More Professors Ban Laptops in Class

I completely agree with this professor's decision. Unfortunately this is what it may have to come to. Students are getting way to brazen about their Internet use, suspiciously typing and/or laughing during class videos or lectures when notes are not being taken or during serious discussions. What students need to realize is that by watching videos, photoshopping pictures, checking out their facebook, or even just checking their email they are majorly distracting everyone behind them as well.

This is a good start, but laptops aren't the only problem anymore. I've seen people watching full movies during class on their video ipods. I once even saw two people sharing the same set of ipod headphones to watch a movie, which was completely disrespectful.

I'm graduating, so I fortunately won't have to deal with this anymore in the classroom, but I think this professor has the right idea.

I don't, if someone wants to use their class time to do other stuff that's their choice. I will be happy to be able to use a laptop for notes next year thought because I'm slow at taking handwritten notes, and if I go fast I can't even read them.

My highschool gives all of its students laptops and this type of thing happens. I don't find it distracting at all it basically is up to the student as to whether they want to do well or not.

Students know that if they spend their class time online that they are not going to learn as much as students who take copious notes. If a student chooses to not learn as much in the class because of internet usage, so be it. It should not be up to the professors to decide whether or not students have a right to use a laptop during class, especially if the university offers wireless internet services in its classrooms.

Yeah, I don't agree either. I've been in classes where I used my laptop to not only take notes, but also surf the web. I'll admit that I surf the web with my laptop during lecture. In fact, I'm doing it right now! However, college is about independent study and so long as the laptop is not disturbing to other students (i.e. surfing offensive content, making noise, etc.) I feel that a student should be able to choose what to do with their class time.

Professors need to realize that the students who want to pay attention will do so and those who do not will find other ways to spend their time. College is about adult learning and so long as student activities do not detract from the lectures (again noise from the laptop, content that draws undue attention, or more traditional distractions like whispering in the back) the professor shouldn't try and regulate things in the classroom. In fact, if we apply market based economics, professors will have to make their presentations more engaging. I'm not one to say that lectures have to be entertainment, but if you're going to effectively get your point accross, you should be able to compete with whatever else is going on.

Why would someone pay (or allow their parents to pay) for the knowledge from these professors and waste it?

Despite being a technology freak, I think banning laptops might be a good idea especially if it improves learning.

I love this student rationalizing bad behavior:

"The class is only a small part of the whole experience," said McKenzie, 29. "It's much more independent study."

If the class time isn't worthy of one's attention, don't attend. It would be better to be absent than to be rude.

The sad part is that these "stenographers" and their rude game-playing peers are going to ruin it for the minority that understand the laptop is a tool for note taking and that the notes themselves are not the goal of the class. Sad.

Here's the thing...you pay for college (in most cases) and so if you want to spend your time in class playing internet poker, as long as it doesn't distract from the other students, who cares? You paid for it, it's not like the college isn't getting it's money...you should be able to do what you want. If you can play internet poker, not distract anybody, and pass your classes, what's the big deal???

Why would someone pay (or allow their parents to pay) for the knowledge from these professors and waste it?

I'm paying for the education I need to become an architect. Right now I'm taking a class about ancient monumental structures. What this class basically amounts to is looking at a photo of a temple, learning where it is and when it was built. I have to take this class to get my degree, but I'm not interested in the subject matter and I don't need it to get licensed or to be a good designer. This is why I "waste" the knowledge I'm paying for.

I'm highly dependant on my laptop and type far faster than I write. However, I have absolutely no intention of using my laptop in class. I think it's terribly rude. It interferes with one of the most basic social manners. If someone is talking, we should be paying attention and ready to interact. Not doing so lacks consideration and respect.

Most professors will allow recorders in class, which is my method of capturing info that I can't write down fast enough. I know that some people hesitate to record classes because they think they have to listen to the entire class again. Unlike the actual class, you can fast-forward recordings through the stuff you already know and the ten minutes where everyone had to wait while someone figured out why the overhead projector system wasn't working. Another benefit is that a digital recorder is very light and can fit easily into a pocket. I love my laptop, but I hate packing and unpacking it, carrying it, and dealing with all of it's associated cords and security concerns (I can afford to replace a digital recorder and am not as concerned about sensitive information being on it).

