Fwd: Competing with Iphones

From: "Evan Tiffany" <etiffany@sfu.ca>
To: "JD Fleming" <jfleming@sfu.ca>
Cc: "Behraad Bahreyni" <bba19@sfu.ca>, "Elise Chenier" <echenier@gmail.com>, "Nicky Didicher" <didicher@sfu.ca>, "David Andolfatto" <dandolfa@sfu.ca>, "Faculty Forum Mail List" <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>, "Christopher Pavsek" <cpavsek@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, July 5, 2013 2:21:35 PM
Subject: Re: Competing with Iphones

If one sat in the back of Senate, I wonder how many faculty one would find texting, FaceBooking, playing solitaire, or surfing the internet on a screened mobile device. One way to compete with these devices is to lead by example. I have noticed an increased tendency among even faculty to use their screened mobile devices during colloquia, department meetings, even during a job interview. Sometimes I will tease my colleagues about this--"I noticed you surfing the internet during the last colloquia." In this discussion, we should keep in mind that it is not just the "students these days" who are guilty of this type of behaviour.

Evan Tiffany

Associate Professor

Dept. of Philosophy

Simon Fraser University

etiffany@sfu.ca

On 2013-07-05, at 1:10 PM, JD Fleming wrote:

I wont hesitate to point out to students who are breaking laws, or health and safety regulations, or even social taboos, that it is incumbent upon them to stop. But I won't point out the same when the conduct is not the same. I fear fallacy too much.

JD Fleming

From: "Behraad Bahreyni" <bba19@sfu.ca>
To: "JD Fleming" <jfleming@sfu.ca>
Cc: "Elise Chenier" <echenier@gmail.com>, "Nicky Didicher" <didicher@sfu.ca>, "David Andolfatto" <dandolfa@sfu.ca>, "Faculty Forum Mail List" <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>, "Christopher Pavsek" <cpavsek@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, 5 July, 2013 12:58:32
Subject: Re: Competing with Iphones

I do not think banning students from using some gadgets has to do with their adulthood. We put a lot of restrictions on adults in the society for other peoples' sake (smoking in public places comes to mind). If you are texting or visiting Youtube or Facebook on your laptop/cellphone, you are a distraction to people around you and a hindrance to their learning. The same applies to a student who eats loudly or talks to his/her classmate for extended amount of time. As a prof, I think I need to step in and make sure the learning of my other students is not in jeopardy because a few students are not interested.

However, I also know that more and more students are leaning towards electronic note taking. I allow these devices for that purpose as long as the stay flat on the armrest so that what they are not distractions to others. Anybody needing a vertical screen (e.g., laptop) should sit at the last row.

Behraad

On 2013-07-05 11:48 AM, JD Fleming wrote:
I must confess that I have never felt one bit comfortable with the idea of "banning" my rational and adult students from doing anything -- least of all integrating their education with the current technological profile of our culture (which they understand, almost certainly, much better than I do) in whatever way they see fit.

Also, I suspect "yay prof" feedback from students who have just been told that they must submit to said prof's authority may not pass social-scientific standards of disinterestedness.

Love Nicky's clicker anecdote, though. JD Fleming

From: "Elise Chenier" <echenier@gmail.com>
To: "Christopher Pavsek" <cpavsek@sfu.ca>
Cc: "Nicky Didicher" <didicher@sfu.ca>, "David Andolfatto" <dandolfa@sfu.ca>, "Faculty Forum Mail List" <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, 5 July, 2013 11:39:00
Subject: Re: Competing with Iphones

I also ban all computers and phones in all my classes (unless a student has a special need to use one) and like Chris, this policy is in my syllabi and we talk about the policy in class. I explain that other students who are trying to focus are distracted by the texting and facebooking going on around them. I also tell them that I am addicted and if I did not have that policy I would be checking my facebook during lecture. They find this funny. Sadly, it might be true.

I do not get complaints about this policy. In fact, I get kudos for enforcing it.

I encourage everyone thinking of doing this to go for it.

Elise Chenier, History

Elise Chenier
Director, Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony (A LOT)
www.alotarchives.org
Associate Professor, Department of History
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6

On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 11:29 AM, Christopher Pavsek <cpavsek@sfu.ca> wrote:
I have banned the use of electronics in my lectures unless a student clears it with me ahead of time. If I see a student using a phone or laptop I simply speak to them at break or after class and tell them to please stop. I have pretty good compliance-- close to 100 percent. It's not just a matter of their own learning; the use of the technology is distracting to others and it is simply rude. Also, as I imagine using "team-based learning" more in my lectures, tech use would make that very difficult.

I simply put a note in my course outlines stating that electronic devices are not permitted. I haven't had many complaints.

Back when I was a German professor I remember reading research that demonstrated that taking notes by hand, instead of on a computer, led to greater retention of things like vocabulary and grammar.

The luddite in me can imagine a pencil leads to better retention than a pen, as well....

Chris
On 2013-07-05, at 11:23 AM, Nicky Didicher wrote:

> Good article, David: I think I'll post it for my classes in September.
>
> Last year I sat in on the lecture of a colleague who was using iclickers, which you'd think might have a chance of keeping students focused on task. Of the three students closest to my view, one was actually taking notes related to the class in a document and answering with the clicker, one had a social media site on the laptop screen but did seem to be half paying attention, and the third had a non-class site on her laptop, her phone beside it on which she was texting, and the clicker in her lap. This last student did use the clicker when other students did, but it seemed to me she just lifted the tool and clicked something randomly, because she neither looked at the clicker nor at the choices offered on the screen at the front of the hall.
>
> A few years ago I tried something with my big 1st-yr lecture class, which was telling them they weren't to use electronic devices for anything not related to class materials. If three people got caught doing so, then nobody could use any electronic devices for any reason (unless registered with the CSD). Eleven people got caught the first day--I had the TAs scattered around the hall observing. I gave them a second chance, and nine people were caught the second day. After that anyone caught with an electronic device on in class had to stand up and say "my name is X and I'm addicted to technology." I told them if they could go two weeks with nobody getting caught then everyone could have their devices back, whichy didn't happen till the second-last week of term. The class was very angry with me and wrote nasty things on Ratemyprof and their evaluations, but I hope they learned more and better than they would have otherwise.
>
> This Fall I'm doing another big 1st-yr lecture (255 students), and I'm thinking of trying something another colleague has done: designate the back sections of seats for those who want to multitask electronically, so they'll only be distracting themselves and each other, not students trying to focus. But again I'll have to have the TAs policing the students in the rest of the room, identifying people on Facebook or texting. Maybe sharing this article with them will be of some small help.
>
> Nicky Didicher
> English
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Andolfatto" <dandolfa@sfu.ca>
> To: "Faculty Forum Mail List" <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
> Sent: Friday, 5 July, 2013 09:55:03
> Subject: Competing with Iphones
>
>
> Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/05/multitasking_while_studying_divided_attention_and_technological_gadgets.html
>
>
> Regards,
> David

--
James Dougal Fleming
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Chair
Department of English
Simon Fraser University
778-782-4713

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