Professors vs. WiFi

murky.waters writes "The New York Times (free registration, profiling) has an article about the opposing views of teacher's demanding attention and students seeking distraction; the current trend toward wireless Internet access in the classroom has students surfing the web and checking their email from the backrow, while instructors are climbing up the ladder... to disconnect the Access Point." Makarand writes "University Wi-Fi networks are heavily impacting student campus life according to this article on NewsObserver.com. In addition to allowing them to keep working while not in their computer labs, the wireless networks allow them to keep in touch with their family, better organize time, complete coursework in shorter periods of time, collaborate with other students and bring computing power into classrooms not available before."

Comments

Re:So whats the role of the professor that you pay

[Tet]

Who wins here? Why should I the student pay YOU the professor to give YOU the professor my attention? What do I get out of this deal?

The chance of an education. You get to turn up, and either absorb or ignore the information you're being taught. Which of those you do is entirely your choice. The fact that you're paying is utterly irrelevant. If you expect University staff to behave differently because you're paying their wages, then you fundametally don't grasp how education works. Personally, I approve of blocking WiFi access. If you want to access the net, then do so (outside of the lecture theatre). If not, go to the lecture and learn something. Again, your choice. From the University's perspective, it makes sense to encourage people to pay attention, as that has a bearing on pass rates, which will affect student numbers, and hence income, for future years.

I'm paying to be there, let me be!

[ScannerBoy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I'M PAYING TO ATTEND YOUR DAMN CLASS! I'm paying your salary to do as I please, so long as it does not disrupt your ability to teach and other students ability to learn.

Profs have this fancy notion that by somehow speaking the words from the books aloud in their voice it somehow makes the info "easier to understand" and "more important." Very few lectures have I attended in my college career that were anything more than regurgitated book quotes with a few stories and examples in between.