Schools are working hard to provide their students with technology-enhanced learning, but at the moment they’re falling short. CDW•G’s 2011 21st Century Classroom Report found that 86 percent of students use technology more outside of school than they do in class. A major reason is access. Although many schools provide notebook carts and computer labs, students often have to leave the classroom and go to another part of the school to use a computer or share time with other students.
A “bring your own device” (BYOD) initiative overcomes this access hurdle, much as one-to-one computing programs do, but without the capital costs associated with purchasing the technology or the need to refresh, support and train users. With BYOD, students are responsible for figuring out and fixing their own devices.