Classroom Laptops an ‘Attractive Nuisance’ and Rumor Monger
Georgetown law professor David Cole is siding with other legal academics who have decided to ban laptops from their classrooms.
Cole banned laptops beginning in 2006, calling them an “attractive nuisance.” He explained why in a recent interview with the Washington Post.
“This is like putting on every student’s desk, when you walk into class, five different magazines, several television shows, some shopping opportunities and a phone, and saying, ‘Look, if your mind wanders, feel free to pick any of these up and go with it.’ ”
Classroom laptops can also be used to quickly spread rumors, as illustrated, albeit unintentionally, by one of Cole’s colleagues. He told students that Chief Justice John G. Roberts was stepping down—a tall tale designed to demonstrate credibility problems, according to earlier reports by Above the Law.
The students quickly spread the report online. One gossip blog carried “exclusive news” stating the rumor as fact, followed by another exclusive report that Roberts would stay on the bench after all.
Some law students see benefits from bans. Four-fifths of Cole’s students said they were more engaged in classroom discussions without the laptops, the Post says. Ninety-five percent admitted they had used laptops for purposes other than note-taking.
Another law professor, Eugene Volokh, banned laptops in one of his first-year classes and surveyed students for their reaction. Seventy-one percent said the policy had a strongly positive or slightly positive effect on their concentration in class.
But don’t ask Cooley 3L Shady Yassin to give up his laptop. He was so reluctant to part with the device that he disarmed a rifle-toting robber who burst into a Michigan coffeehouse, demanding computers and other valuables.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “More Law Profs Ban Laptop Use in Class”
