> In any case, I was simply pointing out that this type of technology
> could potentially exacerbate and already existing issue, but maybe
> it could help swork on that issue at the same time if implemented
> correctly. Obviously you can't age a teenager to stop being a teenager
> ..
> --Kirk
I really hope folks don't try to solve the "students aren't paying
attention to the assignment" issue by way of augmenting these devices.
If it becomes impossible to slack off using the devices (and students
don't find a way to solve the problem themselves) at best you have
students ignoring the devices and slacking off through more traditional
means.
On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 12:31:56PM -0400, Kirk Gleason wrote:
> Oh I know. When I was a junior in High School we were supposed to be
> reading the Grapes of Wrath, and there was a group of us that sat in
> the back and somehow managed to play cards everyday in class. Mind you
> that this wasn't a huge class -- maybe 20 students, and 1/4 of the
> class was play cards. Not sure that the teacher ever knew ....
Imagine the class you talked about, if the one or two people responsible
for bringing in the cards used instead had inobtrusive devices they were
using to read more interesting books. Sure, their grades may have been
worse, as they could have slacked off more consistently, however, the
other students they sucked in to the card games would have been much
more likely to actually read the book.
In other words, the ability of individual students to discretely slack
off without disrupting the rest of the classroom is a feature, not a
bug. The class as a whole becomes more productive if the individuals
that are uninterested in doing particular assignments can slack off
without drawing in a crowd.
--
Steven Black <blacks@indiana.edu> / KeyID: 8596FA8E
Fingerprint: 108C 089C EFA4 832C BF07 78C2 DE71 5433 8596 FA8E
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