BYOD: Bring Your Own Device or Disaster? (Individual Entry #1)
Prof. Dr. Michael Kerres from the Learning Lab of University Duirburg-Essen in Germany gives a short introduction of BYOD.
pb21.de - Digitale Bildung (bpb). (22.10.14). Was steckt hinter dem Konzept "Bring Your Own Device - BYOD"?. Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM2oMou1xtg. (Stand 17.02.16).
Check the playlist of the "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung" on Youtube to inform youself about different aspects of BYOD: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6S5wV_ZclQgEWu0IoiOXuSl16RmRHowu
Further readings:
Ray, Mark. "BYO What?". Library Media Collection. (January/February 2013): 8-10. Online. - Very informative and short article explaining the general principles of BYOD - worthwhile reading.
Ansaldi, Holly. "Addressing the Challanges of the "BYOD"" Opportunity. The CPA Journal. Technology in Managemet 3p (Nov 2013): 63-65. Online. - Holly refers to BYOD to work but his foundings can be applied to school.
Herro, Dani; Kiger, Derick. "Bring Your Own Device: Parental Guidance (PG) Suggested". TechTrends. Volume 59, Number 5. (September/October 2015): p. 51-61. Online. - Herro and Kiger define BYOD, describe the current status by giving examples and evaluate the concept.
Heinen, Richard; Kerres, Michael; Schiefner-Rohs. (30.04.2013). Private Computer in der Schule: Zwischen schulischer Infrastruktur und Schulentwicklung. In: MedienPädagogik Zeitchrift für Theorie und Praxis der Medienbildung. Online: http://www.medienpaed.com/globalassets/medienpaed/2013/schiefner-rohs1304.pdf (15.02.2016)
Hazell, Lee. "Bring Your Own Device Security Risks". Cyber Security News. (02.04.2014). Online: http://cybersecuritynews.co.uk/bring-your-own-device-security-risks/ (15.02.2015)
Bring your own device is a concept which allows students to bring their personal computing devices (PCD) such as laptops, tablets or smartphones to school and work with them. Nevertheless, BYOD does not make technology mandatory but just allows working with digital devices in the classroom. Although the idea is not new, it is still not widespread in German educational system but it is currently been tested in several schools. Which impact BYOD has on education at whole, teachers and students has been tested by means of several studies. Among others, a Gymnasium in North Rhine-Westphalia applied the idea of using students’ own devices for educational purposes in a grade seven. In spring 2012, a case study has been undertaken to scrutinise whether it makes a didactic and content-related difference when students use laptops which are organised and administered by the school or private devices. Prior to the so-called “laptop class” where students used their private equipment, the school did also make use of digital devices for learning scenarios; these devices were organised and administrated by the school and financed by the students’ parents. Because it constituted too much work for the school in terms of updating and managing the students’ laptops, the school decided to implement an “laptop class” where learners bring their own devices and work with them at school. Prior to that, service for the technical devices was part of the school service and undertaken by specialised teachers.
The result of the study is that it does not make a difference whether the school offers laptops or students use their private devices but organisational matters are facilitated: service for the devices by school is not necessary anymore which frees resources and the teachers can focus on the didactic implementation of these devices into classroom scenarios. Read more about the study and its results by clicking here.
In the chart below I collected some pros and cons which I feel are important when thinking about BYOD. Do you find different aspects or disagree? Please let me know!
Which competences are required to work with BYOD?
Teachers: media literacy, flexible lesson planning, problem solving competence (in regard to technical problems)
School management: foster teacher’s media literacy (special seminars, training programmes), integration of technological innovation into existing concepts, supervision
Students: individual responsibility (taking care of device), problem solving competence, social competence (support of class mates when programmes do not work, collaborative working)
Personal opinion
Taking all the mentioned (dis)advantages into account, I believe that BYOD testifies to a modern zeitgeist of time and offers students the possibility to integrate and improve their personal competences. To state that BYOD only supports the students’ media literacy would be too narrow an approach because also individual responsibility as well as problem solving competence and social competence are fostered in a new way. In regard to the issue of social competence it is important to mention that BYOD is NOT about sitting in front of your laptop and chatting with your classmates via social networks instead of working in pairs or groups. In fact, learning arrangement can be massively improved by means of working with PCD since it engages collaborative working forms. Students are no longer locally bound to the classroom and can work together at any place which constitutes a pleasant learning atmosphere to them.
Moreover, accessing and sharing information becomes a lot easier. Although this constitutes a huge advantage I think that integrating internet capable devices into school must go hand in hand with informing students and parents about data protection issues and potential dangers of the internet. To think in a narrower context, students also have to be taught more extensively which sources on the internet are reliable and can be used for scholastic contexts. When this is done properly, I think that learners could profit from the quick access to information. Information then can be shared easily by means of Ether pads where students and teachers can work on a document simultaneously or upload them on an internally accessible platform which allows students to access their learning material whenever they want.
Although I am convinced of the concept, I as a future teacher would not work with BYOD every single lesson I teach because I am not that experienced with the teaching profession at all until now. Nevertheless, I can imagine working with BYOD on special projects or when it clearly constitutes a didactic surplus and fits the topic of the lesson and what I planned to do with my class pretty well. Due to the fact that the concept seems to be quite challenging, especially for young teachers who still have to learn how a good lesson looks like, I would be too much afraid to overtax myself. If an experienced teacher helped me to plan a lesson using BYOD in the beginning, I think I would feel more comfortable. Nonetheless, I definitely have the intention to include several sessions using BYOD when I start teaching regularly and evaluate how the classes liked the idea of working with their PCD. If I have the feeling that it turns out to be an effective teaching strategy for me and my students in practise, I can imagine teaching more often like that.