I'm glad that using a laptop in class is unheard of at my college. I go to a small liberal arts school where most classes are discussion-based, and I can't imagine how distracting it would be if someone next to me was typing away at their laptop. Don't they generate a lot of noise? I mean, of course its your money and so you should be able to do whatever you want in class AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T DISTRACT OTHERS. Laptops seem like they would be a big distraction to everyone else in the room.

There are always distractions in classrooms - people sitting next to each other talking, listening to music (in my college days it was the Walkman that was the culprit), working on other projects.

Now not only are laptops condemned but so are cell phones and banned out of hand by instructors who do not have the attention or adequate control of the classes. Having taught as well as sat through many classes, I simply stop and ask those who are being disruptive to either stop their activity or leave the classroom. Its that simple. Laptops don't make enough noise to be that distracting, and the responsibility to learn the material is the student's, the responsibility to communicate it is the instructor's. If the instructor isn't directly engaging the students they should not blame the laptop. But many of the law professors teaching in these articles are traditionalists who have difficulty adjusting to advances in technology and are unwilling to change their teaching style to adapt. And to paraphrase a Darwinian notion, the species must adapt or risk extinction, no matter how high on the "food chain" they are.

I had this problem myself last year. In my Computing class, we sit in front of computers, funnily enough. So there the teacher was, going through the syllabus, and I was sitting there reading the news or playing a game or something. For the first two months or so, this was OK, as I kinda knew everything anyway (I'm a computer nut), so when I got asked a question, I knew the answer. But after that, I started to get caught. The solution? Pay some freakin' attention.

If the teacher is dictating or writing notes, I would advocate allowing laptops - if you don't want to take the notes down, it's your problem. For a class discussion though, I can see why you would forbid them: as others have said, it's just plain rude when you're not looking at someone who's talking to you.

It seems to me that if the professor was being rational, they'd just ban the offenders from having laptops, rather than everybody. You shouldn't harm people's education just so you can show off your superiority.

The university I attended required all students to have a laptop (wireless capable, 20 GB+ hard drive, 512+ RAM, etc) and all of the classrooms were either wireless capable or completely wired. Many classes required students bring their laptops at least once a week. Other classes always required us to bring our laptops. However, it is intensely disrespectful in a small class to be piddling on your laptop instead of listening to the teacher - but if it's not distracting, then whatever - however if you're watching a movie or something and it becomes a distraction, then it is the professor's right to tell you to cut it out. But, on the flip side, I was in a class (about 30 students) where the professor walked in the first day and said "I have tenure, so I can teach whatever and however I want" - she went on to make sexist and mildly racist jokes (this was a class called "Gender, Self, and Identity"), tell us that everyone is born either male or female (she actually said that hermaphrodites were "insignificant") and only ever used her own research as examples. My friend and I started bringing our laptops to do research besides that of the professor's about the topics that we were discussing so that we could lend intelligent ideas to the class. Sure, we weren't giving the professor our 100%, but we were staying on task (that is, until the professor and I got into an argument about a historical event that I knew more about and she called me a sniveling little priss - then it was all over - I loved SNOOD!). So, there are definitely times when laptops are a useful learning tool, and tho' students may appear to not be paying attention, they are.

But speaking of movies, I was in a scene design class and we were doing designs in a computer program - one girl brought her laptop instead of using the theatre computers, and she was watching Moulin Rouge on it. The professor (who is a wonderful teacher, and has a great sense of humor) walked by and asked how her scene design was coming, sort of as a joke, she turned around and said "you design your way, I design mine, or do you have a problem with that!?" It was so stunningly inappropriate (not the movie watching, because that is a valid way of gleaning ideas for a design, but her response) that the professor banned laptops from then out - and I didn't blame him. (that same class he caught me playing "Poke the Bunny" - when he asked me what I was doing, I was able to show him a completed design and said that I was stressed and needed a release - he laughed and let me alone.)

