Their own devices

7. The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

Mobile devices crop up as an gripe again and again when I talk to colleagues about their classroom experience. They seem to cause problems.

For me, they're not an issue. For the group I work with for teaching practice the rule is that phones and tablets are switched off during lessons - and are kept out of sight.

So, my initial reaction to the idea that mobiles and tablets should be welcomed as part of the learning process was sceptical. But after reading up on the subject I'm beginning to see that getting learners to use the technology that they already know - and love - makes sense.

The Ufi Charitable Trust sums the debate up as BYOD v BEND. That’s Bring Your Own Device v Buy Everyone a New Device.

Supporters of BYOD in education say it's an unstoppable trend. It already happens in many universities and The ICT association Naace (formerly the National Association for Computers in Education) is certain that BYOD is the way ahead for schools too. Earlier this year Naace insisted that schools banning pupils from using their phones were trying to resist the inevitable. It said: “The educational potential of such phones is immense and really is taking education to the next level.”

An article in the business magazine Forbes makes interesting reading. It's main focus is on schools, but many of the points made are relevant to the FE sector.
BYOD has it's problems (like misuse by students and e-safety), but they are out-weighed by the gains, according to one of the Forbes interviewees, Roger Broadie, a board member of Naace. Allowing students to use the computers in their pockets allows for more collaboration and conversation.
But for me the really compelling argument is the financial one. At a time when resources are stretched is BEND worth funding at the expense of other areas of college budgets?
Where's the sense in spending money on new tech when students have devices of their own? Ufi says: "Surely we could use our education budgets better to focus on other things, like teacher issues and learning."
Clearly there's a inclusion issue around BYOD; a minority of students won't have access to a phone or tablet. However, the cost of providing devices for that minority is far less costly than BEND.
Ufi suggests BYOD can deliver big savings and that that money could be spent instead on "learning, teachers and problem solving" Its primer on BYOD concludes: "Want to help students learn - leave them to their own devices."


Sources:
Ufi Charitable Trust www.ufi.co.uk/primer-bring-your-own-device
The Guardian www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/11/students-bring-tech-device-uni (accessed 10.12.14)
NAACE www.naace.co.uk/pressrelease/takingeducationtothenextlevel/mobilephones (accessed 8.12.14)
Forbes www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2014/01/19/the-next-revolution-in-school-tech-bring-your-own-device/