This is a blog for our Summer '10 class. It includes older posts from the Summer '09 class.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Netiquette in the classroom
Not quite a direct Web 2.0 topic -- but an issue impacting campus classrooms. And potentially related in that the students may be on Facebook rather than paying attention.
I teach college courses and incorporate the use of computers in the classroom work. However, I have learned that if I allow students to keep their laptops open throughout the class, they will be off lost in the web somewhere. Unfortunately, I also had a situation a few semesters ago where a student was watching "porn" on the college provided laptop and the students on either side of him observed this and reported it to me. My new policy is unless we need to be working on the computers, they stay closed. I also teach courses that don't involve much actual note-taking and my classes are usually no larger than 20 students. Char
I've had to deal with IMers and ebay bidders. It's a difficult situation. Often I can see relevant reasons for allowing a computer, but it so quickly becomes a distraction.
Of course, with online students who knows what kind of multitasking is going on.
This is really hard to be entirely subjective about. I confess I've been on IM in classes before. However, I also pay attention in and contribute to class... Being conscientious about this, I consider that I, for one, am not a "problem student" even though I may engage in "impolite behaviours". I'm also smart enough not to get caught? :P
As teachers you are at the end where you will be distracted by unnecessary activity on part of a student.
Yet, as a student, if the class itself is boring... one's mind tends to wander.
Notions of what is polite and disrespectful enter the discussion now, and I suppose it really is up to each individual to "police" themselves after understanding the teacher's expectations...
Indian high schools don't have technology in the classroom, and so, such types of netiquette breaches are not possible. Yet, off task behaviours are observed there as well. I'm not sure how well this would work with college-age students but I've found that more often that not, just making the "culprit" aware that you know what's going on... and saying as much, but not quite... is quite an effective way of tackling off task students... With classes numbering as high as 50 students... this often curbs other would-be "culprits" as well...
Q to Vanessa -- interesting forum. Would you prefer that we engage on the actual forum or here for class purposes? The actual forum is perhaps more authentic, but this subset is more manageable and traceable.
My take. Yes, porn is pretty distracting -- and pretty bold for a classroom setting.
Porn aside, adult students are adults and deserve to be respected accordingly. Not semi-adults, not penalized for non-academic or non-performance behaviors. If a student can stay at home, read the book, complete the assignments and make 100%, why should s/he be penalized 10%?
I'd be interested in seeing the Sieber study on how frequent laptop use results in an 100% reduction in test scores. So far have been unable to locate -- referenced here http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3662/when-shown-how-in-class-laptop-use-lowers-test-scores-students-stop-surfing
Other studies have indicated that there is no difference in performance. Somehow our multi-tasking minds seem to tune as needed -- or maybe the finding says something about instruction or assessment?
I do believe that students need to be encouraged to be self-regulating and accept responsibility for their own behaviors. I also believe that effective teachers gain attention, impart relevant material, and enage the students.
If students are surfing for answers, they are accessing a lot of information and potentially acquiring a lot of incidental learning.
hmmmm -- distance learning solves a lot of these classroom based "problems."
In reading the comments posted on the article site, it was interesting that posters kept going back to the teacher making the class so engaging that students won't want to surf the net or check Facebook.
I teach OSHA classes and I can assure you that there is no way to make OSHA safety entertaining enough to avoid a student's mind wandering around the Internet on a laptop. I'm just thinking about teaching the class right now and I have a very strong urge to check my Facebook account.
I don't have any classes where laptops are necessary, so I don't allow laptops at all. I also start every class by going through the "turn off the cell phones" exercise. There are enough distractions in a classroom already (like ceiling tiles and spots on the carpet) without adding any new ones.
On a slightly unrelated note, I always find it interesting that during a debate such as this one someone will turn the "slippery slope" into a "slip-n-slide". One poster on the article site equated bringing a laptop into the classroom with jumping up and down and throwing food in a restaurant. I think that might be taking the whole "distraction" argument a bit too far.
Barbara, I'm not requiring that all course participation that counts be confined to the Blackboard discussion boards. I'm using that space for raising main themes as laid out sequentially on the syllabus. I'm using this blog to post news items and other things as I come across them -- so things that may be out of sequence and that are more small blurbs that might be of interest to people. I'm hopeful that everyone can self-regulate here -- which is what Web 2.0 involvement would authentically be about as well.
I think one thing missing from this discussion (and apparently many classrooms these days) is grading conduct.
Barbara stated, "If a student can stay at home, read the book, complete the assignments and make 100%, why should s/he be penalized 10%?". If the penalty is for poor conduct in the class, then I would say yes!
It seems as though people are viewing the classroom as a McDonald's restaurant: I want a Big Mac combo (e.g. the education) in return for my money (e.g. tuition and effort). If we handle the learning interaction as a simple transaction, then I guess conduct does not matter. Instead, I view learning as a contract. The transaction aspects still apply, but the concept of a contract implies a relationship with further expectations such as terms of payment (this could include conduct over time).
This analogy is not fully developed, but I hope it helps to illustrate my sense of things.
I agree it's all a matter of contract. In my courses, the interaction (conduct) is a significant part of the grade. In my example, it was not. The 10% deduction was a penalty imposed, not part of earned credit for the course. I see this as a flaw.
If conduct is to be "graded," it should be well defined, qualified or quantified (my preference is qualified) in the syllabus (AKA contract with the students). Rubrics are also helpful. I posts a Self-Evaluation form for discussion boards.
