Spring 2009 - Issue 5

The Silversword: Home > Chaminade Life > Student Facebook, YouTube Use Peeves Instructors

Student Facebook, YouTube Use Peeves Instructors

Jayme Bento and Shannon Sadler, Staff Writers

Teachers say they are fed up with the excessive student use of the popular social networking site, Facebook and entertainment site YouTube, during class time.

With several Communications and Interior Design classes held in Eiben Hall computer labs, and laptops a common fixture on classroom desktops, the temptation is great for students to wander the Web instead of listening to lectures.
            
After polling 50 students who use laptops during class time, 40 admitted to using Facebook, YouTube and other non-lecture-related Web sites while in class. Senior Sociology Major Darrell Birton says that while in class he surfs the Web and entertains himself because of “classroom boredom.”

With students paying nearly $9,000 per semester for classes, one would wonder why students feel the need to Web surf or further distract themselves from anything else other then the pricey educational investment.

MBA Program Manager Paul Masters agrees.

“Students need to ask themselves, ‘What are we gonna focus on? How about the topic at hand?’” he said.

Communication Department Director Clifford Bieberly notices students using Facebook or YouTube during class and says it is very distracting. He believes that students cannot multi-task as well as they think.

When students ask questions that have already been covered in lecture, Bieberly knows they aren’t paying attention.

“It’s the same reason why people can’t drive and use cell phones at the same time, because people cannot communicate with two people at once very well,” he said.

Other Chaminade professors, however, utilize Facebook for student-teacher communication. Karen Jones, a Communication instructor, has created a Facebook page for her COM 378 class.

“She uses the page to stay in touch with the students between classes,” she said. “Projects, homework, schedule changes, reminders and announcements are posted on the [Facebook] Wall. I've also listed a few Web sites related to our class materials.”

The students are responsible for checking the page for updates and homework. The information is always there for them to access, so the excuse "I lost my project specs" can't be used.

And some Chaminade instructors simply don’t care.

While Communication Professor Tom Galli does not use Facebook for instructional purposes, he does not mind if his students spend class time on social networking sites during class.

“It’s on them — it will affect them later on in the semester,” he said. “Facebook only makes it easier for students not to listen.”

Nonetheless, students continue to distract themselves with Facebook.

Communication Major Neil Michling, a senior who attends two classes held in the Eiben Communication lab this semester, sums up the issue by saying he finds himself drifting to Facebook and YouTube during class time “ ’cause it’s awesome and it’s addictive.”