As a prof. I would certainly expect everyone to close their laptop. At least while I'm speaking. There's something rude about people looking elsewhere while you speak to them.
If you're the type of prof that doesn't post lecture notes before or after a lecture, then you should expect that your students will take notes. Whether it be on paper or on a laptop, most students want something they can reference later from your lecture. In fact, even if you do post your lecture notes, there may be points that a student will want to write down for clarification.
Paper or laptop, you can't expect that the student will be looking at you the whole time. Taking notes is part of the learning process. The process is not about you, as a professor, getting what you want. It's about your students learning what they need to learn.
Slashdot Mirror
As a prof. I would certainly expect everyone to close their laptop. At least while I'm speaking. There's something rude about people looking elsewhere while you speak to them.
If you're the type of prof that doesn't post lecture notes before or after a lecture, then you should expect that your students will take notes. Whether it be on paper or on a laptop, most students want something they can reference later from your lecture. In fact, even if you do post your lecture notes, there may be points that a student will want to write down for clarification. Paper or laptop, you can't expect that the student will be looking at you the whole time. Taking notes is part of the learning process. The process is not about you, as a professor, getting what you want. It's about your students learning what they need to learn.