I teach college courses and incorporate the use of computers in the classroom work. However, I have learned that if I allow students to keep their laptops open throughout the class, they will be off lost in the web somewhere. Unfortunately, I also had a situation a few semesters ago where a student was watching "porn" on the college provided laptop and the students on either side of him observed this and reported it to me. My new policy is unless we need to be working on the computers, they stay closed. I also teach courses that don't involve much actual note-taking and my classes are usually no larger than 20 students. Char
ReplyDeleteOh my. Porn while in the classroom is bold!
ReplyDeleteI've had to deal with IMers and ebay bidders. It's a difficult situation. Often I can see relevant reasons for allowing a computer, but it so quickly becomes a distraction.
Of course, with online students who knows what kind of multitasking is going on.
Heh. Porn *is* bold.
ReplyDeleteThis is really hard to be entirely subjective about. I confess I've been on IM in classes before. However, I also pay attention in and contribute to class...
Being conscientious about this, I consider that I, for one, am not a "problem student" even though I may engage in "impolite behaviours".
I'm also smart enough not to get caught? :P
As teachers you are at the end where you will be distracted by unnecessary activity on part of a student.
Yet, as a student, if the class itself is boring... one's mind tends to wander.
Notions of what is polite and disrespectful enter the discussion now, and I suppose it really is up to each individual to "police" themselves after understanding the teacher's expectations...
Indian high schools don't have technology in the classroom, and so, such types of netiquette breaches are not possible. Yet, off task behaviours are observed there as well. I'm not sure how well this would work with college-age students but I've found that more often that not, just making the "culprit" aware that you know what's going on... and saying as much, but not quite... is quite an effective way of tackling off task students...
With classes numbering as high as 50 students... this often curbs other would-be "culprits" as well...
AJ
Q to Vanessa -- interesting forum. Would you prefer that we engage on the actual forum or here for class purposes? The actual forum is perhaps more authentic, but this subset is more manageable and traceable.
ReplyDeleteMy take. Yes, porn is pretty distracting -- and pretty bold for a classroom setting.
Porn aside, adult students are adults and deserve to be respected accordingly. Not semi-adults, not penalized for non-academic or non-performance behaviors. If a student can stay at home, read the book, complete the assignments and make 100%, why should s/he be penalized 10%?
I'd be interested in seeing the Sieber study on how frequent laptop use results in an 100% reduction in test scores. So far have been unable to locate -- referenced here http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3662/when-shown-how-in-class-laptop-use-lowers-test-scores-students-stop-surfing
Other studies have indicated that there is no difference in performance. Somehow our multi-tasking minds seem to tune as needed -- or maybe the finding says something about instruction or assessment?
I do believe that students need to be encouraged to be self-regulating and accept responsibility for their own behaviors. I also believe that effective teachers gain attention, impart relevant material, and enage the students.
If students are surfing for answers, they are accessing a lot of information and potentially acquiring a lot of incidental learning.
hmmmm -- distance learning solves a lot of these classroom based "problems."
-Barbara
In reading the comments posted on the article site, it was interesting that posters kept going back to the teacher making the class so engaging that students won't want to surf the net or check Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI teach OSHA classes and I can assure you that there is no way to make OSHA safety entertaining enough to avoid a student's mind wandering around the Internet on a laptop. I'm just thinking about teaching the class right now and I have a very strong urge to check my Facebook account.
I don't have any classes where laptops are necessary, so I don't allow laptops at all. I also start every class by going through the "turn off the cell phones" exercise. There are enough distractions in a classroom already (like ceiling tiles and spots on the carpet) without adding any new ones.
On a slightly unrelated note, I always find it interesting that during a debate such as this one someone will turn the "slippery slope" into a "slip-n-slide". One poster on the article site equated bringing a laptop into the classroom with jumping up and down and throwing food in a restaurant. I think that might be taking the whole "distraction" argument a bit too far.
Barbara, I'm not requiring that all course participation that counts be confined to the Blackboard discussion boards. I'm using that space for raising main themes as laid out sequentially on the syllabus. I'm using this blog to post news items and other things as I come across them -- so things that may be out of sequence and that are more small blurbs that might be of interest to people. I'm hopeful that everyone can self-regulate here -- which is what Web 2.0 involvement would authentically be about as well.
ReplyDeleteI think one thing missing from this discussion (and apparently many classrooms these days) is grading conduct.
ReplyDeleteBarbara stated, "If a student can stay at home, read the book, complete the assignments and make 100%, why should s/he be penalized 10%?". If the penalty is for poor conduct in the class, then I would say yes!
It seems as though people are viewing the classroom as a McDonald's restaurant: I want a Big Mac combo (e.g. the education) in return for my money (e.g. tuition and effort). If we handle the learning interaction as a simple transaction, then I guess conduct does not matter. Instead, I view learning as a contract. The transaction aspects still apply, but the concept of a contract implies a relationship with further expectations such as terms of payment (this could include conduct over time).
This analogy is not fully developed, but I hope it helps to illustrate my sense of things.
Hi Kent,
ReplyDeleteI agree it's all a matter of contract. In my courses, the interaction (conduct) is a significant part of the grade. In my example, it was not. The 10% deduction was a penalty imposed, not part of earned credit for the course. I see this as a flaw.
If conduct is to be "graded," it should be well defined, qualified or quantified (my preference is qualified) in the syllabus (AKA contract with the students). Rubrics are also helpful. I posts a Self-Evaluation form for discussion boards.
Hope this helps.
There does seem to be a sense of entitlement by some students thinking "that if I paid for this course, why should it matter if I show up?"
ReplyDelete