The new changes to the Elliott School of Communication student requirements will benefit the students and teachers as technology continues to develop.

Beginning this semester, communication students in the ESC are required to bring their own laptops with the required software to class everyday.

Many WSU students love the idea and are willing to embrace the change, even if it means going out to buy a laptop.

Returning WSU students think this new development is something that is expected to continue to aid students in higher education and it is in the best interest of the students.

“Everything is on the Internet these days, and you need to able to search things quickly,” WSU junior Sam Smith said. “You know, I think it will help students, because if I don’t know something about the subject matter we’re discussing in class, I have the resources right in front of me now to look it up without having to pull out my phone and get distracted by text messages and social media.”

The Elliott School isn’t the first school to adopt this method of thinking. Several universities also require students to bring their laptops to class with the proper software, such as the University of Mississippi.

 “My professors said since students began brining laptops and other device such as iPads to classes grades has gone up tremendously, and so has student interaction and participation,” Mississippi University junior Sivani Patel said over the phone. “I believe it really builds our skill set in whatever profession we choose.”

Technology has played a major role in higher education with the invention of new apps such as Google Drive, where users can edit and share documents. Google Drive has been effective for students at Purdue University.

James Posey, a senior at Purdue said, over the phone, that in some of his communication courses that required a laptop, students were able to use Google Drive and other sharing devices to do group projects, especially when a member may have not been present in class.

“Being able to use my Mac made getting projects done more efficiently,” Posey said. “I’ve had several group projects that most likely wouldn’t have gotten done or would have been average if it were not for being able to share our ideas and work through Google Drive.”

Posey and other Purdue students said this new development is huge, and it means that classroom time can instead be used to augment the lecture content, whether through discussion, group exercises or quizzes.

 

Since online platforms now provide the faculty with learner analytics, universities now have even greater data on who is learning, what they are learning and how, which ultimately helps the university.

As technology continues to improve, students at WSU and other universities are eager to see how it plays a role in their learning environment.

Universities are now shaping the design of their classrooms and building it around innovation for the betterment of the student education. Only time will show how this will impact students.