Last term, chemistry professor Paul Engelking complained about students using laptop computers during class for non-academic purposes. He was upset and said other students were distracted by these visual amusements as well.
For those who have had the frustrating experience of sitting behind someone who just can’t seem to figure out the obvious answers to Yahoo.com’s Text Twist, the possibilities for distraction provided by wireless access should be obvious.
But calling for a ban on wireless access in classrooms, as Engelking recommended doing before the University Senate in October, is an unnecessary step.
Foremost, students should be allowed to waste their in-class time as they see fit. After all, they are paying for the class and sometimes laptops can provide a much-needed moment of entertainment during lulls in a lecture.
If students are looking at the screen of a classmate’s wireless device, chances are they are already so bored they want a distraction.
Should the sound of typing or mouse-clicking become disruptive, however, offending students should be asked to stop.
Engelking also said some wireless networks use the same kind of wavelengths as microwave ovens, and that these devices could have negative effects on one’s health.
This claim is is ludicrous. Most wireless cards emit little radiation and they pose much less of a health threat than the ubiquitous cell phone.
Students should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities provided by wireless devices in classrooms, and they should be able to use these devices for whatever they want, assuming professors allow laptops in their classrooms. Instructors always retain the right to simply ban the use of computers during class.
If this topic ever comes before the University Senate, we urge its members to maintain access to this technology.