In a world that is dominated by smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc., we still see an endless amount of paper being wasted on campuses. UW is no exception, though we strive to recycle all that we can. It seems that we are finally seeing the emergence of a new way to study and learn here at UW.
This semester, many students are getting a taste of the new Online UW system, Canvas (or Wyo Courses), as it becomes more widely used this semester, before it becomes mandatory this upcoming fall. On the new Wyo Courses site, there are a multitude of available options for professors and students alike.
Instructors can upload files such as syllabi, assignments, and power points. They can have assignments digitally submitted into a drop box and then grade them right from their computer while even leaving comments for the student. And class announcements can be sent out right on the course home screen. Students have multiple options ranging from communicating with their instructor, chatting with fellow students in the course, and viewing in-progress grades.
With all of these features available for the class room it leaves a question hanging in the open: Why are we still using paper? Many students, including myself, noticed that in addition to the paper syllabus that was received on the first day of the semester, the professor also stated that it would be available online. In several classes the syllabus was only available online, which begs the question, if the syllabus is online, why use the extensive amounts of paper to print them in the first place?
In every class there are students taking notes from their laptops or tablets. Some using word processing software, and some using other ingenious software designed just for students to take notes. Every passing semester sees a growing number of students switching to the paperless class option for their personal education experience. But they are not alone. Schools and teachers across the nation, and world, are adopting a new trend known as BYOD.
BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, has been emerging and growing in both schools and office workplaces over the past several years. BYOD is a simple concept: You need a laptop or tablet, so bring your own. According to Pew Research Center, 93% of teenagers in the US have personal computer access, and 95% of teens in the US have Internet access on one device or another. Teens and young adults are becoming increasingly adept with using technology for many aspects of their daily lives. We have evolved to the point where textbooks can be obtained in a online or tablet version, with no hard copy necessary.
University of Wyoming has all the characteristics of a BYOD campus; the necessary stepping-stones are already in place: Wyo Courses with its ease of access and multitude of digital classroom features, the immense IT resources available to students, including free Maintenance at the IT building, and Campus-wide Wi-Fi.
It makes an incredible amount of sense for many universities including, but not limited to, UW, to become more online and technology dependant. With companies demanding more and more tech skills out of the new generation of young employees, and more and more companies going “paperless” to both cut costs and help the environment. Universities should be right behind them preparing students to face the “real world”.
As Wyo Courses rolls out, more and more instructors will become familiar with this program’s amazing benefits. I sincerely hope that professors begin to make the switch to having paperless classes until eventually, we can have a near paperless UW, both helping the environment and keeping our tuition costs low.
