Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 3/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Hanna Thrasher

Technologically advanced classrooms are changing some teachers and students approach on class.

According to Associate Vice President for Academic Technology Mary Jo Gorney-Moreno, San Jose State University currently has 73 smart classrooms on campus equipped with LCD projectors that allow teachers to present Microsoft Office PowerPoint lectures by connecting their laptop to the projector.

Professor Alex Yamato, a professor of social science, teaches in a smart classroom at Washington Square Hall room 207, said that he uses PowerPoint because he generally teaches large classes.

"There's just not enough time to write all the details for my classes on the blackboard," Yamato said. "I find that PowerPoint is more effective because you can do more with showing not just notes, but graphics and videos as well."

Steven Alcantara, a junior majoring in kinesiology at SJSU, said he prefers teachers who use PowerPoint lectures because those teachers are more likely to post their lectures on their Web sites.

"Sometimes teachers just go too fast with their notes during class," Alcantara said. "By putting their lectures on their Web site, students who can't make class can get the information they missed."

With all the upside of technologically advanced classrooms, there are also some downsides according to Professor María Ochoa, a lecturer in social science.

"Technology is great as long as it works," Ochoa said. "Sometimes there are ghosts in the machine that can ruin the best planned media presentation."

To prepare for this, Ochoa said she has learned that it's important that teachers who use PowerPoint should be prepared with a low tech classroom presentation, just in case of equipment malfunctions.

Phuoc Phan, a senior majoring in accounting, said that teachers should just stick with chalkboards because it has no chance of breaking or malfunctioning.

"Some of my professors already have a hard enough time setting up projectors," Phan said. "I would rather they just use the chalkboard to save time."

Professor Yamato also mentioned how more students are using laptops for taking notes during his classes.

"I think the value of using a computer to take notes is that students don't have to stress with handwritten notes," Yamato said. "I think it's a very effective study tool, and I don't mind if my students use them."

Continued...

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