Katie Uleau, 18, an athletic training major, uses her laptop in the student lounge.
“Owning a laptop today is as popular as having a cell phone,” said JoAnn Dougherty, 31, a student and education major at DCCC. “I love my laptop and can’t imagine my life without it.”
Dougherty is a part-time student and works full time at a daycare center during the day. “I bring my laptop with me to work so I can do my homework during downtime,” she said. “It is so convenient to be able to pull out and do research for a paper or just check my e-mail.”
Dougherty admits that the main use for her laptop is split between personal and school purposes, but she never brings it to class because it is a distraction.
Technology has certainly come a long way from the invention of the typewriter in 1867 to the introduction of the first portable computer in 1981. When first introduced, laptops weighed 24 pounds and cost more than $2,000. Today, according to Bizrate.com, consumers can buy one for around $300 weighing only 3 pounds.
Worldwide, PC companies shipped 38.6 million laptop computers in the last quarter of 2008 rising sales up 40 percent compared to the previous quarter, according to iSuppli, a research firm. Hewlett-Packard ranked first in sales with shipments of 14.9 million units followed by Dell with shipments slightly fewer than 11 million units.
In this high-speed and technically advanced world, a student without a laptop may feel behind the times.
“I bring my laptop with me to every class because I can type faster than I can write,” said Lydia Cannon, 20, a business management student at DCCC. “I also like how I can look something up online immediately if I don’t understand something my teacher is going over.
Instead of spending hours at the school library researching, Cannon added she has all the research tools at her fingertips at any time.
Faculty reaction to the idea of bringing laptops into the classroom is mixed.
“I see absolutely no use for a student to have a laptop in class,” said David Paterno, associate professor of communication studies. “The only exception would be if a student is using an online version of the class text book.”
Paterno said he is distracted by the clicking sound and he is concerned that students might be using their laptops for personal purposes instead of learning.
Another professor has similar reservations. “It would be very difficult to teach in a class where students are sitting behind open laptops,” said Craig Strimel, a former DCCC communications studies professor, who now teaches at Community College of Philadelphia.
Strimel believes if a student has a laptop in front of them during class, it would be too tempting to instant message their friends or surf the net.
Nevertheless, many colleges encourage students to use laptops by offering loan programs to them.
DCCC has been loaning laptops to student through a program in the library since 2001. Students can borrow a laptop overnight as long as they have a valid DCCC ID card and return it by noon the following day. Laptops borrowed on Fridays are due the following Monday at noon.
In addition to the library’s laptop loan program, the college has purchased thirteen new laptops exclusively for students enrolled in career and technical programs. The laptops can be borrowed for as long as a couple hours or up to two weeks.
“I had no idea that colleges were offering such programs now,” Cannon said. She also expressed how fortunate she was to be able to purchase her own laptop.
Experts believe laptops are and will continue to be popular among students, working professionals, and children for the same reason − convenience. As laptops become more portable and affordable, students will no doubt be attracted to the hottest ones on the market.
* If you would like more information about DCCC’s laptop loan program please contact Thom Nixon at 610-359-7367 or email tnixon@dccc.edu *
