Syllabi Genre Analysis: Examining Technology's Role in the Classroom

Abstract

Mobile technology and electronic devices have become such staples of industrialized, twenty-first-century society that they have even infiltrated classrooms. Because instructors recognize this infiltration, technology policies have become part of the conventions within the genre of syllabi. For this project, I examined the role that technology plays in the classroom as outlined in syllabi. To do this, I conducted a textual analysis on the technology policies of twenty-seven syllabi collected from upper-division English classes at Middle Tennessee State University. I found that while some syllabi ignore electronic devices and do not actually have technology policies, most other syllabi forbid using technology in classrooms; however, exceptions to these policies are made, such as for emergencies or taking notes. As technology will not be going away, I suggest that more research be conducted on incorporating technology rather than banning it and that more lines of communication be opened about technology use in classrooms.