Debate at Arizona State over a professor who banned laptops in class - free speech or classroom management?

Had a buddy in a history lecture at ASU last Tuesday. The professor told everyone NO laptops, only notebooks. One kid raised his hand and said he needed his laptop to type because of a disability. Professor said tough, use a notebook or leave. Kid walked out. Now there's a petition going around calling it a free speech issue, saying the professor violated the student's rights. Other side says the classroom is the professor's space and they can set rules. Where do you all draw the line on this? Should a professor have that kind of power over how a student learns?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_riley1mo ago

Free speech or classroom management?" lol more like "professor living in 1952 and mad about it." I get that teachers want control but banning laptops entirely is just asking for a mutiny. The kid with a disability should've gotten an exception at least, that's just common sense. Honestly sounds like the professor is trying to make some weird point about "the good old days" while ignoring that half his students probably can't even read his handwriting on a chalkboard. Hopefully the petition goes somewhere cause this is peak boomer energy from a guy who probably calls Spotify "the devil's jukebox.

lisa9761mo ago

and honestly @the_riley you nailed it, this professor is giving off major "get off my lawn" vibes while his students are probably scrolling tik tok just to stay awake. i say that as someone who once got yelled at in high school for doodling during a lecture, guess my stick figures were too distracting. the petition might actually work cause no one wants to go back to taking notes with a quill and ink, that's just not happening in 2025. if he really wanted to teach he'd figure out how to make his class interesting enough that people actually want to pay attention instead of banning the tools half the world uses.