I think each professor has the right to set rules in his or her own classroom. I also know that laptops can be a valuable learning tool for students with learning disabilities, or who type faster than they write, so taking notes is easier on a computer. I also know they can be a huge distraction. I think a blanket ban is a bad idea - but maybe each professor feeling out his or her particular class can make an educated decision about what works and what doesn't.

Everyone learns differently...banning laptops (certainly a useful way of taking notes) seems over-the-top, and I agree with others that this is probably more a reflection of older professors who don't like change, or love the power of tenure.

If someone is being distracting, ask them to stop, but banning them outright doesn't help anyone.

Higher education is a product that the customer pays for. Unless they are interfering with the other 'consumers,' it's their right to use the product as much or as little as they wish.

It is their own choice to let it go to waste... thus, the creation of grades.

Obliviously, the issue is not as black or white when public money is involved…

I agree that people should just pay attention instead of typing everything down. Why not learn it right there and then instead of later?

If anyone has ever been in a class of a private high school that uses laptops, you will be able to see that laptops don't distract students. Sure, there are the students surfing the web, but it's their loss, and I've seen plenty of eye contact and debates. Many major classes in college have a lecture and a discussion class anyways, and in the discussion their tends to be plenty of debate. I've also been to a public school, and participation in the private schools (with laptops) is way up from the participation in public ones, and the amount of debating is basically the same.

I think it all comes down to respect. We have removed it from our culture and it shows everywhere. The point behind this isn't that a laptop is being used during a class, it is the fact that a student had no respect for the knowledge available to them from a professor, the time invested into the preparation and execution of the class, or the peers in the room. And instead of being there to learn something, he secretly used the wi-fi to gamble online while sitting in the room, allowing his body language to imply that he wanted to learn (*Tip: Go outside). That lack of respect draws directly from the current mentality and ingrained ideology that says it is the job of our teachers and professionals to give all that we have to every student and child, despite the lack of welcomed acceptance found in every situation from those same kids. These messages of "I paid my tuition, I can do what I want" are arrogant and selfish and proves that many of this generation feel that they can gain respect because of money and possessions, not commitment or hard work. As teachers can we say that I've paid my dues, I can teach the kids that I like and not the others? (In regards to the professor mentioned by Miss Dev, tenure should have specific "buttons" that can cancel it out) And incidentally, if your greatest knowledge is to waste thousands of dollars on classes you don't use, I'm not sure college is where you should be "learning". Leave it to the other students that care about their intelligence. Knowledge is something that's passed down from mentor to protege. As protege, we take that knowledge and apply it to our endeavors, moving forward and perhaps gaining the status of mentor as we learn to respect the information. Learning should be something that is motivational and of interest. I hope the day returns where intelligence means something more and isn't expected to be given away simply because a student needs to have a piece of paper to make minimum wage. If you've paid your tuition, prove your knowledge and understanding.

In regards to the situation of laptop use in the classroom, I think they should be used, but implement a wireless cut-off for the professor so that the Internet can be turned off as necessary. It's what I use in my classroom.

The student is paying lots of money to be at lecture, if focusing their attention on a computer, so be it as long as they don't disrupt the lecture doing so. Better to show up and pay a bit of attention, than not show up at all.

If the professor wants to take control, just increase the effect of participation in the overall grade. The grade always gets the student's attention.

I take my laptop to class because I type 108WPM. When it comes to writing, I write very slow! Therefore I need my laptop to take good notes. I use my laptop for my calendar as well. Plus it's nice to have it to check on a soccer game score once in a while, or glance for a few seconds at Newsvine.com :)

I think that the banning of laptops is ridiculous. It's one more example of trying to treat symptoms instead of the disease. It's not the laptops that are the problem - its the lack of motivation, or dedication ( or maybe the lack of teaching ability by the professors) that is. There is so much fear of technology and change in this country - that people are fighting for " the good old days" when what they need to do is wake up and see where we need to be to stay productive and relevant in the changing world.

Part of this is accepting technology as being here and it's not going away. That this technology is a tool and any tool can be used for good or bad. What if the students were using pens and paper to write notes or play hangman in the classroom? Would they ban paper and pens?

