I definitely feel
that multitasking, especially in an educational setting is at an all time high.
When I am in class, I always notice when a student in front of me is not paying
attention. Every time I see it, I ask myself what can I do to multitask in
class and still do well in school? I guess I am old fashioned but I absolutely
hate taking my computer to class because I feel like it is my biggest
distraction from doing my work. I like almost every other college student will
find a way to avoid paying attention if it means doing something more
interesting to us. I feel like one of the biggest distractions to students is
ability to use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter during class.
Even though I am just as guilty as the next student for using social networks,
I still believe they are not very positive influences in a class setting.
One example of students
attempting to multitask actually happened to me just yesterday. I was sitting
in my business class and look to my left. I noticed that a couple of students
were on Facebook and playing video games on their computers. This showed that
these students had no intention of paying attention in class and that they only
show up because the professor takes attendance.
Now, or course, I am not
saying that using computers and social networks in classes is not all bad. I
actually have fallen victim to having to Google search a word or check
Wikipedia to learn about something a speaker was talking about. Computers are
very much a reliable and valuable tool in classes because it gives students
more interactive ways to learn instead of just looking at a PowerPoint or
hearing a professor speak for an hour or so.
This brings me to the
central question at hand. Should society focus on addressing filter failure?
Yes, society should focus on addressing filter failure because there has
been a big issue with filtering what students can see online in classes and
what students cannot see in classes. I personally remember in high school that
while we were allowed to bring our laptops to school; we had to register them
with the technology department. Along with the registration came the
understanding that some of our commonly used websites would be blocked in the
process while we were on school grounds. Among the main websites that were
blocked were social networking sites like Facebook and sports sites like
ESPN.com.
One thing that I
definitely found interesting was the study included in the Facebook and Lower
Grades article because it is just interesting to see how much social networking
can negatively affect one’s academic performance. It just goes to show how
little people know about the psychological implications that social networks
can have on a person. One other article that I read highlights how social
networking can hinder a person’s ability to successfully multitask. One would
think that it was a constructive way to develop that skill but the study in my
linked article explains that it actually narrows a person’s attention and
hinders them from being able to think about multiple things at the same time.
All in all, it all is up to the student and whether he or she can handle the difficulties that are connected to using social networks in an academic setting.
http://www.educationnews.org/technology/students-social-skills-hindered-by-digital-multi-tasking/
You are so right on. The attempting of "mulch-tasking" is very heavy in the classroom environments these days. But I do think it is depending on the individual. Some can be on their laptop and not check a social network at all, some may check every now and then, and then some may be on it the whole time. So it is dependent on the individual. The article's you mention sound very interesting. I think you could've made this blog more of a dialogue with the reader than just a blank slate analysis but it is cool. Nice work. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember reading that same article between the correlation amongst social networking and lower academic grades; but I think it would be a logical fallacy to think that that was a major contributor to their slumping grades. If someone is going on Facebook when they should be paying attention or doing homework, I think that their procrastination or lack of focus to begin with is more to blame. Facebook is just a tool and we use it, so it's harsh to blame the social networking rather than us for the lower grades. All in all though, good blog post and a damn good meme at the end!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your stance on having computers in class. While many students choose to spend their class-time on websites such as Facebook and Twitter, computers have the ability to enhance a students learning experience in so many ways. Take Jour289i for example; the entire class revolves around our computers. We use so many new forms of educational technology such as Blackboard IM and Wimba Classroom that make the class different from any other, and keep students active and interested in what they are learning. As far as your solution to filter failure, my high school had a similar policy on using computers in class. However, I don’t believe that such a policy would go over very well with the student body here at Maryland.
ReplyDeleteYour point is good here. Multitasking has become a problem, but I feel like society, in an academic setting, filtering out information won't do anything. It is basically up to the individual. Many academic classes at universities allow laptops, but the professor can't be standing on your side to see you are not going on social networking sites or doing something unrelated to the class. Banning computers from lectures will really not do anything because students will find other ways to be distracted like doodling or even napping. The only way to really keep students from drifting off from school lectures is to literally stand next to them and watch them which is clearly not plausible. Students who want to learn will pay attention and not want to go on their laptops. Not paying attention in class will definitely reflect on that students grades. As for all the social networking sites, we can't blame them for students poor grade performance. The student chooses to go on these sites at their own will so they should be able to decide on how long to spend and or waste time on it. If they want to go on it on class then they can but it will hurt them later. But this was a nice blog, good job!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your view on laptops in the classroom. I bring a computer only when required because I know I won't be able to focus if I have a laptop in front of me. Like you said, the correlation between excessive social networking and lower grades makes complete sense. I hate how much time I spend on Facebook rather than on studying and during exams tons of students nationwide will block their Facebook just to get work done. What happened to our self control? I think it would be very interesting to have certain websites blocked while in a classroom, it would bring laptops and using the internet some sense while in the classroom. Students would pay attention to slides or websites being shown rather than chat sites, social networking, or sports sites. The picture you posted is very accurate unfortunately. Love the read thanks for the post :)
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely correct, when i bring my laptop to class i have a difficult time resisting from going on websites that have nothing to do with the class. Also there has been a countless amount of times that i have been on Facebook instead of studying. In regards to having certain websites blocked in classrooms, my high school had a system similar to this and no student was able to get on Facebook on any computer in the school. Self- control is something that i have for many things but the idea of multi tasking is always racing in my head. I feel that i could listen and be on Facebook at the same time but than i get back from class and completely forget what we learned. Very good post and really enjoyed the picture, extremely accurate.
ReplyDelete