Finn dreams of mirrors at the back of the classroom to stop gaming and online shopping.

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Finn dreams of mirrors at the back of the classroom to stop gaming and online shopping

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Teacher Finn Rasmussen from Rundhøjskolen in Aarhus believes that computer screens create too many distractions for students at school.

Teacher Finn Rasmussen often begins his lessons standing at the back of the classroom. The idea is that he can keep an eye on whether students start playing a computer game during his class. 11 minutes ago

Finn Rasmussen can get frustrated when he looks out over his class.

Not at the students. But at the computer screens in front of them.

Because once the screens are up, some students can disappear from the lesson with just a few clicks. Into games or shopping, away from the common instruction, assignments, and group work.

And that leaves Finn Rasmussen, a teacher at Rundhøjskolen near Aarhus, with the feeling of having to teach and monitor at the same time.

- One of the things that takes up a lot of space is those who log into a game from the very first minute. Then they are disconnected from the lesson and have a hard time participating in the work afterwards, he says.

Finn Rasmussen has been a teacher since 1996 and teaches physics, science, biology, geography, and mathematics, among other subjects.

He emphasizes that he is not against the computers that Aarhus Municipality has given students for their education. On the contrary, they can provide quick access to knowledge and good teaching materials.

The problem arises when the computer is no longer a work tool but a constant temptation.

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'Shouldn't be my job'

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Therefore, Finn Rasmussen has developed small strategies.

He often starts the lesson at the back of the room so he can see the students' screens. He keeps an eye on whether students are sitting "with three fingers on the keyboard" and are locked onto the screen. Then they are probably gaming, he says.

- It's a bit of a hassle, it can create a bad atmosphere, and overall it's not great. And somewhere, it really shouldn't be my job to go around checking that the students are actually doing what they're supposed to, he says.

He has also had another idea: a mirror on the back wall.

Not to embarrass the students, but to be able to see what is happening on the screens without having to constantly walk around the room. He imagines that the students would know the teacher could keep track, and that it might make more of them stay focused on the lesson.

But the idea was rejected.

- It might seem like a quirky local idea to others. But sometimes I think: No one else is doing anything. Can I try to do something? he says.

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Potential goes to waste

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For Finn Rasmussen, the problem is not just about disruption in the classroom. It is about student learning.

When they play games during class, gaps arise, he explains. Like reading every other page of a book and then having to recount the plot.

He therefore calls for more control over what students can access on their computers.

- In a dream scenario, I could choose which programs students should have access to. In some situations, everything could be open, but in everyday teaching, being able to control it would be worth its weight in gold, he says.

For him, the biggest problem is not that teachers get annoyed. It is that students risk losing opportunities.

- I have a feeling that we are letting a lot of potential go to waste, says Finn Rasmussen.

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