Educators, parents and the government are always looking for scapegoats. They need to focus on why students are not participating fully in class - why they are not motivated to excel - and address that problem. It makes me sick to constantly see the blame game in every area there is a problem. God forbid if we ever had to apply ourselves or a solution to a problem required anything more than an edict to force us to stay in the 17th century.

But I like laptops.....and I fully intend on taking mine to class to take notes and stuff.

I started using a laptop to take notes in high school in 1990, on a Tandy 102. This machine is capable of "word processing" (no formatting, nothing fancy on its 4x40 character screen) and transmitting said words to another machine...and that's about it. In 1993 I started using a PowerBook 165c, but because its battery drains quickly, I stopped using it in class and went back to the Tandy 102. My handwriting is wretched, so for lit and comparative religion classes I took notes on the Tandy, and for math classes I took notes on paper.

Now I teach high school myself. Some of my students have access to tablet PCs (provided by the school) for note taking and other purposes. Sometimes when they take online assessments, they use the internet in other off-task ways -- this stopped after a student got a three day suspension for surfing porn on the HS network. (since we provide the computers and the bandwidth, we can legitimately regulate how they are used).

Still, some students play with the technology in non-destructive but still off-task ways. The way that I deal with this is that later on I give them a test, which they fail, and then on their report card I mark that they failed. If this continues for two or three quarters, they try the course again next year. This is their right. Similarly, students engage in other off-task behaviors -- passing notes, working on Spanish in my math class. There are lots of ways to not learn. Many result in playing again next year. I'm not in favor of banning any particular one AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH ANYONE ELSE'S LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Typing on a laptop doesn't qualify.

I would never allow a student to use a laptop during a unit test, just as I would never allow a student to text message during a unit test, just as I would never allow a student to use a notebook or textbook during a closed-note unit test. In class, students should be able to learn in whatever way works for them. Instructors should assess in a way that accurately measures students learning.

When I was in college I got to using a Powerbook G4 in class to take notes because I can type much faster than I can write (120WPM). My efficiency in taking notes shot up through the roof because of how organized I could keep them. I took good notes when I was using a notebook and pencil, but I could keep them much more organized and at my fingertips with a computer. None of my teachers had anything against using a laptop.

It all comes back to the old question: Does the teacher make you interested in what he or she is saying? If a professor finds himself or herself in a situation where the majority of the class would rather be doing something else why he/she lectures then they need to rethink how they lecture a class.

I was in a geology class. I majored in Graphic Design, so well I didn't like being there to begin with. I'm quite curious about many things, so I thought well finding out about how the Earth works and how rocks are categorized might just be interesting. I took a geology class in junior high, but it was the last time I was thoroughly taught on that subject. I might be surprised. I must have picked the most boring professor on Earth. Her voice was more monotone than Ben Stein's. I got myself into an embarassing situation. The room we were in was set up like an auditorium, and I fell asleep. The teacher could hear vividly my snoring and so could everyone else. I'm a bit weird when I wake up (obviously very honest, too), and the first thing the teacher asked me was "Why are you asleep, Mr. Wilson?" "Because you are boring, ma'am." She looked as if she could murder me, but the entire class erupted in laughter at the absolute truth of my answer to her question. I began the class taking notes diligently, but the absolute boredom of how the teacher lectured put me asleep. I grabbed the notes I missed from a friend who also used a laptop. I copied the text into my notes and I was done.

I did not fail the class. I ended up with a B average (I spent most of my time on classes that really mattered). I don't remember the actual percentage. I had my laptop at the time. Why didn't I just pass the time instant messaging friends or surfing the internet? Because there was no wireless internet in that part of the building at the time. Another option was to sleep, and that I did.

What would you rather have? Ticking keys on a laptop or snoring in your classroom?

Like others I believe the banning of laptops to be something associated with a professor that is weary of change. Each generation before us has had different ways to occupy their minds while in a boring lecture. It just happens today that the method people use to take notes can also be the method in which they use to ignore the lecturer. As an artist I could just as easily be drawing something in my notebook rather than surfing the internet on my laptop if laptops were banned in a class I was taking.