Effective immediately, Facebook will now be banned in all classrooms at Tech. Experts agree that the effects of browsing the popular networking site during class are extremely harmful to GPAs. Students are less likely to learn and participate in class discussions when they are on Facebook instead of paying attention.
Additionally, Facebook is distracting not only to the student using it, but to other students sitting around them. Teachers everywhere agree that laptops should only be used in class for taking notes, not for browsing the internet. They are considering turning off the internet altogether in lecture halls, although some argue that students need the internet to check their e-mail.
The recent backlash against Facebook has been caused by increasingly low class participation and feedback. “Lecture halls used to be a forum for debate and discussion, but now I feel like I’m talking to a wall of laptops,” said Dr. McGonagall. Laptop use in classrooms has become commonplace, but this controversy has caused some to question whether this is a good thing or not.
Many professors say that asking a student to choose between a laptop full of fun alternatives such as Facebook and a boring although insightful class lecture is just dumb; obviously students are going to give into temptation and get on Facebook.
Studies have shown that students who are on Facebook every day in class have as low an average as students who don’t come at all.
Some professors think this ban will not solve anything. “If students don’t want to pay attention in class, they won’t. Turning off Facebook won’t solve the problem,” said Dr. Snape.
Others agree with Snape, stating that there are always going to be distractive factors in the lives of students, those that choose to ignore them are the ones who will get good grades, while those that allow themselves to be distracted will fail. You cannot force somebody to want to learn.
However, the alarming growth of Facebook use in classrooms has forced the administration to take action. OIT will begin a rollout of a Facebook blocking add-on with all LAWN connections within the next week.