June 10, 2014
BYOD and 1:1 are two popular trends in today's educational system. The common thing between these two trends is that they are both technology-induced, that is based on, applied to, and came about as a direct result of the wider uptake of digital technologies. Also both of these trends aim at a better integration and a wider access to technology within formal educational settings.
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In fact, there are several pros and cons to each option and the visual below outlines some of the major differences between these two approaches in terms of costs, equality, compatibility, and maintenance. This comparison, however, should not be viewed as favouring one option on the other the decision of which one to use is contingent on different factors including the context, infrastructure, purposes, and teaching/learning needs of each school.
What is BYOD ?Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is often used interchangeably with other acronyms such as BYOT (Bring Your own Technology), BYOPC ( Bring your Own PC), BYOP ( Bring Your Own Phone). The essence of BYOD revolves around encouraging and permitting students to bring their own personally-owned electronic gadgets to class.
What is 1:1 ?One to one computing (1:1) is a strategy pursued by several educational institutions which aims at equipping each student with an electronic device( laptops, tablets, smart phones…etc) that will allow them to access digital course materials (textbooks and online learning content). The benefits of 1:1 computing include : " equal access, standardization, easy upgrade, simple networking, the ability to monitor student progress and online behaviour. "
Now let's have a look at the differences between these trends :1- CostCost wise BYOD beats 1:1. While both 1:1 and BYOD require wireless network infrastructure upgrades, BYOD's users are prodiving the device.
2-Equality1:1 beats BYOD in terms of digital equality. 1:1 brings uniform integration of technology to every class which eliminates digital inequality. With 1:1 schools won't have to worry about who doesn't and who does have the right device.
3- AppsWhen it comes to the compatibility of applications, 1:1 beats BYOD. Applications may not be universal across all platforms causing possible issues for BYOD users. With 1:1, since everyone has the same device and on the same platform, schools know whatever apps they use will work on all of their students devices.
4- MaintenanceWith 1:1 there are long terms maintenance costs for the school including upgrades and replacing old devices for new ones. With BYPD the maintenance is the responsibility of the user.
Source:
securedgenetworks
