[Air-l] laptops and Internet access in class

[Heidelberg, Chris]

Tracy:

I totally agree with you. There is increasing evidence (Gee, 2004,2005;
Jenkins, 2006; Prensky, 2001, 2006; Tapscott & Williams, 2006) that
suggests that interactivity and collaboration through the use of gaming,
net-based and audio-visual technologies is how learning and work often
takes place with younger workers. In fact, Prensky and Gee have
contended that digital natives learn differently and their brains work
differently, and that many professors and other digital immigrants are
part of the problem with education because these individuals learned in
a different world literally. I have been reading about teachers banning
technology instead of figuring out how to work with it. One of the
biggest problems that I have noticed as a communications professional
and as a researcher for the past several years is that at least half of
all professors, administrators and even CE0's that I have encountered
(and this includes folks on the Hill too) are marginal to average
communicators who cannot deliver or sell a message, a theory or an idea.
A multi-disciplined approach that utilizes hybrid education is sorely
needed. I understand that professors often want to be the show because
that is how they were taught, but the reality is that the students are
the show and it the job of the professor to create new stars through
directing and coaching. We have to be more proactive and pragmatic in
our approaches to educating people or we stand to lose a generation. The
proof is in the pudding: look at how many male students, especially
minorities, check out of education around the fourth or fifth grade and
definitely by middle school based on their grades and conduct. This is a
social problem that involved parents, but it also involves teachers who
have been taught one way. How many curricula for professors actually
involve multi-courses on communications, delivery, appearance,
interactivity, coaching and using technology simultaneously? Most
professors, just like actors, ceo's, and high level administrators need
rehearsal and critique of their material before communications
experts,peers, live audiences and their classes if they are to become
real "producers and directors" of scholars. At the end of the day
students often reflect, not always, reflect their professors when they
finish a course. When a professor already decides that no one can
receive an A or few are worthy of such a grade, he or she has already
limited what his or her students can learn because he or she has created
a ceiling for learning and this is what happens when one bans
technology: one creates a ceiling for learning that limits creativity.
By the way the Learning Inquiry editorial by Jason and Jeremy and the
articles are outstanding IMHO.

-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of T. Kennedy
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 11:16 AM
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: Re: [Air-l] laptops and Internet access in class

I would hate to ban any type of 'media' or ICTs in the classroom for
various reasons.
-students have different ways of learning and absorbing classroom
material; should we continue to focus on traditional didactic modes of
learning? Or should we venture forward and incorporate new media into
the classroom, allowing for and encouraging constructive & creative
interactions between students, and between students and instructors?
-there's an assumption here that all students will IM, email, game/not
pay attention if they have their ICTs with them- not all students will
multi-task -there's an assumption that students cannot effectively
multitask -if students don't want to listen or participate in the
lecture, that is their choice - and the repercussions will be clear when
they submit assignments and write exams -we have to be careful not to
generalize research findings to all students.
Some students can multi-task very well -they can & will pay attention.
-we also have to remember context and situation - I would think that in
some classes you will have people who don't pay attention or their
attention wanders no matter what because of the course material itself -
for example required courses like theory and methods often turn students
into glassy-eyed zombies or perhaps the faculty member isn't engaging or
just bad at lecturing.
-if I didn't have interesting visuals and audios in class to show apply
concepts I would be bored and would be less likely to retain the
material.
In my own classes I've taught I encourage students to bring laptops - I
post URLs to look at together (it's also on the big screen for those who
don't have laptops), we use laptops for in class exercises and so forth.
I also tell my students that I'm aware that people are emailing and
IMing while I'm lecturing - and that I still expect participation from
them in lecture -if I couldn't take notes on my laptop, I would be
losing valuable time in having to retype them later In short, why fall
back on archaic teaching styles when it's clear that today's students
need much more from us as faculty? In fact, they expect us to be savvy
and ahead of the game!

