[ATTW-L] The Death of Computer Classrooms

Tue Apr 17 13:02:38 UTC 2018

Just to pick up with what Rick was saying, since I'm in the same labs - not
only are those spaces rigid and often difficult to work with for activities
(not to mention for teachers accessing students who need help), no matter
how often the machines get updated or replaced, they are slow and
unreliable. Our students have access to loads of software on computers that
aren't dependable unless they find certain labs on campus, which doesn't
help in our computer classrooms. One example: if our students want access
to sound in one building's computer classrooms, they have to bring
non-bluetooth headphones, plug them in *before* logging in, and hope that
works. If it doesn't, they have to restart the computer. Logging in,
testing, and restarting a single time can take up to ten minutes. That's a
significant chunk of class time wasted for nothing more than tech issues
that students won't experience (usually) with their own tech.

We do have laptops we lend for class activities, and the other program I
teach in makes Chromebooks available during class as well and everything is
much smoother. I wish universities would simply allow students to check out
laptops if they don't have their own instead of maintaining computer
classrooms, so long as lab spaces are available on campus for more robust
work.

Alisha Karabinus
Assistant Mentor, Introductory Composition
Graduate Instructor, ENGL 106E
Doctoral Candidate, Rhetoric and Composition
Purdue University

On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 9:58 PM, Johnson, Richard D <rjohnso at purdue.edu>
wrote:

> Hey Mark,
>
> I'll share my experiences as a long-time computer classroom teacher, and
> we'll see what others have to say. I finally grew tired of teaching in
> computer labs. They're static, stale, and institutional. Plus, my students
> were bringing their laptops into the computer classroom anyway, preferring
> to work on their own machines rather than the desktop computers. And, I was
> tired of my students being forced to sit in rigid lines or rows of
> workstations, much like telemarketers. That arrangement was undermining my
> active learning approach and our team projects.
>
> So, a few years ago, I asked my students if they owned their own laptops.
> Every one said they owned their own machine and starting pulling them out
> of their backpacks. The price of a Chromebook and similar low-cost laptops
> is somewhere between $150 and $400, so owning a laptop is not prohibitively
> expensive for the majority of students. (That said, I'm aware that some
> underprivileged students cannot afford even a Chromebook. I work around
> that problem by bringing laptops for them, borrowed from our department.
> And, I'm aware some colleges and universities do not have enough funds to
> lend laptops. I get it.)
>
> Bottom line: Every classroom is a computer classroom If students bring
> their own laptops and have reliable wi-fi. (Again, exceptions apply here.
> Some campuses don't have reliable wi-fi.)
>
> Here are some benefits to the laptop classroom approach:
>
>    - The classroom is highly flexible as an active learning space. No
>    more rows of computer banks locking students into rigid lines.
>    - Students are familiar with their own machines, so no more
>    complaining about Mac or PC machines.
>    - Students can use any software they want for the basics, including
>    "free" internet based software like Google Docs. Lots of other software is
>    available for free, like Audacity.
>    - Students can share files through cloud-based file sharing sites and
>    have access to their files at all times.
>
>
> And here's my favorite benefit. When I want their attention for my brief
> 10-15 minute lecture, or a discussion of a reading, or a critique of a
> document's design, I ask them to put the lids down on their laptops. That
> way, I know I have their attention for that time period. Meanwhile, I don't
> need to police people on Instagram, playing Fortnight, watching Netflix,
> etc. When the lecture/discussion/critique is finished, the lids go up and
> we get to work.
>
> You asked about advanced software like the Adobe Suites, and that's one
> challenge. Many universities have Software Remote options that allow
> software to be used for free, including on campus. Others allow students to
> buy cheap site licenses.
>
> Also, Adobe Creative Cloud is reasonably priced for students and faculty
> ($19.99 a month, which works out to $60 a semester with the free trial).
> Again, I'm aware not everyone can afford that. For classes that need Adobe
> software, I keep that cost in mind and try to save student's money by
> choosing less costly textbooks. And, I'm aware that statement is ironic
> coming from me. That said, with a laptop, another benefit is that they have
> classroom access to less expensive e-versions of popular textbooks in our
> field.
>
> Listen, I know there are are a bunch of exceptions to what I've said
> above. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. I do know that traditional
> computer classrooms are very expensive to set up or replace (at least
> $100,000 per classroom, not to mention IT support and maintenance). And, my
> students and I were never happy with the computers or the learning
> environment. So, I think we should stop wasting millions on dinosaur
> computer classrooms, because that's coming out of our students' pockets in
> a hidden way.
>
> I"m also aware that people think laptops are a dying breed. I don't agree.
> It's hard to write and design documents on phones and tablets. Laptops and
> desktop computers are here to stay.
>
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> Professor Richard Johnson-Sheehan
> Department of English
> Purdue University
> 500 Oval Dr.
> 428 Heavilon Hall
> W. Lafayette, IN 47907
> rjohnso at purdue.edu
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
> From: ATTW-L <attw-l-bounces at attw.org> on behalf of Mark Crane <
> craniac at gmail.com>
> Date: Monday, April 16, 2018 at 5:27 PM
> To: "attw-l at attw.org" <attw-l at attw.org>
> Subject: [ATTW-L] The Death of Computer Classrooms
>
> Hi,
>
> I currently manage two computer classrooms with 20 machines apiece.  I've
> been in charge of them since 2002, with a break of about four or five years
> in the middle of that period.
>
> The classrooms are funded, with the exception of Adobe Creative Suite
> licenses, by student fees. This includes a couple of color laser printers.
>
> One thing I've noticed over the past few years is that with the
> proliferation of phones, tablets, Chromebooks and laptops that students are
> not logging into the lab machines as frequently, often preferring to work
> on their own devices, even if that means thumb typing on a phone.
>
> I recently put in a order for new machines, and was told that the order
> was on hold because the campus is moving towards a policy of no longer
> supporting computer classrooms (as opposed to standalone lab not attached
> to a course).
>
> So I'm just fishing here, wondering what your experiences have been with
> computer classrooms. Also, can you tell me:
>
> 1) What software packages do you use with your undergraduate technical
> communications courses
>
> and
>
> 2) Who pays for those licenses?
>
> Note: Microsoft Office, in some form, is free for the students and
> faculty.  (I hate teaching Intro Tech Comm with Word, for what it's worth)
>
> We are hoping to retain control of the rooms and hopefully will be able to
> use at least one of them for the teaching of technical communications for
> our Writing Studies emphasis.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Crane
> Utah Valley University
>
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