But what if technology is actually adding to students’ stress? That’s the argument at the heart of Pamela Scully’s recent essay, “The Case for ‘Slow Teaching.’” A professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and African studies at Emory University, Scully describes an approach she takes with her teaching that involves as little technology as possible, with emphasis on immersive reading and longer-term planning. This approach, she writes, helps students to develop a sense of agency and reduces their anxiety.
I’d encourage you to read Scully’s full essay, in which she describes her strategies, to include printing out articles that they read together in class, asking students to take notes by hand, emphasizing feedback over grades, and using the LMS as little as possible. She makes the case that when courses are broken down into a series of tasks, and when students are constantly getting notifications to do this or read that, it reduces learning to a to-do list.
As Scully observed, “Modules mean most students aren’t looking at the syllabus independently and depend on pings from the LMS to remind them of what’s ahead in a particular course. Students told me that they tend to do the work an hour or two before class.”
Scully acknowledges that undergrads were trained on these systems long before they set foot on campus. And, with everything they have to juggle, maybe students do, in fact, like the convenience of the one-stop LMS and the regular reminders that something is due.
But, as she writes in her conclusion: “Professors and administrators must think long and hard about how we are creating the very anxieties we lament. Contemplation is a lost art in education, and our students are crying out for help to deal with all the challenges they identify as causing stress. Silencing the noise of the LMS and creating more space for reflection in our courses would be good educational practice for whichever century we are living in.”
Scully’s essay, along with conversations I’ve had with other professors, has got me wondering whether there’s widespread interest in reducing dependence on technology in teaching. Trysh Travis, an associate professor of women’s studies at the University of Florida, wrote in to say that Reddit’s r/Professors channel has had several lively discussions about tech-free teaching.
“People are so sick of AI cheating and student refusal to read or write, and of distraction and inattention,” she wrote, “that there is a thread at least daily about banning laptops and phones, doing all work in longhand during class, putting assigned readings in a xeroxed packet, reading aloud, etc.”
Still, Travis noted, it’s not necessarily practical to go tech free. Some students with disabilities may need access to tech, for example. And the move towards zero-cost course materials, such as open-source online textbooks, could present a hurdle. In one course a few years ago, Travis did ask everyone to purchase $70 worth of printed course materials, as she is a firm believer that students’ focus and comprehension improve when they read on paper and not online.
“In the evaluations I included a question about whether people felt like having the course reader affected their learning,” she wrote, “and most people said they found it really helpful — students reported they were more likely to do the reading, understand the reading, and participate in class discussions in an informed way, and they found the packet helpful when writing final papers.”
I would very much like to hear from readers on this topic. Do you think technology — such as the LMS, online readings and assignments, and screens in general — is stressing your students out, or encouraging passivity toward their coursework? If so, have you done anything to reduce tech dependence in your classes? And when students have accommodations that require screens, or if you are required to teach all or part of your course online, are there still ways to reduce tech stress?
Write to me at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com or fill out this Google form. Your example may appear in a future newsletter.
What’s on your mind?
It’s been a while since Beckie and I asked readers for ideas on what to cover in this weekly newsletter. First came the pandemic, and everyone was trying to figure out how to teach online. Then came student disengagement, and everyone was trying to figure out how to get students to show up. Now the hot topic is AI.
But teaching is so much more complicated than even the most urgent new challenge. Consider Beckie’s much-read new series, Learning Lessons, on how to engage students in their own learning. The strategies she reports on address foundational challenges, such as helping students understand the importance of general education, enjoy writing, and see the value in doing work outside of class.
Are there topics that you think we should cover more, or with more specificity? Are there subjects that you’re sick of hearing about, or feel have been explored sufficiently? You can be as general or as specific as you’d like. All ideas are welcomed.
Write to me at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com or share your ideas in this Google form.
Let’s talk about The Boss
Last weekend’s theatrical release of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere has Bruce fans in a frenzy. Can’t get enough of The Boss? Check out our recent College Matters podcast episode in which I speak with Louis P. Masur, a distinguished professor of American studies and history at Rutgers University, about his popular course on Springsteen.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks for reading Teaching. If you have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to email us at beth.mcmurtrie@chronicle.com or beckie.supiano@chronicle.com.
Learn more at our Teaching newsletter archive page.
