As he waited in the back of a classroom before making a
presentation, communication studies Professor Tim Groeling observed
students as they took notes for the class, listened to the
lecturing professor and played computer solitaire.
As society’s dependence on technology grows, students have
increasingly used laptop computers as note-taking devices.
And with wireless Internet access readily available in most
campus areas, laptops are also bringing to the classroom the
convenience of checking e-mail or watching a favorite band’s
latest music video.
Robert Watson, an English professor, said that laptops can
facilitate a more studious academic environment, but in reality
they represent more of a negative influence.
“I think in concept, it’s useful for people to take
notes, but from what I’ve seen, my impression is that in
practice it is more of a distraction, with more people checking
their e-mail or playing games than doing more relevant
tasks,” Watson said.
According to Intel’s 2005 “Most Unwired College
Campuses,” out of the top-ranked schools in the nation, 98
percent are covered by wireless Internet, which is a jump from 64
percent in 2004. Of the schools covered by wireless, 74 percent
have 100-percent coverage on campus.
On the UCLA campus, wireless Internet is available in most
classrooms and has recently been added to the residence halls as
well.
Depending on the circumstances, some students do believe having
a laptop in a classroom setting helps them better understand class
material.
“Personally, if I’m too tired, I bring my laptop to
record lecture. In this situation, it helps me more in academics
than hurts me,” said first-year undeclared student Jeff Song
as he attempted to stay awake while typing on his Apple
PowerBook.
“The Internet can be a distraction at times, but I
haven’t really taken too much advantage of it,” he
said.
Song is one of the many students in an early-morning class
trying to stay away from the blue “e” icon, which would
take him to the Internet ““ the gateway to myriad
distractions.
Greg Brownstein, a first-year pre-business economics student,
begins the same class by browsing the Internet before the
professors walk into the classroom.
Brownstein said he believes a laptop is particularly helpful for
him in compiling and exchanging notes to better his understanding
of a certain subject or in case he misses class.
But he also acknowledged that wireless access on his computer is
a distraction, as he sometimes talks to his friends through instant
messaging instead of focusing on his work.
“I sometimes see a lot of kids who surf the Internet
without any sign of notes on their screen, but it also depends on
what’s going on in class ““ whether the professor is
lecturing about new material or old information,” Brownstein
said.
Anne Gilliland, professor and chairwoman of the UCLA Department
of Information Studies, said having wireless Internet in classrooms
helps students effectively access classroom material, especially if
the course material was posted online ahead of time.
“With posted lecture notes, the student isn’t so
distracted with trying to write everything down. Students now have
access and can pull up additional documents or electronic versions
of papers that are relevant to what the professors are talking
about in class,” Gilliland said.
A laptop may serve as more of a distraction in a seminar setting
than in a big lecture hall, taking away from the discussion aspects
of a small environment, Gilliland said.
Groeling, though he has observed students using their laptops
for purposes other than learning, said he understands that typing
is easier, which is a reason why he posts typed versions of his
lectures online.
Regardless, it is up to the students to decide whether they
would rather listen to the lecture or discuss what their friends
did last Friday night.
“The final question (comes down to) what students choose
to do with it and not give in to the temptation to use it for
things that are unrelated or distract them from the class,”
Groeling said.