By Thompson Perry
At the University of Louisville and many other college campuses across the country, a growing number of students are electing to take notes using laptop computers rather than the traditional means of using spiral notebooks and loose-leaf paper.
As some of the students will admit, and some professors suspect, the small portable computers brought to class aren’t always used as a complement to class work.
The wireless access points that the university has implemented in recent years seem to have become a double-edged sword for faculty.
While they acknowledge that the technology can benefit students academically, they also recognize that the Wi-Fi capabilities at U of L are often misused, creating distractions in the classroom.
“The laptop user in the classroom often seems to live in his or her own private zone, and does not participate in the class discussion,” said Robert Urekew, a philosophy professor at U of L, “the laptop user seems to be isolated from the instructor and the other students.”
Many students claim that they can type faster than they can write and typed notes are more legible than those that are handwritten. Adding that the laptop computer provides a more efficient alternative of pen and paper.
Many other students, however, see the usage of laptops in class as more an issue of courtesy than of convenience.
“I don’t bring my laptop to class because the temptation to wander away from the course material and onto Facebook is just too strong,” said Rob Maxwell, a junior philosophy major.
“A lot of students I see on their laptops are [Instant Messaging] or playing [games]. I think it’s rude to the professors, personally,” Maxwell said.
Those who would defend the multi-tasking culture of studying and surfing the Internet, see the issue as one of personal freedom.
Professors should make class more interesting so that students don’t have to escape through the school’s Internet connection, some students said.
U of L should realize that its students are adults who can make their own decisions, whether that means taking notes in class or text messaging friends, they said.
Despite what these students may say, many professors across the country are making it their business.
As stated on www.usatoday.com, at the University of Memphis, last Spring, law professor June Entman e-mailed her students at the beginning of the semester to inform them of a laptop ban in her classes.
Her move was met with discontent from students, as they filed a complaint with the American Bar Association that was ultimately dismissed.
Entman’s prohibition may have opened the gates, as many other professors and even entire institutions are seeking to ban laptops and other wireless devices.
Harvard Law School professors are debating a school-wide ban on laptops. Others such as Bentley College recently installed software that allows professors to block wireless Internet access during class time.
“I explicitly forbid [laptops and other wireless devices] in my syllabus,” said Urekew, “and I frequently ask students to avoid using their laptops when interactive participation is called for in the classroom.”
Some professors may think, what started out as a way to help students, might not be so beneficial.
“Why hamper live, physical, human interaction with technological impediments?” said Nettie Farris, an English professor at U of L. “Save the technology for home, where students can use it to bridge distances.”
