Laptops in lectures? (2 Viewers)

[nwatts]

Hello UOWers again,

Just a question for humanities students- do you use/see laptops being used in lectures? I'm looking to get one relatively shortly mostly for uni work, and i'm interested to know whether they're a popular solution to note-taking in lectures, or whether it's only a select few who use them.

I've got a few problems with my hands which means I can't really write properly (ghastly genetics), but because of extended use I can type very well. If laptops weren't allowed in lectures I'd have to be recording them all to take notes at home, which would be a pain in the ass.

Anyway, any insight would be good, i'm not too worried about it just yet.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[withoutaface]

They'd definately be allowed, but I don't think many people use them.

 

[hfis]

They are allowed, and people do use them - moreso for the computer science related courses than humanities, but I guess tha's because they're all computer nerds who are trying to out-compensate each other.

In my contract law lectures last semester, I'd say that maybe three people (at most) out of 150+ were using laptops, and even they didn't do it with too much regularity. The number was slightly higher in my med science lectures.

People are fine with you using a laptop - however, if you do use one during a lecture, do not play games on it, do not browse the internet, and do not play any kind of movies on it. This merely distracts the people behind you (not to mention yourself), and stops them from actually getting the most out of the lecture.

 

[nwatts]

Thanks guys. I don't mind being a minority, and I can't imagine it'd be all the time. Should be fine.

 

[Gomer]

I don't even take notes.

-- Gomer

 

[dawso]

you don't even go joe, all you do is eat, sleep, shower and go to toss

Actually i don't take a lot of notes at mine - the odd notes in ones where they go up on web ct and a few in the ones where they don't.

hehe, go the toss! there aint anything like free and or half priced drinks....

 

[iamsickofyear12]

I tried writing notes in lectures during the first session and I ended up never reading them again since the slides were posted on webCT.

 

[acullen]

If you do use it lectures, don't watch episodes of The Simpsons AND sit at the front (e.g. guy in my maths lectures).

Oh and if you want to use a laptop in lectures, use it; don't let the actions of the majority dictate what you do.

 

[kiteblood]

Haha, when I went to my Creative Arts interview I asked about laptops in class. Both of my interviewers rolled their eyes, cackled and said, "Well, one person uses them."

From that I'm going to assume it's somewhat frowned upon, at least during Creative Arts classes, baha.

 

[nwatts]

Oh well, my soon-to-be-uncovered academic brilliance will change how they think about students with laptops.

 

[nwatts]

It's either that I take no notes, or that I use a laptop. If they're prefer me to sit there sleeping, they can frown.

sif penalise someone for having shitty hands.

 

[withoutaface]

They are allowed, and people do use them - moreso for the computer science related courses than humanities, but I guess tha's because they're all computer nerds who are trying to out-compensate each other.

In my contract law lectures last semester, I'd say that maybe three people (at most) out of 150+ were using laptops, and even they didn't do it with too much regularity. The number was slightly higher in my med science lectures.

People are fine with you using a laptop - however, if you do use one during a lecture, do not play games on it, do not browse the internet, and do not play any kind of movies on it. This merely distracts the people behind you (not to mention yourself), and stops them from actually getting the most out of the lecture.

In my programming lectures 1st semester I saw a grand total of 1 person out of 250 using one.

 

[kiteblood]

It's either that I take no notes, or that I use a laptop. If they're prefer me to sit there sleeping, they can frown.

sif penalise someone for having shitty hands.

Hey, you're doing the exact same Double Degree as I am. We are officially the greatest people alive. Ever.

Um, I thought the advice they gave me on laptops was rather strange; I was told that they aren't used in classes whatsoever, and that a large portion of the editing and workshopping is hand written. They said something about editing handwritten work being more 'comprehensive' (as opposed to a quick spell check I guess), and they seemed pretty computer illiterate. Needless to say, this conjured up overly romanticized images of a bunch of brilliantly tortured young writers scrawling incomprehensibly into the back of a beat-up notebook. Not my style, really.

Anyway, they said all official assignments must be typed, and that if you have a computer at home you're set. I guess they expect you to just use a thumb drive to transfer the stuff you do on Uni computers.


Edit: Oh yeah, and I'm talking about the Creative Writing classes here, I have no idea what the expectancy is for the BCM.

 

[nwatts]

I'll have to talk to them before semester starts then. Cause without sounding pathetic, I can't really write (handwrite) at all, and i have medical info that can support my bad hands. *slaps hands*

Thanks for telling me this tho!

And indeed yes, best ever. What BCM subject are you doing for each semester? I'm up for JOUR101 and PHIL106, altho I might change the phil to JOUR102 - see how it goes. I'm aiming to transfer into the Bachelor of Journalism next year (new degree, looks very sexy), so i'm leaving all the nasty looking socio and comm subjects behind . Mind, I'm hoping to catch up on the pol core for the spring 1st year BCM - looks like a good subject.

 

[withoutaface]

Hey, you're doing the exact same Double Degree as I am. We are officially the greatest people alive. Ever.

Um, I thought the advice they gave me on laptops was rather strange; I was told that they aren't used in classes whatsoever, and that a large portion of the editing and workshopping is hand written. They said something about editing handwritten work being more 'comprehensive' (as opposed to a quick spell check I guess), and they seemed pretty computer illiterate. Needless to say, this conjured up overly romanticized images of a bunch of brilliantly tortured young writers scrawling incomprehensibly into the back of a beat-up notebook. Not my style, really.

