don’t need endless amusement.

By: Jay Moonah

Jay Moonah — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:39:46 +0000

Hugh, I’m not aware of any studies on this myself but I think once you get into any kind of post-secondary environment in particular, it’s going to be very hard to generalize.

A few years ago I taught a class at Ryerson to IT management students about the uses of “multimedia” (that probably dates it, when was the last time you heard that term?) in business. It was a lab with computers, 40 students with BIG-ass 17″ CRTs. I know for certain that many of them were not listening or looking at me when I spoke, but at that level I always figure the students break out into basically 3 groups 1) those that will pay attention, 2) those that are already ahead of you and don’t necessarily need to hear what you have to say and 3) those that don’t care and won’t care, no matter what you say.

That said, I do think teachers should be able to control their classroom environments, but I feel that for adult students, the responsibility to learn is their own, and there’s only so much you’re going to do to overcome distraction and/or apathy.