As mobile computing devices increasingly permeate society, schools and education systems have a unique opportunity to help their students capitalize on the benefit of these devices. Today, children as young as two are familiar with how to operate the touchscreen interface on smartphones and tablets. The wide availability of mobile devices, from the simple and affordable to complex and expensive, means more children use them.
Many schools and educational institutions are beginning to adopt Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs to help improve how children interact with these devices and use them as another tool for learning.
The remainder of this article is going to look at the logistics: what is a BYOD program? How do these programs work in schools? And, why are these programs beneficial?
The What
A BYOD program encourages students to bring their own device to school, to use as an additional learning tool. While some school districts across the country can afford to provide devices to their students, there are many more that cannot, which is where BYOD programs become valuable.
A bring your own device system allows school districts and individual institutions to integrate current technology into lesson plans and provide access to online learning resources that would otherwise be unavailable within the classrooms. Rather than trying to force students to turn off their personal devices when they are on school grounds, teachers and faculty can now encourage the use of those devices to improve their education.
The How
Today’s students are growing up in a digital world where they are constantly bombarded with media-rich content and computing technology that allows them to connect, collaborate and share instantly. The vast majority of students are accustomed to interacting with mobile devices. As your district or institution considers a BYOD program, know that there are three important steps in implementing a BYOD program through a school system: startup, planning and implementation.
The startup phase generally includes research and discussions with appropriate users and decision makers. In this phase you’ll consider all of your options and identify which best aligns with your school system’s needs. Budgets and timelines should also be discussed during the startup phase.
Before beginning the planning phase you will want to engage technology services providers. Their knowledge and expertise will help your school system execute the planning and implementation phases successfully.
Then, as the name suggests, you can begin planning the framework and logistics of your BYOD program. Here are just a few of the factors you’ll work through:
- What IT infrastructure is needed to support the increased data traffic?
- Do we have a need for multiple secure networks - one for staff and administrators, and a separate one for students?
- What web filters are needed to prevent access to undesirable/unapproved content?
- Which authentication settings are needed to ensure that network traffic can be effectively monitored to avoid access by illegitimate users?
- How will our BYOD programs adapt to different grade and experience levels?
And the final stage is implementing the plan you’ve mapped out with your technology services provider. Together you’ll put the proper structure in place, inform and educate all students and staff, and adjust the program if inefficiencies are identified.
The Why: Benefits of BYOD Programs
The financial benefits and lesser burden to district budgets are obvious benefits of BYOD programs. However, it is often more important, when discussing the benefits of bring your own device initiatives, to focus on the benefits to students. There are a number of benefits that could be listed, but let’s focus on these four:
- Student connectivity
- Personalized learning
- Better career preparation
- Resources to match student’s needs
#1: Student Connectivity
BYOD programs create a stronger, more useful, connection between students, via their devices. As a universal benefit of mobile devices, around-the-clock connectivity gives students the ability to connect with peers, mentors and teachers in a variety of different ways. Beyond advanced learning opportunities, mobile devices provide great avenues for relationship building.
#2: Personalized Learning
Teachers in American classrooms are often outnumbered by a 30-to-1 ratio. This makes it extremely difficult for teachers to personalize the learning opportunities for students. With their own device in hand and specialized education software ready, students can experience great success. New software programs make it easy for curriculum tracks to be established for individual students, fill in educational gaps that hold back struggling students and enrich the experience of advanced students.
#3: Better Career Preparation
For older students, a BYOD program prepares them for a position in today’s job marketplace. Companies are driven by technological innovation; they adopt new devices and software rapidly and expect employees to stay productive by learning and using the advanced technologies. When students learn to collaborate and work with a variety of programs, they are developing valuable digital literacy skills that will prove invaluable in the workplace.
#4: Resources to Match Their Needs
Last but not least, working with their own device allows students to access resources at a pace that matches their schedule, as well as their learning level and style. Between class, socializing, work and athletics, today’s students are busier than ever before, but homework loads have not decreased as a result of these busy schedules. With greater integration of their personal devices in school settings, students can access assignments, reading materials and other information wherever and whenever they need.
Plus, BYOD programs contribute to the varied learning styles and paces that are unique to each student. The programs and resources available via mobile devices allow for a more customized education, which enables students to learn in the way that works best for them.
For more information about BYOD programs, or to engage with a specialist, request a consultation.
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