Lennon Krueger, contributor
Coming into the school year, I know many students had mixed feelings about
being back in classes, whether it be their major isn’t their passion anymore or excited to be with their friends; their school year was starting. To many students’ dismay, professors have been introducing classes as paper-only. Our faculty certainly remember a time when all classes were paper only, which points to the relative ease this switch should have. As nice as it is to have a pocket supercomputer able to answer any of your questions, we solved those issues in the past with things like dictionaries, thesauruses and the like, so what is the real issue?
When looking at a tech-only class, it is easy to imagine the bill being given to the student for purchasing a laptop or similar devices to handle their work for the course, and while this used to sound outrageous, many students have laptops and phones that are very reusable for these courses, making tech-only a truly viable option. As for paper only, students need to purchase non-renewable supplies, whether it be pencils and pens, notebooks, or flashcards to study up on terms. While inexpensive, many will tell you that pennies add up quick, and point to this to say paper-only sucks. I don’t think so. Many studies have shown better retention when using handwritten notes as opposed to computer-driven notes, and it really isn’t that tough to go out and get yourself a 30-cent notebook and 30-cent folder to hold additional assignments.
Why the switch? More often than not, the answer is AI. With the invention and innovation of large language models, the internet has been poisoned with thousands upon thousands of artificial and fabricated articles, videos, and, importantly, assignments and tests. The capabilities of AI increasing have only caused it to be a more rampant problem, and similar to other addictions, it is up to us to say no before the legislature’s painstakingly slow pace can catch up. In some classes, professors have required the use of AI to check your own work and to learn from. My biggest issue with this is not that the professors are assimilating new tech into their courses or that every prompt abuses absurd amounts of water, but with the students’ learning. AI has revolutionized many ways to learn, but often fabricates things for the benefit of the prompter’s emotions. If I showed up to a class that said AI was required for the course, I would personally be outraged. Why not just let AI pass the class for me? What’s the point of learning if I could just have AI do all the work for me? Why am I at college if AI is completing my degree?
“The capabilities of AI increasing have only caused it to be a more rampant problem, and similar to other addictions, it is up to us to say no before the legislature’s painstakingly slow pace can catch up.”
Lennon krueger
The switch to paper-only is of high friction. I love my laptop, my desktop, and staying connected with my friends via my phone. Whether it be listening to music or white noise to help me study, technology has helped immensely in my journey through life. Knowing this, going back to paper only is a smart option. It forces learning and effort back into the brains of the people, not the workings of their computers. Time and again, it has shown that the disruption of required effort deteriorates the brain. If paper only is a way to guarantee that my peers and I are not losing more brain health while paying to go to college, that is a fine sacrifice to make. It’s all our brains on the line. If you want to be important, learn to be consistent, to give and take feedback, and don’t offload your executive functions for the sake of laziness.