Professors routinely complain about students who spend class time on Facebook or texting their friends or otherwise making it clear that their attention is elsewhere. But is it acceptable for a faculty member to deal with these disruptions by walking out of class?
Two years ago, a Syracuse University professor set off a debate with his simple policy: If he spots a student texting, he will walk out of class for the day.
Now two faculty members at Ryerson University, in Toronto, sparked discussion at their institution with a similar … policy – and their university's administrators and faculty union have both urged them to back down, which they apparently have.
…Two professors who teach an introductory engineering course in chemistry jointly adopted a policy by posting it on the courses' Blackboard sites. The professors vowed to make tests more difficult, to encourage students to pay attention. And the professors said that after three warnings about disruptions such as cell phone discussions and movies playing on laptops, the professors would walk out of class – and students would have to learn the rest of that day's material themselves….
The student newspaper described a chaotic environment in the class where the faculty members made the threat to walk out, with loud chatting among students and even paper airplanes being shot around the room. … One student wrote about "a whole row of kids" chatting and reading Facebook throughout a recent lecture.
But this student added these questions: "Was it really fair to leave the class based on the actions of these few students? Why were we all reprimanded for their bad mistakes?"....
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2 comments:
I do find it wrong for a professor to walk out of class however from day one it should be stated that cell phones should not be used in class, it is rude and disruptive. In today's society in the US folks feel that it is acceptable, NOT!
The Board should make this an agenda item for discussion and make it a Policy.
If i hear a cell phone, Pop Quiz for the entire class.
If I see you playing with your phone you are dismissed, 3 strikes and you are out. This is a college not a cafe.
A professor walking out of class based on the actions of a minority of students in the class is grossly unfair to those who actually pay attention and behave respectfully. The professor should eject the offender(s), not cheat the rest of the students of the class they're paying to attend, and that the professor is being paid to teach.
Simply skipping out on the session and hoping that the other students will deal with the offenders via peer pressure is just wrong. It's part of the instructor's job to maintain control of the classroom and to set an example. In cases where a few students are being disruptive, it makes more sense to eject them.
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