Thinking Through Questions by Weston Anthony; Bloch-Schulman Stephen;

Author:Weston, Anthony; Bloch-Schulman, Stephen;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated
Published: 2020-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

{72} 4D

Develop two long-lever responses to each of the following issues.

SAMPLE

Issue: Off-topic computer use in class

Sample strong answer:

Students get pulled into distractions in class mostly when the class does not hold their full attention. You don’t surf the web or text your friends when you are doing something totally engaging. So one long-lever solution to the problem of off-topic computer use in class is to make the classes a lot more engaging. Make them faster-paced, involve students more. From what I hear of my sister’s classes in law school, everyone pays constant and close attention all the time, because anyone in the class may be called on at any moment to be cross-examined on the readings or on the discussion to that point. It’s pretty tense, but it is also how it is in court—that’s the point. You don’t want your lawyer doing anything off-topic in court either.

Might there be some opportunity in student computer use in class? Suppose teachers tried to make use of it, rather than suppress it? Some classes might call on students to do on-the-spot research online and report to the class. There are also many web-based exercises and simulations that classes might do together. Class notes, or even discussions running at the same time as the class proceedings, could be compiled in a Google Doc that is displayed on the classroom screens.

Comment:

In-class computer use is typically considered a problem, but framing it as such tends to block us from any other way of viewing it. As the last paragraph of this sample answer suggests, we might at least consider reversing direction entirely and actually build a pedagogy around it, rather than always try to ban or suppress it. Surely the availability of massive amounts of information and other computer-based aids should often be a huge advantage in the classroom.

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