Laptop-use policies vary by class
Kimberly Tsao
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: News
While there is no campus policy that restricts laptop-use during class, some instructors prohibit students from using laptops in class for outside purposes. Since that can be difficult to monitor, other faculty members ban laptop-use altogether.
"I have one evening class, and I've already had to tell them to stop," said Cathleen Miller, professor of English. "It's unfortunate because I know it's an efficient way for people to take notes, but it's also really distracting when people are doing that. I feel it's rude."
"In the future, it's going to be on my syllabus," she said.
Ninh Pham-Hi, SJSU informations security officer, said the California State University chancellor's office is in the process of drafting a policy related to computer information security. He said this will concern high-level CSU-wide issues, not about specific or "lower-level" classroom situations.
One of the policy requirements might be that laptops connecting to the campus network will need to have, at the least, updated anti-virus protection, Pham-Hi said. Otherwise, students are not allowed to access all functions of the network, including confidential information such as grades or financial data, Pham-Hi said.
As with other issues, the chancellor's office will offer the pending policies either as a recommendation or as a mandate via executive order, which would require SJSU and other CSU campuses to comply. Pham-Hi said that at this stage in the process, the office is still working on the second draft.
Given that restricted laptop-use isn't an SJSU policy yet, some instructors have written it in as a classroom guideline in their syllabuses.
"I think it's pointless," said Kimberly Knoll, a junior animation illustration major. "People are going to do it anyway, and there's no way to check. I think if they want to prohibit that then they need to specifically say, 'Laptop lids down.' One of my teachers used to say that when she gave her lectures."
Still, many students use their laptops in class for other things.
"Sometimes when the professor is really, really boring or going off in a tangent, I may check my e-mail," said Andrae Macapinlac, a junior political science major. "I said 'may,' though."
Milan Balinton, a junior communications studies major, said he agrees.
"Being a college student, we also have jobs and important lives, and I'm also involved in the community on campus and try to multitask per se," he said
Some said they are more accepting of the rule.
"The professor is the one who really teach the class, so he has the right to give out his own policy," said William Nguyen, a senior accounting major. "You don't like it? Take another course."
For others, the laptop rule isn't a problem.
"I don't use it in class. The Internet's much slower," said Grace Ye, a senior international business major.
Several instructors, such as those who teach BUS120 classes, actually require laptop use, but even that has its disadvantage.
"We take our exams on our computer in the business labs, and someone was Googling answers," said Neda Haghighat, a senior accounting information systems major.
"The teacher did say something, but now, she has this program," she said. "So while we're taking the exams, she can actually see all our desktops."
Assistant professor of history Glen Gendzel said he tries a more creative approach to limit laptop-use in his classes. He allows students to use only handwritten notes come exam time, he said.
If students violate an instructor's policy, they may be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, which goes by the CSU Student Code of Conduct. The office's punishments range from writing a reflective paper to restitution to expulsion.
For confidential reasons, Anthony Arrington, administrative assistant in the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, said he couldn't confirm which punishments apply to which violations. Nor could he confirm if there have been any cases regarding laptop-use or which codes students have broken.
"I have one evening class, and I've already had to tell them to stop," said Cathleen Miller, professor of English. "It's unfortunate because I know it's an efficient way for people to take notes, but it's also really distracting when people are doing that. I feel it's rude."
"In the future, it's going to be on my syllabus," she said.
Ninh Pham-Hi, SJSU informations security officer, said the California State University chancellor's office is in the process of drafting a policy related to computer information security. He said this will concern high-level CSU-wide issues, not about specific or "lower-level" classroom situations.
One of the policy requirements might be that laptops connecting to the campus network will need to have, at the least, updated anti-virus protection, Pham-Hi said. Otherwise, students are not allowed to access all functions of the network, including confidential information such as grades or financial data, Pham-Hi said.
As with other issues, the chancellor's office will offer the pending policies either as a recommendation or as a mandate via executive order, which would require SJSU and other CSU campuses to comply. Pham-Hi said that at this stage in the process, the office is still working on the second draft.
Given that restricted laptop-use isn't an SJSU policy yet, some instructors have written it in as a classroom guideline in their syllabuses.
"I think it's pointless," said Kimberly Knoll, a junior animation illustration major. "People are going to do it anyway, and there's no way to check. I think if they want to prohibit that then they need to specifically say, 'Laptop lids down.' One of my teachers used to say that when she gave her lectures."
Still, many students use their laptops in class for other things.
"Sometimes when the professor is really, really boring or going off in a tangent, I may check my e-mail," said Andrae Macapinlac, a junior political science major. "I said 'may,' though."
Milan Balinton, a junior communications studies major, said he agrees.
"Being a college student, we also have jobs and important lives, and I'm also involved in the community on campus and try to multitask per se," he said
Some said they are more accepting of the rule.
"The professor is the one who really teach the class, so he has the right to give out his own policy," said William Nguyen, a senior accounting major. "You don't like it? Take another course."
For others, the laptop rule isn't a problem.
"I don't use it in class. The Internet's much slower," said Grace Ye, a senior international business major.
Several instructors, such as those who teach BUS120 classes, actually require laptop use, but even that has its disadvantage.
"We take our exams on our computer in the business labs, and someone was Googling answers," said Neda Haghighat, a senior accounting information systems major.
"The teacher did say something, but now, she has this program," she said. "So while we're taking the exams, she can actually see all our desktops."
Assistant professor of history Glen Gendzel said he tries a more creative approach to limit laptop-use in his classes. He allows students to use only handwritten notes come exam time, he said.
If students violate an instructor's policy, they may be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, which goes by the CSU Student Code of Conduct. The office's punishments range from writing a reflective paper to restitution to expulsion.
For confidential reasons, Anthony Arrington, administrative assistant in the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, said he couldn't confirm which punishments apply to which violations. Nor could he confirm if there have been any cases regarding laptop-use or which codes students have broken.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
nt
posted 3/01/08 @ 9:24 PM PST
i feel like this policy is not fair. i, personally, can not write too much because my hand tends to stiffen which makes it hard to write after a few lines. (Continued…)
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