Friday, May 4, 2007

Laptops in the Classroom

Many universities are giving up on their idea of "One Laptop Per Student" theory in the classroom because computers interfere with learning.

Traditional Universities
also want to remove WiFi and other communication connections from being available during teaching sessions because students are surfing the web and creating email instead of being involved in class.

When the classroom becomes virtual and the only way to communicate and learn and interact is through the keyboard or the video conference -- one begins to realize the irreconcilable conflict between traditional learning methods and the necessary collaborative memes of Distance Learning.

We believe not in "one laptop per student" but in "multiple computers for all students" and we get there by internetworking and creating connectoids to each other.

6 comments:

Janna M. Sweenie said...

All students should be able to have free access their computers and I'm glad Boles University requires that use in order to learn and interact.

Boles University ™ said...

Our future belongs to computers and we belong to each other -- so if we can convincingly join those two truths into a into a single belonging we then begin to change the way we share memes and learn.

Katha said...

I completed my Masters from a "Laptop University", more so - it was a wireless campus.

Banning the use of technology seems like swimming against the tide, I think the method of teaching should be so innovative and engaging that students will be bound to pay attention - regardless of having laptop or whatever.

Boles University ™ said...

Thank you for your real life experience, Katha! You're right that traditional universities can create a campus ether of their own that has a being and a purpose beyond walls and chairs.

Katha said...

Right David!

The point I don't understand is - why this rift?

Technology can be used in so many ways...I have seen the example myself; why the resistance then?

Boles University ™ said...

The resistance, Katha, is between learning styles. Old school professors do not find value in the online medium. They prefer the in-person lecture format. The online people came from the classroom, so they are better able to translate the experience from the classroom and into the ether.

Post a Comment