I saw classrooms in one of USM's building where new signs hang.  The signs read "No Talking," and have a picture of a male student's head (profile view) that is talking, encircled, and with the common diagonal slash through the circle as is common for these types of "No..." (smoking, drinking, etc.) signs.

While I think talking in class may be part of a larger trend, the increase of it here at USM is I believe a byproduct of the recently implemented but unannounced open admissions policy designed to get USM to 20,000 students.