texting in class

[I.A.S.K.]

Originally Posted by Kappamd

If you're not going to pay attention in class, then why come?

Because the professors hold against you when you dont come and attendance is a part of your grade, maybe?


If I make the effort to get up and come to class Im going to participate. I have txtd in class. I do not text in small classes. I only text in my really large Econ class. The professor isnt the best and I usually am not up front. All of my other classes Im right in front of the teacher.
For some of my classes I find that actually going is not useful to me if I actually do the assigned reading/work. I get incredibly mad when the professor/teacher is of no value and attending class is of no value. For the most part I care about getting an A and at least a B in a class more than anything.
I know of people who cheat via text message. Its not rare. It happens often in large classes. Small classes not at all. I have used the calculator on my cell phone to take a two hour Econ test twice. I wasnt cheating and if I was cheating I wouldnt have been caught. The general rule is that you cant use your celly during a test and if youre caught you'll be asked to put it away.

[AGDee]

The main reason that I waited a long time to get a cell phone is because I really dislike that, as these technologies grow, people expect you to be immediately available to them all the time. I find this incredibly annoying. Will the younger generations be able to wait for anything ever? I often tell my daughter that it will not harm anything if she waits 10 minutes to answer a text. I've had to ban texting at the dinner table, while shopping with me.. all kinds of situations. I don't know how to get the point across that IT IS OK TO NOT BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS ALL THE TIME. This includes while interacting with people at work, while in class, while eating a meal with people, etc. I do try to make myself immediately available to my children because of the chance that it could be an emergency, but anybody else? They wait until I'm ready and available to answer.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I've never done it, I never will. I've been considering doing a little work next semester as an adjunct at a local university. Do undergrad profs usually put up with this? This hasn't happened during my law school experience, so I don't even know how a professor would handle it. On first impression, it seems very rude/disrespectful, but then again, the student paid to be there, so if they want to not pay attention, I don't see a huge problem so long as it's not a disruption.

One of my professors had a pretty novel idea when it came to texting/surfing the internet on laptops -- she made us sign a contract subject to sanctions under the school's honor code stating that misuse of technology would mean possible expulsion.

I'm not sure whether it's something I care about or not. The way I look at it is if you're a student and I'm the prof, you paid to be here and if you can multitask, fantastic.

I've had professors who've called out students in the middle of class for surfing or texting. The students aren't subject to academic sanctions, but they're seriously embarrassed when the whole class is looking at them. Plus, in classes where participation counts, they can pretty much count on losing some points.

I think the bigger issue is people surfing the internet during class. I know some law school professors have banned laptops from their classes, and some schools have shut off wireless internet in certain classrooms.

[Thetagirl218]

Texting wasn't really popular until my last year in college. There were a few classes my last semester, I did text in....I couldn't stand the classes or the professors...I didn't learn much outside of the book from those classes.

As for facebooking in class, I didn't bring my laptop to class on purpose. I knew that if I did bring my laptop, I would get too distracted, so I opted for a notebook and a pencil.

Now that I am a teacher (high school), I realize how annoying cell phones can be...my students are not allowed to have their cell phones, but I must catch at least one student a week texting during class or in the hallways...

[nate2512]

i text pretty regularly in class, as long as its not a disruption, how am i hurting anyone else?

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by nate2512

i text pretty regularly in class, as long as its not a disruption, how am i hurting anyone else?

Ditto.

I stopped texting in class after a teacher filed a complaint against me...and I had never texted in his class before. I fought it, but I knew all my profs would be watching me after that. Althought the ones I did text in had never caught me (or didn't care), I would probably get double punishment after that stunt. Now, I usually IM or facebook chat. I've never cheated through text and don't know anyone who has tried.

I remember in 7th grade, kids would do sign language under their desks during multiple choice tests as a way to compare answers from across the room. To the teachers, it just looked like their were flexing their fingers.

[ZetaGirl22]

OMG texting in class drives me BATTY! I finished my BA in 2002. That was really the advent of the "everyone and their grandma has a cell phone" phase. Texting wasnt really popular then. Last year, however, I went back to school for nursing, which is another undergrad program. There is this girl that sits next to me, isnt more than 19, that texts through THE ENTIRE CLASS..............every week! It is SOOOOO distracting, as I am actually trying to pay attention and learn! And this isnt some breeze course either! Its Human Anatomy and Physiology 2! No wonder she was whining about how unfairly difficult she thought our first exam was last week in lab.