Anyway, they said all official assignments must be typed, and that if you have a computer at home you're set. I guess they expect you to just use a thumb drive to transfer the stuff you do on Uni computers.


Edit: Oh yeah, and I'm talking about the Creative Writing classes here, I have no idea what the expectancy is for the BCM.

You can also email stuff to yourself.

 

[kiteblood]

I'll have to talk to them before semester starts then. Cause without sounding pathetic, I can't really write (handwrite) at all, and i have medical info that can support my bad hands. *slaps hands*

Thanks for telling me this tho!

And indeed yes, best ever. What BCM subject are you doing for each semester? I'm up for JOUR101 and PHIL106, altho I might change the phil to JOUR102 - see how it goes. I'm aiming to transfer into the Bachelor of Journalism next year (new degree, looks very sexy), so i'm leaving all the nasty looking socio and comm subjects behind . Mind, I'm hoping to catch up on the pol core for the spring 1st year BCM - looks like a good subject.

You're welcome.

Haha yeah, those are the subjects I'm taking in BCM. I also considered switching to JOUR102 because I don't quite remember if PHIL106 credit points will count towards the Journalism degree if I, like you, choose to defer next year. I might stick with it though, because I'm mildly interested (though completely ignorant of) marketing. I'm pretty sure all first year subjects credit points will stand up if I switch to a marketing focus, though. What're you taking in Creative Writing? (I mean, out of the tiny choice we had), I think I went with WRIT122 (Prose Fiction) and WRIT123 (Poetry 100). I'm actually pretty intimidated by the huge focus on writing up front.

I'll see you in class; I'll just look for the kid with the laptop and the deformed hands. Haha, I kid, really

 

[kiteblood]

Yes all assignments must be typed. There's also regulartions on how they must be typed, but i won't go into that

And there's your reason they laughed at you - they thought you wanted to use it to cut back on checking your work by just using inbuilt computer check, as opposed to checking it yourself.

Uh, they didn't laugh "at" me, and I don't think they assumed I was lazy, as you can spell check on any computer, not specifically laptops. I also think spell check is in itself a useful tool for editing any document, and it doesn't constitute cutting corners.

 

[kiteblood]

But as they also said, they don't view it as a comprehensive way of checking a document. We aren't talking about your view on the matter, we're talking about the faculty staff's. And when you asked, they were looking at it in regards to you, not Nick who would have asked "for medical purposes", therefore they would have known that was the reason.
They were laughing at what you said, same thing.

Uh, right. You somehow know they were laughing at what I had said, yet you have no idea what that actually was. You didn't witness the conversation; I was inquiring about whether it was useful to own a laptop for the course, not asking them if I could please bring one to every class, while using it as an alternative to editing and distracting other students with online gaming.

 

[nwatts]

You're welcome.

Haha yeah, those are the subjects I'm taking in BCM. I also considered switching to JOUR102 because I don't quite remember if PHIL106 credit points will count towards the Journalism degree if I, like you, choose to defer next year. I might stick with it though, because I'm mildly interested (though completely ignorant of) marketing. I'm pretty sure all first year subjects credit points will stand up if I switch to a marketing focus, though. What're you taking in Creative Writing? (I mean, out of the tiny choice we had), I think I went with WRIT122 (Prose Fiction) and WRIT123 (Poetry 100). I'm actually pretty intimidated by the huge focus on writing up front.

I'll see you in class; I'll just look for the kid with the laptop and the deformed hands. Haha, I kid, really

Nasty. And phil106 is a media-based philosophy course that's required for 200-level jour subjects, so you'd need to do it somewhere along the way if you're moving into bachelor of journalism.

I went for stage and prose. I would have gone for all three, as i'm a fan of all mediums, but alas you had to do the theory subject (which in all honesty is what i'm most interested anyway!). It's daunting, but I think it'll be fun. And if it's not, I can drop it all and keep the BCM.

 

[kiteblood]

and lets look at what lecturers have seen of people using laptops over the years
- hardly anyone uses them
- people playing games and movies etc
- not listening to lecture
- distracting others around them
- using them to only check their work by spell-check (yes this a common occurence and the creative arts lecturers do frown on you only checking via spell check).
- people use them for medical reasons

Now think about it, a first year comes up and asks about using a laptop (not for medical reasons), so they must assume that you are either:
- an overly enthusiastic first year with her little laptop
- someone who wants to use the laptop to "in their eyes" not comprehensively check all their work (against what they like.)
- someone who wants to watch movies etc (omg they dont want to listen to their lecture!)
not someone who wants to use a laptop for medical reasons. and they would probably find all of the above options amusing. You have to remember the lecturers have been there for years, they make assumptions based on previous experience etc

Now if you had asked "for medical reasons" i'm sure you would have got a different reply, as they would have thought, oh that's a fair reason, rather than thinking back to past experiences with people with laptops and their opinions on their actions.

Right, when a potential student with no experience of Uni life innocently inquires about the use of laptops for course work, I'm sure they automatically assumed all of the above, just as you're assuming I have a comprehensive knowledge of the history of laptop use throughout the University.

You should also stop assuming you understand both the content and context of the entire conversation. When they rolled their eyes and mentioned the 'one' person, they also specifically spoke amongst themselves about 'him' and his 'strange' habits. But they couldn't have been laughing about the antics of a particular student, they must have been laughing at my pathetic naivety and apparent lack of work ethic, right?


Get off your soapbox.