>From some research that a group of grad students from Webshop 2003 
>conducted
(myself included) revealed some points of interest (small n=not
generalizable but interesting to us anyway):

-Overall, 75% of chat entries focused on scholarly issues:
-Chat about presentations
"ID1: possible example of what he's [the speaker] describing: when
Sculley replaced Jobs at Apple." 
-Chat about related research
"ID2: Is anyone familiar with Karl Weick's theory of organizing and
sense making? What he is going through right now sounds very familiar,
but I don't know Weick enough to ascertain. Anyone?"
-General methodological
"ID3: the link has a good explanation of why GDP is a tough indicator in
particular cases (such as gross comparisons between states)." 
-Chatter's own research
"ID4: i did some research inside razorfish and like firms--never
publishes b/c they all collapsed when we were in the midddle of it."

-users perceived the impact of the chat room on social cohesion as
somewhat or extremely positive; Chat room users reported a slightly
higher opinion of overall WebShop experience -On occasion, the chat room
transcended the physical space of the classroom; Example - WebShoppers
involved in chat room discussion even when they weren't physically
present in the classroom (people were ill and in their
dorm)
-For this particular group of students, we found some evidence that
wi-fi access in general, and chat participation in particular, was a
positive addition to their classroom experience.

I really hope that people reconsider banning ICTs in the classroom. 
Tracy 

-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
[mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Bonnie Nardi
Sent: May 21, 2007 10:40 AM
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
Subject: Re: [Air-l] laptops and Internet access in class

I have not done any research on laptops in classrooms but I have had two
undergraduate student groups study this topic.

They have found that students lose track of what is being said in
lecture when they get involved in interactions with friends on IM or
they play games or do homework for other classes. These are not
activities that lend themselves to keeping an ear open for the important
bits of the lecture.

The students also reported that 50% of the students said they would not
bring a laptop to class if there were no wireless access. This wireless
access is for games, etc. not looking up what the professor is talking
about.

An important issue I have not heard mentioned is that the presence of
other activities in the classroom --  activities that require attention
and separate the student from the classroom -- changes the culture of
the classroom as a whole. Students are not engaged with each other in
the same way. They are no longer a "body" of students but individuals
selecting their own activities, virtually leaving the classroom. It's a
subtle but pervasive effect.

Students who need help with English can make a special arrangement to
text a friend or they can bring unobtrusive dictionary devices (one of
my students has one).

See also Gay and Hembrooke's Activity-Centered Design. There's a good
chapter on wireless in the classroom there.

--

Bonnie

On May 18, 2007, at 6:49 PM, Matthew Bernius wrote:

> I come at this issue from both side: as a PhD student (at Cornell) and

> as professor teaching undergraduate classes (at RIT, btw, so I'm 
> pretty familiar with the scenario Alex laid out).
>
> Next year I will be banning cell phone, ipods, etc. in my 
> undergraduate classes. Laptops will be allowed for specific 
> assignments, but otherwise not to be used as well (especially in 
> Freshman classes). This ban extends to myself as well (unless 
> unavoidable, I'm going to rely on lecturing and white boards -- no 
> more ppt). As Alex suggested, my biggest issue with laptops is the 
> distraction that they cause to other students. Geyond that (and 
> outside of lab activities), I am increasingly coming to the belief 
> that they present a barrier to students developing certain skills that

> will, down the road, better allow those students to use those same 
> devices. And, at least for a school like RIT, that prides itself on 
> preparing it's students for the workplace, basic technology etiquette 
> needs to be stressed. The sad fact is that a lot of the technology 
> behavior I've seen isn't appropriate for the workplace.
>
> As far as upper level undergrads, depending on the class makeup, I may

> allow it. But right now I'm more concerned about raising physical 
> engagement rather than passively encouraging virtual engagement.
>
> Now for the possible hypocrisy -- I fully intend to use a laptop to 
> take notes when I attend class. That said, if a prof doesn't allow it,

> I won't mind. And I'm confident that I'm at a point where I can use 
> the laptop responsibly.
>
> - Matt
>


_______________________________________________
The air-l at listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association
of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or
unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org

Join the Association of Internet Researchers: 
http://www.aoir.org/