Three students sit in the back corner of the room, laptops in front of them. As two more amble over, somebody whips out a power strip from their backpack, allowing all five to plug their computers into the nearest outlet. Two begin playing “World of Warcraft”, while others simply check their e-mail and surf the web.
Is it a LAN party? A Friday night gaming session? Not quite — it’s a USM classroom.
In a year when many analysts say that laptop computer sales could finally eclipse the sturdy, stationary desktop, it is no wonder that situations like this are becoming more and more common. Many USM buildings are equipped with wireless internet access, allowing students and faculty to connect to the internet across campus without a physical plug-in.
The advantages are obvious — students can perform extensive research, communicate with one another, find information on classes, meetings, and school happenings — all while fulfilling an attendance requirement.
So it is also no wonder that this blossoming of technology, sometimes referred to as “ubiquitous computing,” may also be causing a backlash.
Much evidence against laptop use in classrooms is simply anecdotal, but an article in the April 2008 issue of the journal “Computers & Education” published results of a recent study which found a negative correlation between laptop use in class, and the overall performance of the students — including how clear they felt the lecture material to be.
The study also found that more than half of the distractions reported in class were related to laptop use by other students — those backlit screens, lively videos, and occasional audio alerts that are completely out of their control, just a few feet away.
Many schools have begun integrating laptops into classes, which gives a greater level of control to the professors. In this scenario, laptops can be quite helpful — but when unregulated, things have a tendency to get out of control.
“I think they should be used more for note-taking in class,” says sophomore Erin Nadeau, “but aren’t really being used for that.” While she occasionally brings her laptop to class, she usually uses it to catch up on homework rather than Facebook.
According to English professor Shelton Waldrep, laptop use in the classroom is “a growing issue.” While he admits that laptops can be helpful for quickly finding the answers to questions that may not be available in textbooks, he is beginning to feel uncomfortable with how often they are used.
“The real problem is that the student doesn’t make eye contact with me or other students,” he says, “and I tend to try to engage students in discussion.”
Certain classes typically ban laptop use altogether. In creative writing courses, internet access is often seen as a distraction; many art history classes require the room to be as dark as possible, so that slides can be examined in detail.
Shirley DelSignore, a junior engineering major, believes that laptops themselves aren’t the problem — it depends on the people using them.
“I can type faster than I can write,” she says. “I take notes on my laptop, so they’re more organized.”
She says that computers in the classroom are extremely helpful when used correctly, but sees many students using them for games and other things during class. “That, to me, is a total no-no.”
The university has no overriding policy; decisions are left up to individual professors, and most seem to agree that the biggest problem is not the technology itself — it has a lot more to do with the respect and responsibility of students.
As DelSignore observes, “A lot of kids don’t have respect for their professors.”
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Library lends laptops
Did your hard-drive commit suicide? Or just don’t have a laptop? Lucky for you, the Glickman Library lends more than just books. You can’t bring them to class, but they have several laptops available to borrow for set periods of time, provided they remain in the building.
So if you’re sick of the computer lap (or listening to your roommate’s music while you’re studying for finals), ask for a laptop at the desk in the first floor lobby. All you need is your USM ID.