Restrictions on device use during class

[kmaute]

Admittedly, I've been out of school for a while. I'm heading back for a MBA and have received one syllabus already. In addition to the course outline and plagiarism boilerplate - there's a couple pages outlining consequences for any use of electronics (tablets, phones, laptops, etc.) during class. How common is this in the US?

The prof suggests that we print out slides and take notes on paper. I guess I can do this and then run them through the scansnap when I get home. However, I think it's odd to specify a workflow in this age. When I was in grad school in 2007-2009, there were no such restrictions and we managed just fine.

 

[smithrh]

If this means a return to the socratic method, I'm all behind it.

 

[Jessica Lares]

It probably is more common than you think. A few semesters ago I actually had a teacher confiscate someone's phone during a lecture. A lot of my classes are in computer labs, and there is so many people going on Facebook the whole freaking time. It is literally the first thing they tell us not to do.

I don't know if there is a policy, but I rarely see people with laptops.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, in my teaching days, I have and occasion to ask (actually, order) students to cease and desist from using (surreptitiously) mobile, or cell phones in class, or answering a mobile phone in class - on one infamous occasion, the student wanted to take a call quite openly during class. That was the only occasion in my entire teaching career where I actually got angry in class, and asked the student to leave.

 

[b3av3r]

This started to be a problem toward the end of my college career. The policies I saw were targeted more to cell phones and tablets instead of laptops. It was becoming a common problem for students to just play on their phones/tablets/laptops instead of paying attention in class.

I wouldn't think this would be as much a problem in grad classes as undergrad classes. I just don't see grad students going to class to goof off on Facebook instead of ensuring a passing grade.

If you feel more comfortable using a tablet/laptop in class to take notes I would talk to your teacher and explain the situation.

 

[VI™]

Admittedly, I've been out of school for a while. I'm heading back for a MBA and have received one syllabus already. In addition to the course outline and plagiarism boilerplate - there's a couple pages outlining consequences for any use of electronics (tablets, phones, laptops, etc.) during class. How common is this in the US?

The prof suggests that we print out slides and take notes on paper. I guess I can do this and then run them through the scansnap when I get home. However, I think it's odd to specify a workflow in this age. When I was in grad school in 2007-2009, there were no such restrictions and we managed just fine.

What are you seeking your MBA in? I just started back last semester for a double associates in Cyber Security and Network Engineering. I had one tech class, a speech class, and a match class and there were a few restrictions, but not many. In my

Network intro class there were no restrictions, which kind of makes sense. All tests were done online as well and we needed computers for our labs in Cisco's network simulator program.

In the speech class we weren't allowed to have computers or devices in use when people were giving speeches.

And in our math class, we weren't allowed to do the same during test. But we were also allowed to work on homework and progress faster than the class speed if we were able to.

Of course, the school I'm going to likes to say it is very tech oriented. There's even a computer at every desk with the monitor that sits on a lift that hides it in the desk when it's not in use.

 

[yg17]

It probably is more common than you think. A few semesters ago I actually had a teacher confiscate someone's phone during a lecture. A lot of my classes are in computer labs, and there is so many people going on Facebook the whole freaking time. It is literally the first thing they tell us not to do.

I don't know if there is a policy, but I rarely see people with laptops.

I had a professor who's policy it was that if your phone rang during class, he would answer it. After a conversation with some girl's BFF in front of the entire classroom at the beginning of the semester, it never happened again.

 

[Jessica Lares]

I had a professor who's policy it was that if your phone rang during class, he would answer it. After a conversation with some girl's BFF in front of the entire classroom at the beginning of the semester, it never happened again.

Yeah, my teacher has a similar policy and told us about the one time she did it.

We got to witness her throwing someone out of a class instead. She literally stopped the class to call the admissions office in front of us after telling off a student for 10 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, we had to evacuate the building because someone set off the alarm.

 

[Tomorrow]

When I was in graduate school (1999-2002), I brought a laptop for class for taking notes. I connected to the school-provided ethernet hookup (wifi was not nearly as widespread then as it is today) and emailed notes to myself. Nobody had a problem with it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had a professor who's policy it was that if your phone rang during class, he would answer it. After a conversation with some girl's BFF in front of the entire classroom at the beginning of the semester, it never happened again.

Damn. Great idea. To be honest, I'm envious, and I only wish I had thought of that when I was teaching……

But, an excellent response, and one which undoubtedly made it certain that this would not happen again.

 

[mtreys]

A lot of the classes I take have enforced strict no electronics at all. No laptops, tablets, phones, etc. Some professors could care less while some just don't want you on a cell phone. It really just depends on the atmosphere of the class and the style of the professor.

 

[ucfgrad93]

There were no restrictions on electronic device use in my Masters program.

 

[heehee]

I've been out of school for a while, but I can't imagine how any school other than high school cares what you use during class, considering if you are not disturbing anyone.

It's literally your loss if you go on Facebook or play games on your phone during class, so I don't see how the professor would care.

 

[richwoodrocket]

I had a professor who's policy it was that if your phone rang during class, he would answer it. After a conversation with some girl's BFF in front of the entire classroom at the beginning of the semester, it never happened again.

That guy deserves an award.

