The Changing Nature of the Classroom

Dear Students,

This week I had a former student drop in to say hi. In the course of the conversation I asked about university, and how we could prepare our students even better.

Disclaimer: Naturally this does not reflect every (or necessarily even most) universities, and may be coloured by the student (although he did go online and show me his courses so I have confirmed wherever possible).

In class, as a teacher, I have been guilty on more than one occasion of using scare tactics. Since our school's entire purpose is aimed at getting students into the university of their choice, I have often commented what university professors will (and especially will not) accept, and how uncaring many will seem. We care about your progress. If you do not do an assignment, you'll hear about it and (since we're a boarding school) we know where you live. There is no escape.

In university nobody will notice when you don't hand in an assignment. This much I remember from my own experiences, and as far as I can tell not much has changed. However, now it is apparently possible not to even know you have assignments!

The student, who attends a major Canadian university, was quite surprised to discover a few weeks into his courses that all course information was online. Quizzes and assignments are scheduled online, assignments are handed in online, and it is impossible to hand in an assignment on paper. Even some exams and mid-terms are online (and unsupervised). With no deadlines announced in class, unplugging for a day is no longer an option. By 'surprised', I mean a quiz had been posted and taken down, all without a single mention in class. Students who noticed got the chance to complete it. Those who didn't did not.

Class may consist of a PowerPoint presentation in which you've downloaded the material before class, and you're filling in the notes as the professor lectures. Some people apparently get really good at Tetris, and take the time to manage their social calendar on Facebook instead. The classroom is filled with laptops.

This is a bit different. You're expected to exercise more responsibility, but also have more opportunities to become distracted. Like most changes it comes with its advantages and disadvantages. I think I would have loved it as the ability to get the notes any time, and the online nature of assignments and quizzes would have kept me organized. The ability to surf when the teacher gets boring? That would probably take a bit more getting used to.

I have already started increasing the resources available outside of class, and have taught all of my students how to hand in assignments and take quizzes or tests online. With classroom laptops, however, I would want a management system. Software installed on each student's computer that would allow me to see what every student was doing, and take control or shut down the computer as necessary. University may be the place for increased personal responsibility, but I care far too much as to whether or not you're understanding the material to allow students that much distraction without a way to return you to task.

I'm curious to know what students think. Some have already started bringing a laptop to class. I haven't banned laptops, as some teachers are wont to do, as I do recognize the potential and the numbers are not high enough to worry about. As numbers increase, however, I will eventually be forced to either ban the laptop and force you to use dead trees to write on, or I will insist you install classroom management software on your laptop in order to have it in class.

Knowing your teacher could take control of your laptop at any point seems a little creepy, although the program would be under your control. Outside of class you simply wouldn't start the program, but inside the class it would be running in order to have the privilege of having your laptop out. Would it be worth it? Let me know.

Cheers,

Ron Neufeld
Canada's Best Boarding School