Comments for UNB Perspectives

Comment on A human connection by Eugene Lewis

Eugene Lewis — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 19:34:09 +0000

Bravo Kevin !!! We are all very proud of you and your achievement.

My passion now is to do what I can in Haiti. I expect to be there for years building schools and orphanages.
I can understand your dedication because it is so gratifying be able to help those in need.

Regards, Eugene

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by s. thomas

s. thomas — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:29:42 +0000

As I student that uses a laptop in all her classes, I feel it helps me organize and even take notes at a faster rate! Some profs are ridiculas at givinglectures, going soooo fast that it would be impossible to write all the notes down. I know for myself, when it comes to studying, I need to have a copy of clear computer printed notes to get the most of what I need to remember for a test/exam. Some students don’t pay attention, but that’s their problem. I don’t agree with disruption of a class but as long as students/teach discuss the privilages of having a laptop in class at the beginning of the semester i don’t think there will be too many problems. I have yet to experience any disruptions in my 3 yrs of being a uni student.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Harald Taukulis

Harald Taukulis — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:02:15 +0000

I don’t care whether students use a laptop in class or not. It may be beneficial for some but a hindrance to others. My problem is that some of the students that use them disrupt my lectures by, for example, laughing aloud at the amusing Youtube video that they found, or by showing it to the classmate sitting next to them while commenting on it. I don’t tolerate disruptive behaviour in my classes, and the earnest students attending my lectures appreciate that, as I’ve found over the years. This is the aspect of laptop use that annoys me and that has, on occasion, caused me to ban them from my classroom.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Miriam Jones

Miriam Jones — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:48:52 +0000

I don’t see the reference to pre-industrial “multitasking” as a red herring, as Rick Wightman suggests. Perhaps we could do a lot worse than to look to times when work was more organically integrated into people’s lives. As for technology being a distraction, thinking back to my own undergraduate days some decades ago, many of us managed to distract ourselves with only the simple technologies of paper and pen. Somewhere in my attic I have a box of doodle-filled notebooks to prove it.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Brad Fanjoy

Brad Fanjoy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:46:23 +0000

I am not a doctor and I have no proof, but I believe there is more of a psychological connection between your brain and a pen in hand then there is between your brain and the tips of your finger punching a keyboard. My humble opinion. Thanks for reading.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Landry

Landry — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:26:58 +0000

I enjoyed Mr. Donnelly’s post on laptops in the classroom. But one of the key issues discussed was multitasking while in class. While I was a student, I took my laptop to all my classes and was diligent while taking notes. At one point I felt it necessary in order to get enough information from professors. Some approaches professors take is in lecture, others have a brute force of requiring tedious note taking from overheads. Where is the pedagogy in that case? Where is the interaction; the learning? As an educator myself, one of the things I have learned as a teacher is what not to do and sadly I have learned that from some of my professors.

I have learned that you shouldn’t present material to students at lightning speed so they are unable to take notes fast enough. Also, if there is more interaction in the classroom from the first day, they are more likely to have students engaged in class.

Another thing to keep in mind is at the university/college level, as much as it is a privilege to attend, students are still paying for that privilege. Professors should take into consideration that attendance is voluntary and a combination of necessity and motivation. Some of the smartest students I know, did not say a word while in class, but maintained a 4.3 average. I am not going to pretend that students do get distracted by laptops in class and it can lead to lower grades, however, is it the laptop’s fault or is this just a medium for a student who is not engaged in the topic, a way to attend class to get the 10 points on their mark for attendance perhaps?

It is not my motivation to cut the authority from professors by making this comment, however some seem to forget they are people who are fallible, and may not be that interesting all the time. If students are not using their laptops to stay 100% focused all the time, maybe they need to change their pedagogical approach? Speaking as an educator, if I have students that is not engaged, I need to change my approach. I know that I will never receive 100% focus from anyone, why would being a professor mean you would?

As for whether they should be banned from the classroom or not, take the approach one teacher did in his classroom with cell phones, make them an integral part of learning. If students are not focused in class, a laptop is only medium they can use to divert their attention. Again, I say, get to the heart of the inattention and you will find more engaged students in class.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Aaron Moss

Aaron Moss — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:11:49 +0000

I wouldn’t be so quick to throw out the idea of mono-tasking in class. For one thing, there have been studies showing that those who do the most multi-tasking are the worst at it. For another, as a current student, I can tell you that the laptop is a distraction more often than a study aid. If you have a laptop with you in class, you’ll more than likely be on facebook, playing solitaire, etc. rather than paying attention to the instructor. Yes, you can take notes, but for a lot of classes good old-fashioned pen and paper is more efficient by a long shot. (In mathematics classes, for instance, it is difficult to impossible to find software that allows efficient insertion of pi’s, sigmas, less-than-or-equals, and other mathematical signs and operators, let alone complex graphs and diagrams).

That said, banning laptops won’t help (it’ll just make your students annoyed, and you’ll have to spend lecture time enforcing it), but don’t expect much more academically out of those students who are habitually buried in their laptops then those who just don’t come to class.

Comment on Should laptops be banned from class? by Rick Wightman

Rick Wightman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:05:49 +0000

I don’t know where to begin on why it’s a bad idea to do this in an information-concentrated, real-time format (lecture). Think about why it’s a bad idea to try and hold two (different) conversations at the same time and how you feel as the each of the people involved. And the industrial-age comparison? Red Herring.

Comment on Programming for the love of it by Programming for the love of it | UNB Perspectives : GadgetRater.com

Programming for the love of it | UNB Perspectives : GadgetRater.com — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:21:23 +0000

[...] Read the original: Programming for the love of it | UNB Perspectives [...]

Comment on Eye on the prize by Jacqueline Seely

Jacqueline Seely — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:00:59 +0000

I met Sean when he submitted his final copies of his thesis to the School of Graduate Studies. He indicated that he had an accident, struggled with his injuries but he was so relieved that he was able to finally complete. Sean indicated how grateful for all of the support & assistance he received while a student at UNB. What an amazing story and it was a pleasure to meet such a wonderful student. We wish you all of the best in your future endeavours.