Purpose: This paper seeks to examine the impact of information communication technology on the learning process and on the profession of teaching. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews arguments for and against the use of technology in the classroom and draws on student comments on technology use in the classroom. Findings: The paper problematizes the indiscriminate use of technology to enhance pedagogy, arguing that we do not know enough at this point to fully embrace such technologies. Educators should therefore be cautious about adopting such methods until more rigorous research on their efficacy has been conducted. Moreover, educators should be engaging in conversations about the ways in which such technologies might be impacting the academic labour process. Originality/value: The arguments presented here have been assembled as a way of framing what should be an ongoing and critical discussion regarding the value added by ubiquitous computing in academic settings. (Contains 2 notes.)