 

[pvmacguy]

Policies like these in undergrad/grad school are ridiculous. We're grown a$$ adults, we don't need someone dictating how we decide to facilitate and or hinder our learning.

If you play games and FB who cares, we're the ones paying and if its not disrupting, the individual is the one that suffers.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I've been out of school for a while, but I can't imagine how any school other than high school cares what you use during class, considering if you are not disturbing anyone.

It's literally your loss if you go on Facebook or play games on your phone during class, so I don't see how the professor would care.

Some professors actually give a damn about what they teach and expect that a student taking the course does too. It is about respect. If you aren't interested in the lecture, by all means feel free to leave, but please don't disrespect the professor (and your fellow students) by ******* off on Facebook. (Or as I once witnessed, by leaning back with legs crossed and opening up a newspaper while sitting two feet in front of the chalkboard.)

By the way, it is those students who tend show up at office hours begging for extensions or answers for homework assignments.

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If you play games and FB who cares, we're the ones paying and if its not disrupting, the individual is the one that suffers.

It is that kind of mentality that breeds the most disgusting and entitled students. Anyone who justifies their disrespect in the classroom by citing the payment of tuition would be asked to immediately leave my lecture.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Some professors actually give a damn about what they teach and expect that a student taking the course does too. It is about respect. If you aren't interested in the lecture, by all means feel free to leave, but please don't disrespect the professor (and your fellow students) by ******* off on Facebook. (Or as I once witnessed, by leaning back with legs crossed and opening up a newspaper while sitting two feet in front of the chalkboard.)

By the way, it is those students who tend show up at office hours begging for extensions or answers for homework assignments.

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It is that kind of mentality that breeds the most disgusting and entitled students. Anyone who justifies their disrespect in the classroom by citing the payment of tuition would be asked to immediately leave my lecture.

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes…….agree completely.

That bottomless sense of entitlement…….I remember it well during my latter years as a college teacher in a classroom.

And yes, I also agree that at university one presupposes a degree of interest from the student. This is not a prison, and nobody asked them to study this subject; they chose it, so, as a teacher, I had to assume a degree of interest on their part, or wonder what the hell they thought they were doing there…..

 

[Meister]

I've been out of school for a while, but I can't imagine how any school other than high school cares what you use during class, considering if you are not disturbing anyone.

It's literally your loss if you go on Facebook or play games on your phone during class, so I don't see how the professor would care.

reading this thread i thought folks were talking about highschool

If you pay for university as an adult and dont disturb anyone then it's noones business what you do during class.

 

[smithrh]

reading this thread i thought folks were talking about highschool

If you pay for university as an adult and dont disturb anyone then it's noones business what you do during class.

And the professor/university is free to fail the student for a lack of class participation.

 

[ucfgrad93]

And the professor/university is free to fail the student for a lack of class participation.

No one is suggesting otherwise.

I think students in college should determine what worksbest for them to take notes in class.

 

[kmaute]

No one is suggesting otherwise.

I think students in college should determine what worksbest for them to take notes in class.

Well, this Professor certainly is. I hope she is the exception to the rule. If not, I'll be disappointed. The thought of lugging around a binder is not pleasant. Thank you for the replies.

 

[VI™]

reading this thread i thought folks were talking about highschool

If you pay for university as an adult and dont disturb anyone then it's noones business what you do during class.

I agree. I find myself sometimes wandering off to a website or what not when I'm in a lecture class, but this is half the instructor's fault and I remind myself about why I'm there and it's not paying for the privledge to browse the internet in a classroom.

OMG! I'm placing blame on the instructor? Well when the instructor provides power points that you can download and read along to (or ahead with) and you're done covering a 30 page PP presentation when the instructor in on page five and mostly reciting line for line without adding much else in, it makes it hard to keep my attention.

And the professor/university is free to fail the student for a lack of class participation.

Mmmmm...I guess. I don't think it should be counted as lack of participation when the above is what's happening. Maybe if you're not doing in class work with the rest of class. I definitely don't think you should be penalized for lack of participation when you're otherwise making it to every class and carrying a 4.0 in class.

Well, this Professor certainly is. I hope she is the exception to the rule. If not, I'll be disappointed. The thought of lugging around a binder is not pleasant. Thank you for the replies.

I agree. I take my laptop to every class even though they provide a computer at every desk. The first issue is that I prefer to have the programs I need and my notes on my computer and not on the school's server. Secondly, I have digital copies of most of my books. It's a lot more convenient carrying one laptop rather than 3 books. This is especially true when I'm on the motorcycle.

 

[TechGod]

From what my cousin tells me, in her Business School she is allowed to bring a laptop for note taking.

The mentality of "if we paid the teacher shouldn't care" is BS. Why shouldn't the lecturer care? You are in his/her's class and should be expected to follow the set rules.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Well, this Professor certainly is.

True, but they have the right to determine their own classroom policies.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I never had any issues. I would use my phone to pull up PDF's in a statistics course, and I was religiously on my laptop taking notes and looking up additional info on wikipedia in bio class (it was that sort of class). This was just a few years ago.

Lately, I've been in touch with some high school teachers, and while they have a 0 tolerance cellphone policy during class, students are encouraged to bring laptops to class, so long as the teacher doesn't catch you goofing off.

I don't think that what you're describing is very common.