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Thursday, 17 April 2008

4 Responses to “Academic aside – wireless in the classroom”

1. Anthony Says:
   April 17th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

   Kim,

   speaking from the other side of the lectern, having my wireless cut off during a lecture would be like gouging my eyes out.
   During the course of a lecture, I’ll
   1) Take notes (I use google docs — so I really need Wifi for this)
   2) IM someone else in the class (which is surely better than passing a note or talking to them — and it’s almost always related to what you’re talking about)
   3) Look up the Halsbury’s chapter related to what you’re talking about
   4) Download the case you mention in the lecture, or check its’ citation on Casebase
   5) Grab the reading I forgot to download before class from WebCT (etc)

   In tutes, it’s even more critical — Preparation is all well and good, but the ability to check a bit of legislation or a case that wasn’t on the reading list is invaluable — It’s the difference between a worthless and a worthwhile contribution to the class discussion.

2. kim Says:
   April 18th, 2008 at 8:24 am

   Anthony,

   Thanks for your comment. Valid points all.

   A couple of thoughts (acknowledging that, to a certain extent it’s all a bit moot. Can you imagine the response in an Australian lecture hall if we did ‘turn it off’?)

   – query whether the distraction factor while you look up that case, or that legislative provision, read it, and think of your pertinent contribution is worth it. Inevitably, no matter how fast you are, you have lost to some extent the train of what is going on in the class;

   – if the text of the provision in question – presumably what you would be looking up – is really that important, it will be on the reading guide and may be displayed by the lecturer visually so the key issues can be pointed out – if not, it is probably sufficient that you do go look at it afterwards;

   – why on earth would you need to check the citation of a case during class time?

   Unfortunately too, while you’re doing that, I’ve lost you – you’re staring at your screen and clicking. And so I have no way of telling whether you understand, whether you are bored and have switched off… my line of communication to you (and other members of the class) is cut off. Public speaking is challenging at the best of times, but it is particularly hard if half your audience are staring at screens. Inevitably, it means I fall back a little on the ‘prepared lecture’ style – speaking to notes, speaking to script – rather than trying to involve people in a discussion.

   In economic terms, the impact of individual behaviour in relation to computers – whether your conscientious behaviour, or your colleagues less concientious behaviour – has impacts that you don’t necessarily take into account – externalities we would call them – negative consequences for other people in the room. Do those externalities outweigh the positives you’ve outlined? I’m not sure.

   But thanks. Now I can stand there and try to delude myself that that’s what all those students are doing… :-)

3. Gary Says:
   April 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am

   I would gouge my eyes too if they chopped off wi-fi in class.

   I agree it’s actually really useful to be able to immediately download stuff (e.g. like a paper or practice manual from a government website) right there and then, when you talk about how it might be a useful resource.

   Also, some times, if you’ve already done the pre-reading, or the lecturer is answering (or someone is asking) a question you already know, then I can’t see why it hurts to check facebook, see what’s in the news etc.

   If I weren’t doing this with wi-fi, I would probably sit there and feel a bit bored, or want to distract the person next to me.

   It is probably really annoying when you can tell people aren’t listening to you, and you’ve done heaps of work into your lectures.

   But students need to take responsibility for their own learning.

   I reckon if it bothers you particularly one day, you should just say, dead pan: Right, shortly after today’s lecture, to help you revise for the exam, I’m going to post onto the subject website a copy of the questions that I’m putting into the exam.

   Then see how many of them actually look up.

   I bet you’ll probably get a few people who don’t look up.

   You can then say – Idiot!! I just told you … [blah] and didn’t even look up. If you’re not here to learn, you should really just go home cos I’m wasting your time.

   :)

4. kim Says:
   April 21st, 2008 at 4:54 pm

   Hi Gary,

   Have to admit, I find your arguments for wifi in classrooms much less compelling than those Anthony raised. Simply can’t agree that ‘there’s no harm in Facebook when you’re going over something I know’ – I strongly suspect that you lose the train of what is going on. And in any event, the benefits to you (of not getting bored) don’t outweigh the costs to everyone else – of the distraction of watching someone click away on facebook (trust me, it is distracting – I’ve even had students complaining to me about their colleagues mucking around on facebook and email) and the effect on the lecturing (again, of having people click away with little regard to what is going on).

   I agree that students have to take responsibility for their own learning, but I have to take some responsibility for the effect that individual students have on other students’ learning. And when you go to Facebook, you have a negative effect on others’ learning.

   Actually, I think what I really need is eyes in the back of the classroom. Cameras at the back, projecting onto a small screen on my lectern. Then I could see what people are really doing. Or even a program that monitors what students are doing with wifi in the classroom (at application level only). Would students go to facebook as readily if they knew I knew they did? If it really is harmless, then surely students wouldn’t mind me knowing what they’re doing, at least in general terms…?

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