I think there are some merits to your perspective but I don't think you can solve this problem with technology. We've tried clickers before and they provide for some interesting interaction in some courses, but it's logistically complex for academic units, especially in courses that have a significant number of non-majors who resent having to buy a clicker for one course. It also requires different pedagogical approaches that may or may not be appropriate depending on instructor teaching style. I could see this being effective in institutions where you can get a large percentage of faculty to buy into it.
Many instructors choose to tolerate laptops as a freedom of choice for students, who should be mature enough to make responsible decisions. It's up to the student to decide whether they attend class or pay attention when they are in class. However, there are two problems with this approach. First, the distraction impact is not limited to the student who is surfing in class. It impacts other students around them. Second, in my experience, attendance is consistently the variable that is most highly correlated with student grades. Sorry if this educational philosophy tangent isn't appropriate for this forum, but I have always been frustrated by IT managers and vendors who assume that more technology in the classroom is always a good thing. dm On 11/19/10 3:16 PM, "Urrea, Nick" <urr...@uchastings.edu> wrote: > We have been wrestling with this idea of blocking students on our > wireless for some time. > I think the solution is to provide technology that increases student > participation in classroom so they won't be as distracted by social > media. > > Some technologies that I have come across: > Hotseat by Perdue. > http://www.itap.purdue.edu/studio/hotseat/ > Google Moderator and Forms come to mind. > The clickers seem to help. > > If anybody has ideas on technologies that work in the classroom I'm all > ears. > > > -- > Nicholas Urrea > Information Technology > UC Hastings College of the Law > urr...@uchastings.edu > x4718 > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv > [mailto:wireless-...@listserv.educause.edu] On Behalf Of Curtis, Bruce > Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 11:20 AM > To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU > Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] WiFi blockers in classrooms > > > On Nov 19, 2010, at 1:08 PM, Greg Schaffer wrote: > >> Oh, I don't think it's worth it; I believe this to be an instruction > issue, but there are good points on both sides. >> >> Wouldn't need re-authentication; just some method of kicking off those > authenticated users at specified times. I'm not a programmer, nor do I > know if this is done in any product, but I'd think it would be possible > to do. >> >> The sharing of access creds is a good point. BUT, if the > authentication was by machine and not user, that would go far in solving > that issue. For example, Enterasys NAC authenticates on MAC address > that has been registered by a user. SO the algorithm would be look at > class list, look at student user id, look at MAC(s) registered, perform > individual block action. > > MAC addresses are easily changed/spoofed on modern laptops, probably > not as easily spoofed on smartphones though yet (or is there already and > app for that?) > > Two factor identification would be more robust than machine > identification. Students might be less likely to share smartcards or > other physical devices than simple passwords. > >> >> And I will say again, yes, a lot of work to "solve" what I think is an > instructor issue, and yes it does nothing to address 3/4G. But it's an > interesting academic exercise...if you'll pardon the pun :) >> >> Greg >> >> On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 12:13 PM, Curtis, Bruce > <bruce.cur...@ndsu.edu> wrote: >> >> On Nov 19, 2010, at 10:35 AM, Greg Schaffer wrote: >> >>> >>> Finally, with regards to WiFi blocking, I don't think the simplest > solution has been offered yet. If the wireless is accessed via > credentials, create an LDAP/AD/Radius interface that can disable those > accounts during a specified class time, or on command from the > instructor. Can it be done? I don't see why not, but I may be missing > something(s)... >>> >>> Greg >> >> You would have to tune the wireless system to require > re-authentication quite often, otherwise students could just connect to > the network 5 minutes be fore class and still be connected during class. >> >> Also this would create a situation where students are highly > motivated to share their access credentials with others. >> >> Is the administrative overhead to enter all of the data for class > times worth it when the future will only bring higher and higher > percentages of students with smart phones or netbooks that access the > Internet through 3G and 4g celluar? >> >> >> ********** Participation and subscription information for this > EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. >> > > --- > Bruce Curtis bruce.cur...@ndsu.edu > Certified NetAnalyst II 701-231-8527 > North Dakota State University > > ********** > Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group > discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
