"Americ Azevedo taught an ‘Introduction to Computers’ class at UC Berkeley last semester that featured some of the hottest options in educational technology. By visiting the course’s websites, the 200 enrolled students could download audio recordings or watch digital videos of the lectures, as well as read the instructor’s detailed lecture notes and participate in online discussions.
But there was one big problem: So many of the undergraduates relied on the technology that, at times, only 20 or so actually showed up for class.
‘It was demoralizing,’ Azevedo said. ‘Getting students out of their media bubble to be here is getting progressively harder.’
Skipping classes, particularly big lectures where an absence is likely to go undetected, is a time-honored tradition among college undergraduates who party too late or swap notes with friends. These days, however, some professors are witnessing a spurt in absenteeism as an unintended consequence of adopting technologies that were envisioned as learning aids.
Already, even as many academics embrace the electronic innovations, others are pushing back. To deter no-shows, they are reverting to lower-tech tactics such as giving more surprise quizzes or slashing their online offerings."
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