Recently there has been a growing discussion online about students use of laptops during lectures. This discussion began when a law professor banned the use of laptops during her lectures. The directive seems innocent enough:

Beginning on Tuesday, March 14, the use of laptop computers and other similar devices will not be allowed during Civil Procedure class session. Please be sure to bring with you…paper and pen or pencil for taking notes.

The University made it clear that it was the professors decision (my earlier post here). In the resulting furore one student even threatened to leave (“If we continue without laptops, I’m out of here. I’m gone” USA Today). This seems a bit melodramatic for one course but it is interesting to see how the university will continue to react.
These discussions are particularly interesting as the faculty where I am based has provided laptops and wifi for all the students and there are constant discussions on the students ability to handle this technology particularly in relation to the lecture scenario but even in relation to the need to read offscreen material.

Of course this problem is not unique.

In post Collision Detection writes:

I’d argue that it [Laptops & Wifi] also provides some healthy competition for the professors; too many of them read off brittle, yellowing, decades-old lecture notes and never engage their classes. They’re losing the Darwinian battle for attention for good reasons, and it’s time to cull the herd.

and in a post entitled “The First Thing We Do, Let’s Kill All The Laptops” Plastic writes that “Several schools are considering giving their professors the authority to switch off wireless access.”

This is a tough one. I agree that there is a real need for university lecturers to improve their material and presentation skills – some are really terrible. But there must be a way of improving the lectures without providing more diversions? There is no way a lecturer can compete with online material. But will the cost of improving the lecturer’s skills be the students failure to complete their eductation?

My students have a choice to listen or learn in some other way. But if they use their time with their laptops rather than listening to lectures or actually reading the material is it my fault that they fail their exams? The camel has been taken to the water-hole but but refuses to drink. At the same time I still believe that I have a responsibility to teach – which involves students learning.