No Wires, No Focus

As a graduate student at Columbia University sits in class, he notices 10 students with laptop computers—and of the four computer screens he can see, only one shows any signs that its owner is taking notes. By current standards, that’s about as focused as a wireless classroom gets.

Fearing that students succumb too quickly to the siren calls of e-mail and Instant Messenger, officials at a number of colleges have considered blocking wireless in the classroom. But some technology boosters say that’s unnecessary. There is not much evidence, they say, that in-class distractions adversely affect students’ performance. (Slate)