While technology can be a useful resource in the classroom for students and professors, some potential problems still exist.

"The danger is people focusing so much on the technology aspect that they don't pay attention to the actual content," said graduate teaching assistant Dave Jansson.

Last fall, Jansson had no need to post his class notes online until the last third of the semester, when the pace of the class picked up.

"I didn't want to encourage people to not show up and just rely on the notes on the Web site," he said. Michael Weinstein, professor of astronomy, posts his lecture notes on his class Web site. He said he believes online class notes can lead to some students not attending lectures, but he stresses to his students that the Web site is only an outline. "I try to tell students that the notes on the Web site are like the cliff notes. Some things in the notes would be cryptic without the background explanation given in class," he said.

Pat Buchanan, an instructor of statistics, teaches in a computer lab, which she said she likes much better than a classroom.

However, she said she can tell that students often are "multi-tasking," or doing extraneous tasks such as checking e-mail or playing games.

"It can be a distraction in the front of the room because you can hear them clicking away, but in the back of the room I don't really notice," Buchanan said.

Buchanan said the students who do not pay attention do not hurt the progress of the class.

"What we've done is create self-paced activities, so it's the student's burden to finish them," she said.

Weinstein said he likes using his course Web site to supplement the lectures by posting his notes on the Internet.

"[Putting notes online] gives both students and professors more freedom. Students don't have to worry about scribbling everything down and can listen more," Weinstein said.

Some students find class Web sites and online notes useful.

Jessica Rowland (freshman-communications) said that she thinks the use of online materials is great, especially in large classes where it's hard for students to ask questions.

But she also has reservations.

"I feel like students take advantage of it, though, and just don't go to class then," she said.

It is harder to remember the main ideas of the class lessons when the notes are not posted online, said Dana Rosenthal (freshman-division of undergraduate studies).

"I like the notes online because when professors go really fast, you don't have to write everything down word for word and you can just go back later," Rosenthal said.