In the university classroom, the sight of a laptop is ubiquitous, but as the spring semester begins, doubts surrounding technology use are resurfacing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the wake of state and national movements<\/a> to limit technology such as cellphones during class hours, community members at Pitt are questioning the potential effectiveness of a screen ban in a higher educational setting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pitt students have previously cited becoming distracted<\/a> by other students who use laptops for reasons other than schoolwork in the classroom. In December, the Educational Policies Committee<\/a> debated whether a push for a University-wide ban on cellphones in the classroom would be a possible solution, citing issues like distraction and mental health concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n In K-12 classrooms across the U.S., schools are starting to lean towards stricter cellphone policies<\/a>. In Pennsylvania, a December bill proposing a bell-to-bell phone ban across schools in the state was supported unanimously<\/a> by the Senate Education Committee<\/a> and will go to the State Senate for consideration.\u00a0<\/p>\n Potential technological bans at the K-12 and university level would exclude<\/a> disabled students with accommodations and English learners who use technology to translate. Though Pitt\u2019s Educational Policies Committee did not reach an agreement on the ban in December, the consideration highlights larger questions in the community about technological distractions in class.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Some students, such as Rahitha Gopinathan, a junior bioengineering student, believe a screen ban would be ineffective despite the distractions in the classroom.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that [phones in the classroom] can be a good thing because students can use their phones for TopHat<\/a> or they might need to answer a text,\u201d Gopinathan said. \u201cThey might need to use it for an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n Gopinathan also said phones can be useful for academic reasons, such as taking pictures of notes on the board while sitting far away.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think a ban would be effective because people are going to find ways to use their phones, or their phones on their laptops<\/a>,\u201d Gopinathan said. \u201cI don\u2019t think a phone ban is effective at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Connor Donovan, a graduate math student in his final semester, said his math classes have been mostly technology-free. Though he said there are pros to technology, such as following along to the lecture with notes, students often benefit from a screen-free<\/a> environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also a T[eaching] A[ssistant], and people that aren\u2019t on their phones are definitely getting more out of recitation,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cI think that if you\u2019re paying for college, you should be responsible enough to stay off your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Riya Desai, a sophomore political science and music student, often becomes distracted in class doing homework for separate classes, scrolling online or playing The New York Times crossword puzzle. Despite distractions, Desai believes phone bans would be ineffective.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s dumb because there are emergencies,\u201d Desai said. \u201cPeople wouldn\u2019t listen to a phone ban in classrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n