Author: Alexander LaRose
The proliferation of mobile technology in the past several years has forever changed the way that humans interact with one another. This is particularly true in the field of education, which has become tremendously techno-centric both in terms of student-teacher communication, and the teaching process. As a result, tension has grown between students, who desire constant access to their technology during class, and instructors who feel that it can be a distraction that detracts from and interferes with their lectures. Nevertheless, professors should not force students to pay attention through the prohibition of technology but instead encourage personal responsibility with respect to one’s education.
The use of laptops during class is a particularly controversial issue for some students and professors; however, the benefits of proper laptop use far outweigh the concerns that some professors express. When using a laptop in class, students have the ability to reference lengthy readings that they would otherwise have had to print, which saves paper and is generally more efficient. Students also have the opportunity to supplement class discussion with outside material they have found on the Internet that would not otherwise be made part of a conversation.
Despite providing innumerable academic resources, the Internet does provide opportunities for distraction and procrastination, Facebook chief among them. Professors take issue with students using Facebook or sending e-mails during class, which is understandably frustrating if it keeps students from engaging in lectures, group work, or other aspects of class. Despite the disappointment professors may feel when students are not attentive in class, the students are ultimately only hurting themselves. Prohibiting laptops in class may keep some students from protracted bouts of daydreaming in class, but it will certainly deprive others of a valuable educational resource.
The debate regarding cell phones and laptops in an academic setting is ultimately a referendum on personal and academic responsibility and respect. Professors quite rightly feel disrespected if students are busy texting or e-mailing during a lecture that took them several hours to prepare, but this does not mean that technology is the problem. Students who choose not to listen to a lecture make a conscious decision to disengage from the class and could just as easily do so by zoning out and staring out the window. The annoyance that professors feel toward at this behavior is well founded, and if a student is not participating in class then their participation grade should reflect that, but the entire class should not be disadvantaged because some students choose to misuse technology.
In an era when someone can sue McDonalds because the hot coffee that they ordered was indeed hot, it is clear that personal responsibility is falling by the wayside. College is one of the last stages in a person’s life when they will have the opportunity to learn so much from so many talented individuals who have an earnest desire to impart their knowledge upon others. Technology can play an integral role in enhancing this experience, but personal responsibility and a desire to learn are of paramount importance.
Alexander LaRose is a senior economics major. He can be reached at larose@oxy.edu.
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