What is BYOD and why is it a hot topic in education?
“Bring your own device (BYOD) refers to technology models where students bring a personally owned device to school for the purpose of learning. A personally owned device is any technology device brought into the school and owned by a student (or the student’s family), staff or guests” (Alberta Education, 2012).
BYOD allows students and teachers to bring their own mobile devices, which is financially viable in lieu of mounting fiscal challenges many school systems are facing (Raths, 2012). The use of technology is recognized in government legislation and by national educational associations as essential in all learning environments. (Cristol & Gimbert, 2016) According to Horn...Los Angeles is a classic case of a school district getting caught up in the ed tech frenzy without fully thinking through why technology is important in the first place. http://www.wired.com/2015/05/los-angeles-edtech/ |
Since the advent of the personal computer, schools have sought ways to incorporate computers and their affordances into teaching and learning, believing that access to computers would improve student learning. Over the years, many models of access to information technology have been used in schools, with varying degrees of success. Regardless of which model of technology access for students a school or board chose, it soon became apparent that the cost of these models was unsustainable, due to the acquisition costs, repair and maintenance costs, and rapid obsolescence of the technology.
Some schools, especially private schools or those located in areas of high socioeconomic standing, initiated policies where students were to provide their own technology, which had to conform to a specific standard. Schools whose students could not all afford to participate in a program like this were left out of what was quickly becoming an imperative in K-12 education. Some school districts, such as those in San Diego and LA Unified in California, spent millions of dollars purchasing iPads for each student, with often unforeseen and less-than-desirable results. Although research has failed to consistently demonstrate significant improvements in achievement on standardized tests by students who have enjoyed one-to-one or ubiquitous access to technology, there have been measurable improvements in engagement and technology skills. Other research has shown positive results in classes where students are consistently exposed to mobile learning devices (Cristol & Gimbert, 2016). |
Tweets about BYODTweets about #BYOD |
References
Cristol, D., & Gimbert, B. (n.d.). Academic Achievement in BYOD Classrooms. QScience Proceedings: Vol. 2013, 12th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (mLearn 2013), 2013. http://doi.org/10.5339/qproc.2013.mlearn.15
Morrison, N. (2014, January 19) The next revolution in school tech: Bring your own device. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2014/01/19/the-next-revolution-in-school-tech-bring-your-own-device/#46c323005b12
OECD (2015), Students, Computers, and Learning: Making the Connection, PISA. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264239555-en
Stavert, B. (2013) BYOD in Schools Literature Review 2013. State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/technology/computers/mobile-device/BYOD_2013_Literature_Review.pdf
Morrison, N. (2014, January 19) The next revolution in school tech: Bring your own device. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2014/01/19/the-next-revolution-in-school-tech-bring-your-own-device/#46c323005b12
OECD (2015), Students, Computers, and Learning: Making the Connection, PISA. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264239555-en
Stavert, B. (2013) BYOD in Schools Literature Review 2013. State of NSW, Department of Education and Communities Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/technology/computers/mobile-device/BYOD_2013_Literature_Review.pdf