There are many students at Cal State Long Beach who use their laptops to take notes in class. While this note-taking method can be useful for taking clear and concise notes, it can also be a source of distraction for the other students during class.
“I prefer that students do not use laptops, although I will not stop them from doing so. The problem is students usually are not engaged enough in the class and begin to play around on the Internet,” said David Odasso, a communications teacher assistant. “I had a young lady utilizing her computer during a class lecture and I heard her inhale deeply – loud enough to make me stop and ask her what was wrong. After prodding, she revealed that Anna Nicole Smith had been found dead. I had to ask her to focus back on the class.”
Whether or not a laptop is allowed in class is at the discretion of the teacher. When it becomes a distraction, some teachers have stopped in the middle of a lecture to request that students put their laptops away.
“Teachers do mind when students are using their laptops to go on MySpace and other Web sites rather than just taking notes,” said junior Rachel Byrne. “I tend to check my e-mail during the process. Sometimes just taking notes gets dull.”
Mark Dorrough, a lecturer and assistant director for the forensics department, said, “I have had a problem with students using [AOL] Instant Messenger in the middle of class. While this can distract the student, ultimately it cannot be stopped and it only hurts the student doing it.”
However, there are some students who use their computers in class responsibly.
“Taking notes on a laptop is more efficient. It takes less time to type rather than writing and I can listen to the lecture better,” said Stacy Anderson.
Overall, Odasso said he does not have a problem with students using their laptops in class as long as it is not disruptive to the other students. He said it only harmful to that student.
“If they choose to disrupt their own education, then so be it. Hopefully, their grade will enlighten them as to the problem,” Odasso said.
