New services may encourage students to skip class
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 02/21/2008
sponsored by
With recently launched tools such as isleptthroughclass.com, podcasts and updated Web sites like Blackboard, many professors expect classroom attendance to drop.
Rosalee Clawson, an associate professor in the department of political science, said she expects some students to skip classes when notes are readily available. But she often finds students' commitment to learning trumps the temptation of using such tools.
"Some students may go to the Web site and blow off class; I think a lot of students are very committed and want to actually learn."
Clawson posted her lectures online last semester but refrained from doing so this semester. She said it was valuable to engage students in discussions and make learning a lot more interactive.
"I really believe that students who want to learn will learn," she said.
Clawson said among the many aspects that draw students to their classes, paying for it is one of them. One student who has used Web sites to make up for missed classes said the availability of notes has not affected his attendance.
"Teachers still say information that isn't on the PowerPoints," said Larry Davidson, a freshman in the School of Management.
Blackboard isn't the only means of getting notes; Ryan Sapp, a student who attends the University of Dayton, launched a Web site called isleptthroughclass.com, which allows students to upload and download notes from their classes, curing absentees of problems they face when they miss a lecture.
James Turner, a freshman in the School of Management who is in charge of sales and marketing for Purdue's chapter of the Web site, said it is often difficult to acquire notes for a class, especially when professors do not upload their slides.
"It would be a lot easier if you didn't have to go to a stranger and get notes," he said.
The notes on the Web site are uploaded and downloaded by students. Students who accumulate a certain number of uploaded notes receive a gift certificate as a reward.