Technology; can’t live with it, can’t live without it. As students in an academic classroom, we rely heavily on laptops to assist us with papers, to download lecture notes or slides and unfortunately, as a means to battle boredom by mindlessly web surfing during endless lectures.
Similarly, technology is often used in Laurier’s classrooms by professors as a means to make lectures more engaging and interactive.
However, the well-intended use of technological aspects becomes frustrating to students and professors alike, as a large portion of Laurier’s classrooms have been left behind by technological advancements.
Laurier’s technology is only effective if it’s reliable, and many professors refuse to incorporate any media aspects in lectures as it becomes more of a hassle than a help. In our digital age, it is ludicrous that the integration of technology into student learning is resisted due to technology at Laurier having such a severe lack of advancement.
While the onus is primarily on the university to provide the necessary resources to create more technology-friendly lectures, professors should also share that responsibility of learning to integrate technology with classes more effectively.
Naturally, this is a two-way street. If professors and the university take strides to ensure Laurier is keeping up with technology, students must respect when it is appropriate to use laptops in class.
While it can be argued that it is up to the student to decide whether they will pay attention or not, it negatively impacts the class environment as it causes distraction to both the professor and classmates.
With new measures, such as professors hiring students and TA’s to spy on the content of the classes’ laptop screens, it is clear that there needs to be better regulation surrounding the issue of technology and its use in the classroom.
Ultimately, the responsibility to standardize the use of technology falls to the university, professor and student. It has become essential that we respect each other’s use of these resources, for technology isn’t going away anytime soon.
—The Cord Editorial Board