It was brought to my attention last Friday that the UT faculty has grown concerned (read: just found out about) the availability of wireless access in classrooms. It's likely that they'll propose some sort of lead or plutonium or kryptonite shield around the larger classrooms to keep students in check.
My thoughts? Unless they ban laptops altogether, this is a bad idea. It's one thing to lose a student's interest to ESPN.com or a brilliant student weblog. Quite another to lose out to Minesweeper.
And I'm not just saying this because my readership would completely disappear if I had to compete with anything more exciting than CivPro.
I'm saying this because I love the law.
Love it.
Here at OU, some of our professors responded by banning laptops in their classrooms. I guess they knew they had already lost to Minesweeper.
Posted by: Tyson Stanek | February 08, 2005 at 08:40 AM
Sorry to break the news, but there is already a Kryptonite shield around the Law School here. My powers of flight and icy cool breath are now merely mortal.
My Power of Attorney and, luckily, Mad Nunchuck Skillz still remain, which is handy just in case I need a Jonathan Brandis from Sidekicks-esque daydream sequence.
Posted by: Nick Fortune | February 08, 2005 at 08:57 AM
Actually, I would pay a lot more attention without wireless access; sometimes the class really is becoming interesting or useful, but I don't realize because I'm in the middle of doing something online. The people who play Minesweeper probably would doodle or play many games of tic-tac-toe against themselves if their laptops were taken away and they had to take notes on paper.
Posted by: PG | February 08, 2005 at 11:01 AM
I had a prof last semester that would come in and unplug the wireless router, needless to say, I was able to hone my minesweeper skills, I think I'm now qualified to enter some sort of tournament if such a thing exists.
Posted by: Nick | February 08, 2005 at 11:59 AM
i think the faculty found out when my 'neighbor' left his volume on while downloading a porn dvd. it would be a tragedy when i cannot see my new downloaded mpegs during my seminar.
Posted by: soldado23 | February 08, 2005 at 12:02 PM
see, here at bu, one of our profs just made us sign a contract saying we wouldn't use the internet in class on penalty of honor code violation. so if you get caught, he can give you an F. oh conlaw prof and his little threats. i still check my email.
Posted by: | February 08, 2005 at 12:09 PM
It's at professor discretion to ban the use of laptops and at least one that I know of has done so. He also used (or so I hear) a camera at the back of the room (camera presence is confirmed, btw; they're in all classrooms) to spy on students and see how many were fooling around with games or web surfing.
Posted by: E. McPan | February 08, 2005 at 12:55 PM
Professors who are jealous of laptops and wireless access can suck it. Seriously. If a professor wants my attention, she/he can be engaging enough to hold my attention. Also? If I don't pay attention, it's my problem, not the professor's problem.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 08, 2005 at 07:57 PM
Damn. Computer ate my comment. Something to the effect of agreeing with Jennifer: we are adults; as long as we pay tuition it shouldn't matter.
Also, we had a prof who would call for hands to be lifted off keyboards and then go around checking laptop screens. A little more up-front than the 'hidden' camera thing.
Posted by: Kelly | February 08, 2005 at 08:08 PM
We just got wireless in our classrooms about a year ago and some of our profs are still adjusting ... others think it is great, espeially my First Amendment prof who gets us to look stuff up for him all of the time. There is talk about placating the former group with the ability to turn off internet access during class if they feel inclined. Personally, I can see both sides but agree that if folks want to surf they paid their money and should be able to do so ... and besides, we are on a curve and hopefully that will work out better for me! :) I actually just went back to paper and pen notes this semester because I have noticed a significant difference in how much I absorb during class when I do not have my laptop.
Posted by: Ruby | February 08, 2005 at 11:20 PM
Is there any concern that internet access is not only distracting for the individual student, but for other students in the class as well?
What control should a professor have over students who are creating distractions for other students?
Posted by: Charles | February 09, 2005 at 08:17 AM
Our Profs have the camera thing. Hypothetically they could zoom in on our lap top screen and then broadcast it on the projector in front of the class. This isn't a very good threat b/c most of my profs have a hard time working the light switch. A computer controlled camera and projector is kind of beyond them.
Posted by: Antonio | February 09, 2005 at 07:38 PM
My clinical professors talked to us about this. According to them, it's not possible to turn off access in the classrooms. So, instead, they are going to make it part of the UT honor code to only use the internet in class for "appropriate class reasons."
I think that reading CNN.com is a wholly appropriate class reason when some gunner is rambling on at length about the public policy implications of some case. It's certainly more appropriate than getting up and hitting him over the head with my shoe.
Posted by: Kathleen | February 11, 2005 at 09:58 AM
I personally think the availability of wireless internet in class rocks. The fact that I stay off of it and take meticulous notes practically guarantees my standing in the top 5% for the next two years of law school.
I do, of course, make an exception and hop online whenever our favorite gunner starts arguing with the Prof about why he's right and the Prof, judges, and the rest of the world are wrong. *sigh*
Posted by: Alyssa | July 11, 2007 at 09:46 AM