TURNING A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE WITH MODERN ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES
Michael Piczak, Nafia Al-Mutawaly · Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA) · 2015
In today’s society, electronic devicesrepresent an important part of the cultural fabric, especiallyfor the younger generation. Professors and lecturersteaching at post-secondary levels express concern whenstudents appear to be more interested in electronic devicesthan the content being presented in the classroom. Thesedevices permit the student to locate small snippets of dataand information leaving them largely incapable ofintegrating this data into comprehensive concepts. Anotherdrawback of using modern electronic devices in theclassroom relates to their misuse during examinations. Theargument from an educator’s perspective is: suppressionversus celebration, as electronic devices assume aubiquitous place and role in the classroom. Unable toeffectively compete with the apparent entertainment valueof iPods, iPads, cell phones and laptops, educators andpolicy makers enact a range of measures designed toenforce student engagement during class time. Institutionalresponses to the use of electronic devices include: policylanguage enshrined in course outlines, bans on suchdevices and confiscation of offending devices. Conversely,given that every conceivable subject is available via theinternet, these electronic tools are effective in ‘bringing theworld into the classroom’. This paper explores and presentsactionable strategies that educators can employ to leveragethe power of electronic devices in stimulating students’participation during classroom delivery. Based onliterature search, personal experience and field interviews,suggested best practices are advanced for the enhancementof the learning environment (both lecture and lab) in thepursuit of improved learning outcomes. The paper will alsopresent the limitations and drawbacks in the use of thesedevices.