The Problem with Digital Devices in University Classrooms

I had the great pleasure of teaching a final year undergraduate course this Winter at the University of Calgary. After I was able to shed off the jittery stiffness that is bound to accompany the first few lectures delivered by a new instructor, I started becoming more aware of my students' activities in the classroom. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have taught students who not only showed up to each class in large numbers (kind of rare for a final year course, I have been informed) but also listened and participated in class with full concentration.

However, I could not help but notice the proliferation of digital devices- laptops, ultrabooks, tablet PCs, smartphones, what have you- that were used inside the classroom throughout the entire course. Now, while it would be imprudent to deny the benefits of using laptops in class, I think there needs to be a critical revision of rules for the proper usage of these devices inside classrooms. Going by my experience (admittedly, very limited), I have every reason to believe that in some cases, especially in those courses involving heavy usage of the board for explaining mathematical concepts that demand undivided attention from students, digital devices with network connectivity can cause more harm than good. Not only can distractions like instant messaging severely spoil the class environment for a teacher who is in the middle of solving a lengthy mathematical problem on board, it can also greatly impede the learning process for a student, now that the ability to multitask while studying has been seriously questioned in reports such as this. It is time some universities, at least those who still believe in the sanctity of a proper education, look into this matter with more seriousness.