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Laptops are both helpful and distracting in class |  |
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| By Miriam Pfahler It’s no surprise to anyone that computers are a way of life for the next generation. With the current reliance on computers to keep us in touch with those around us comes a new set of problems for the teachers that are educating computer savvy young adults. Although professors at Morningside rarely have to worry about students throwing spitballs or passing notes in class, they do have to contend with laptops and all the distractions they bring. Bill Deeds, Dean of the college, agrees that while laptops can be an excellent tool for teachers and students in the classroom, they can also be a distraction. “Students are less productive at achieving the desired learning outcomes while multitasking,” said Deeds. But he wants to leave laptop policies up to individual instructors rather than having a universal campus policy. “Our culture at Morningside is to allow the individual instructor a great deal of autonomy with classroom policies,” Deeds said. Because there is no universal laptop policy at Morningside, professors get the ultimate say about the use of computers in their classes. Some are more lenient than others and allow students to have their computers open during class. Junior Krystal Shearer said, “Most teachers allow us to have our computers up if we’re taking notes.” Other teachers are not so lenient. Bruce Forbes, professor and chair of religious studies at Morningside, is one of those teachers. Forbes usually does not allow students to have their laptops open unless the entire class is using them for an assignment. Forbes’s reasoning for the tighter laptop policy is that most of his classes are discussion-oriented. “I want interaction in the classroom,” said Forbes, “Laptops hinder discussion.” Shearer admits to abusing laptop policies now and then. “I just do it because it’s habit,” said Shearer, “I check my e-mail, Facebook, and then hotmail without even thinking about it.” But Shearer also admits that students can cross the line. She acknowledges that there is a difference between checking your Facebook every so often and totally checking out during class. “It’s rude when a student blatantly disrespects the teacher,” said Shearer. (Nov 5) |
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