By Heather Palmer
The personal computer has the opportunity to aid students or set them up for ultimate distraction while in the classroom, and BYU students and teachers see a variety of pros and cons to the issue.
The possibilities of distraction for students are boundless with the option of surfing into the cyberworld for class convenience, carefree chatting or celebrity gossip.
About 40 percent of college classrooms nationally are equipped with wireless Internet, according to a study released in October 2005 by the Campus Computing Project.
With the opportunity to hook up to the Internet in many classrooms across the BYU campus, a vast majority of students can likely be seen taking a cyber detour during some point in class lecture. During a recent communications class on campus, some students said they took a cyber tour through e-mailing, chatting online, visiting Facebook, working on other homework, browsing pictures, checking March Madness, the ski report and bank statements. This one setting visually represents just how distracted some students allow themselves to be during class time.
'During class I know that some sit there and play games or answer e-mails,' said professor Renata Forste, of the Sociology Department, 'My classes are small and I know who pays attention and who does not and it influences their grade and my willingness to assist them outside of class.'
On the other hand, many students who have traded in their notebook for a laptop see it as a beneficial addition to their learning atmosphere in class.
'Internet access in class is an advantage,' said Bobby Sharp, a sophomore majoring in advertising from Carson City, Nev. 'It helps to quickly gain access to find answers to questions that might arise from the instructor''s lecture. I would say that I am extremely grateful that I get to use the Internet in the classroom, and I see it as a learning advantage.'
At Harvard Law School, some professors have now banned laptops from their classrooms. Professors and students do not see the ultimate need to eliminate the Internet from class, but they do see a need to have respect for class time: students should be mentally in class, as well as physically.
'Using the Internet in class is a distraction to learning and discussion,' said professor Tamara Masters, who teaches at the Marriott School of Business. 'Most use it for non-class related things.'
Masters said it is useful to pull up relevant information on the net during class but the extracurricular Internet use during class is not beneficial to students with laptops or those around them.
'Students pay less attention if they have personal access,' Masters said. 'I think they pay more attention if the professor has the access and shares information on the Internet with them during class.'
Forste said even without laptops, it is inevitable that if a student doesn''t want to pay attention, they''d find other ways to distract themselves.
'Some students are on task and want to do well and can manage their computer, cell phone and palm pilot use while others really don''t care and are happy to have a distraction, until they fail the first test,' Forste said.
Sharp said, similarly, that those who seek distractions will find them, whether it is the Internet or a doodling pad.
'For me, paying attention has nothing to do with whether or not I want to check my e-mail, blackboard or type notes,' Sharp said. 'It has everything to do with the course instructor''s ability to captivate me in education.'
(For comments, e-mail Heather Palmer at heathpalm7@hotmail.com)