Clickity-click. Click.The sound of students typing away on their laptops is becoming more prevalent around Guilford College’s campus. It is rare to look around and not see a student working away on a laptop.

There are a number of Guilford professors who allow students the use of laptops in the classroom. However, questions have arisen about the effectiveness of this policy.

Professors are not the only ones finding fault with the use of laptops; some students agree that laptop usage can be a nuisance.

“It helps when documents on Moodle need to be analyzed, but otherwise it is a distraction,” said first-year Nigel Espey.

“When I first started teaching a few years ago, I equated the use of laptops with texting during class,” said Writing Instructor Jennie Thompson. “It came across as a great annoyance, because students seemed distracted and disinterested when using these devices. But I have come to understand that this technology can be vital for some students’ engagement in a course.”

It is not uncommon to see the signature blue Facebook glow reflected in a student’s glasses during class. This abuse of the privilege granted by some professors has forced professors to alter their laptop policies.

“I’m very concerned that students are distracted by their laptops, and I know they frequently use their laptops for activities not related to class (Internet, Facebook, etc.),” said Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Tom Guthrie. “I’ve had a problem with this in the past and have considered not allowing students to use laptops in my class at all.”

Thompson has begun to rethink her laptop policy as well – allowing more of her students to use them.

“Each semester my policy gets more and more open for laptop use,” said Thompson. “At this point, I treat it as a privilege that can be revoked if someone is on Facebook or surfing the Web for things unrelated to class.”

Many Guilford students believe that technology increases their ability to learn and comprehend concepts in the classroom.

“With wireless Internet we can look up information online when we need it,” said sophomore and geology major Yaojie Wang.

“Also, I personally think I take notes better and faster on a computer than writing things down with a pen.”

Guilford is not the only college in the nation to see an increase in reliance on technology.

According to CNN, Oklahoma State University has plans to incorporate iPads in certain classes. ABC News also reported that Seton Hill University has already begun providing every full-time student with an iPad.

Wang stated that she does feel students are becoming more dependent on technology.

“I can’t live or do my work, especially writing papers, without a computer,” said Wang. “Technology does make our life more efficient.”

Technology is also a beneficial component that aligns well with Guilford’s sustainability themed year of “Green and Beyond.” For instance, with the increasing use of laptops in classrooms, students are effectively decreasing their ecological footprint.

More than ever, professors are requiring assignments to be typed and submitted through Moodle – cutting down on the amount of paper and ink used.

“I like Moodle,” said sophomore Joshua Ballard. “It doesn’t use as much paper and I think it presents an opportunity for the teachers to pick and choose items to read. They don’t have to look at a book and decide on whether it should be required reading, they can just choose whatever they like and put it up to read.”

Currently, it seems that the majority of Guilford students agree that laptops in the classroom are more beneficial than detrimental. Professors continue to allow the use of laptops in their class, as long as the privilege is not abused.

“I trust that if a student is using a laptop it is because it is a useful tool for them, for both taking notes and studying,” said Part-Time Lecturer in Psychology Sara DeHart-Young. “Some students can type faster than they can write, and I am fine with students using whatever means available to them in order to successfully master the material.”

As more advances in technology appear, it will be no surprise if the use of technology in classrooms – at all levels – increases as well.

Clickity-click. Click.The sound of students typing away on their laptops is becoming more prevalent around Guilford College’s campus. It is rare to look around and not see a student working away on a laptop.

There are a number of Guilford professors who allow students the use of laptops in the classroom. However, questions have arisen about the effectiveness of this policy.

Professors are not the only ones finding fault with the use of laptops; some students agree that laptop usage can be a nuisance.

“It helps when documents on Moodle need to be analyzed, but otherwise it is a distraction,” said first-year Nigel Espey.

“When I first started teaching a few years ago, I equated the use of laptops with texting during class,” said Writing Instructor Jennie Thompson. “It came across as a great annoyance, because students seemed distracted and disinterested when using these devices. But I have come to understand that this technology can be vital for some students’ engagement in a course.”

It is not uncommon to see the signature blue Facebook glow reflected in a student’s glasses during class. This abuse of the privilege granted by some professors has forced professors to alter their laptop policies.

“I’m very concerned that students are distracted by their laptops, and I know they frequently use their laptops for activities not related to class (Internet, Facebook, etc.),” said Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Tom Guthrie. “I’ve had a problem with this in the past and have considered not allowing students to use laptops in my class at all.”

Thompson has begun to rethink her laptop policy as well – allowing more of her students to use them.

“Each semester my policy gets more and more open for laptop use,” said Thompson. “At this point, I treat it as a privilege that can be revoked if someone is on Facebook or surfing the Web for things unrelated to class.”

Many Guilford students believe that technology increases their ability to learn and comprehend concepts in the classroom.

“With wireless Internet we can look up information online when we need it,” said sophomore and geology major Yaojie Wang.

“Also, I personally think I take notes better and faster on a computer than writing things down with a pen.”

Guilford is not the only college in the nation to see an increase in reliance on technology.

According to CNN, Oklahoma State University has plans to incorporate iPads in certain classes. ABC News also reported that Seton Hill University has already begun providing every full-time student with an iPad.

Wang stated that she does feel students are becoming more dependent on technology.

“I can’t live or do my work, especially writing papers, without a computer,” said Wang. “Technology does make our life more efficient.”

Technology is also a beneficial component that aligns well with Guilford’s sustainability themed year of “Green and Beyond.” For instance, with the increasing use of laptops in classrooms, students are effectively decreasing their ecological footprint.

More than ever, professors are requiring assignments to be typed and submitted through Moodle – cutting down on the amount of paper and ink used.

“I like Moodle,” said sophomore Joshua Ballard. “It doesn’t use as much paper and I think it presents an opportunity for the teachers to pick and choose items to read. They don’t have to look at a book and decide on whether it should be required reading, they can just choose whatever they like and put it up to read.”

Currently, it seems that the majority of Guilford students agree that laptops in the classroom are more beneficial than detrimental. Professors continue to allow the use of laptops in their class, as long as the privilege is not abused.

“I trust that if a student is using a laptop it is because it is a useful tool for them, for both taking notes and studying,” said Part-Time Lecturer in Psychology Sara DeHart-Young. “Some students can type faster than they can write, and I am fine with students using whatever means available to them in order to successfully master the material.”

As more advances in technology appear, it will be no surprise if the use of technology in classrooms – at all levels – increases as well.