STAFF EDIT: (Un)-smart classroom?

As the age of technology continues to thrive, advances are influencing all areas of our lives; from how we communicate to how we perform everyday tasks like paying bills and ordering food is affected. Boston University’s School of Management is taking technology and hoping to integrate it within the classroom experience. According to an article published today in The Daily Free Press, the school has introduced BU’s first “Smart Classrooms” designed to add a more interactive element to learning experiences.

The format is definitely innovative compared to previous methods BU students have seen over the years. The mandatory organizational behavior class for sophomores, Dynamics of Leading Organizations, is split into students in the lecture hall and between two smart classrooms. These classrooms have screens that allow students to watch lectures and gain access to PowerPoints, videos and additional information. During each session, professionals are present to address any technological mishaps that may occur during the class and monitor students. In addition, students are asked for their feedback via survey. This jump into technologically driven learning will raise doubts about how it impacts students’ experiences.

The class, being mandatory, is heavily enrolled. With an influx in students seeking to either transfer to or minor in SMG, new measures need to be taken to ensure all students have access to material. The aforementioned article reported that students have been torn about this recent development. Due to a consistent struggle to get a decent seat in the class, students are relegated to preferring the monitors solely for increased visibility.

The consequences of such a dramatic shift are ambiguous. For some, innovation and technological advancement are the trends of the times. For others, additional information bombardment detracts from the essence of what education is really about: the professor and the students. If implemented poorly, the initiative could detract from students’ learning experience and anger many students who pay a hefty tuition to attend BU. However, if done correctly, the system could add an exciting dimension to class experience. The fate of smart classrooms ultimately rest on the administration, which will hopefully respect the sanctity of traditional teaching methods, as opposed to pursuing a reality where we all eventually get lost amidst countless screens of information.