[PeppyGPhiB]

These kids who have "a hard time" ignoring phone calls, text messages and emails at certain times are going to have a hell of a time once they get into the work force. There will come a time when they should be able to let go of work for the day/vacation/weekend, and they won't be able to do it. They'll always be connected, and therefore their bosses will "expect" them to always respond.

[ZTAMich]

Originally Posted by texas*princess

I haven't been in school for awhile, but even then, cell phones were completely outlawed by all my professors. My classes varied in size, most of the upper level classes were smaller (30ish students) but the other classes were bigger.

Hijack - I just love that the BIGGEST class I ever took had 30 students. Perks of a small school! My upper level classes had anywhere from 4-25 students.

If you can keep up with the pace of the class I say texting is fine. I'd rather turn my phone off and concentrate on getting the education I'm paying money to get. I didn't have a cell phone in college oddly enough. We text during meetings at work a lot - eek!

[Thetagirl218]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

These kids who have "a hard time" ignoring phone calls, text messages and emails at certain times are going to have a hell of a time once they get into the work force. There will come a time when they should be able to let go of work for the day/vacation/weekend, and they won't be able to do it. They'll always be connected, and therefore their bosses will "expect" them to always respond.

Another downside is these kids have a big wake up call in the work force when they want to text all throughout the work day! There are a couple other young teacher I work with at my school, and they always have their cell phones with them! They have even been known the answer texts during class! I always have my cell phone off or on vibrate, and I only answer if it is an emergency...we don't have phones in our rooms so I could understand family emergency, but besides that cell phones shouldn't be visible in the work place IMO.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by carnation

And how on earth is cheating by cell phone controlled?

During tests, I would tell students "anything not pertaining to the test should be put away".

In other words, only pens, pencils, scratch paper, the test paper itself should be on their desks. I might allow a calculator if it was that type of test (Engineering / Econ / Mathematics / CFA exam etc.)

Other than that, nothing else should be out. Zero tolerance during tests.

[nate2512]

no one said we ever expected to text all throughout our workday. it's college, lighten up people, besides, some of you people greekchat the whole day at work, give me a break. if i can accomplish my work and text someone all day, then leave me alone.

[VandalSquirrel]

I find the little clicky clicky key sounds super annoying, and even a vibrating sound in a bag or pocket distracting, as well as in a darkened room for films or presentations, the light from screens really distracting. I just try to sit up front and that usually helps with the visual distractions, the sounds, no so much.

I still don't understand why people can't go an hour without being in touch with others, but I really value quiet and personal time, as well as getting the most out of the money and time I put into school.

But I also don't drive and talk on the phone unless I have on a douchey ear piece.

[SWTXBelle]

Texting is a disruption - to the professor if he/she notices it, and to those around you. You may think it is not, and it may be that those around you 1.) think it isn't or 2.) won't say anything. I've known students to complain about a fellow student - but it shouldn't come to that. At any rate, just that fact that it COULD be a disruption should be reason enough not to do it for the hour - hour and a half of your class. Yes , it's "just college", but to some students, college is important, classes are an opportunity to learn, and what the professor is saying is worthy of attention. For example, run-on sentences are not good.

[GammaPhi88]

I'm a current undergrad, and I cannot stand people who insist on texting in class at ad nauseum. I understand that perhaps in a 300-person lecture freshman requirement class people may send a text or two, but I don't understand people who text all the freaking time.

Some people have gotten really bold, too. There is this girl I know, who, for the record, is not my favorite person in the world, sits right next to me in my favorite 300 level class with my favorite professor. She spends the entire time on her blackberry...and I'm not talking about her hiding it under her desk. I'm talking about her clicking away on the stupid thing with both hands, in plain sight. It's distracting, I really can't stand when she does it, it makes it really hard for me to concentrate. And we sit in the front row, three feet away from the professor. I really don't get people like this, they drive me insane.