Connected, modern campuses and classrooms offer better opportunities for students to learn, innovate, collaborate and research. Digital transformation (DX) in the education sector also means that better data is available to administrators, educators and learning resource providers, to offer more personalized teaching. The benefits are innumerable.
So what is needed to leverage the true potential of connected campuses and digital districts?
A Balancing Act to Satisfy Faculty & Student Needs
We know that DX can be a tough balancing act for IT departments in education. You need to provide faculty and students with the right tools depending on the department, discipline or area of study. All while meeting budget, manageability and security requirements.
To get started, consider the following three priorities early in your process:
- Appropriate endpoint devices for students, teachers, administrators, operations staff, policy makers and others.
- Centralized control and management of all endpoint devices to ensure data security.
- Centralized cloud-based storage and automated online data backup.
Meet the Demands of Modern Learning with Education-Built Technology
Consider the following points as you assess devices for education use:
- Look for devices built specifically for education; typically that means they have been designed to withstand potential misuse - for example, by designing the keyboard so that keys cannot be removed, or protecting ports from damage
- Institutions which encourage remote learning and teaching should look for devices with high-quality webcams built in, and noise-reduction technology to improve comprehension for teachers and students
- Touchscreen devices promote interaction and experiential learning. Many education software titles today are designed to support touchscreen devices
- Digital pens enable students to mark up their work, write comments, create and solve maths problems, draw and much else besides. But look for solutions which can 'garage' the pen inside the device; this will reduce instances of loss
- Which operating system? Windows 10 enables mobility, productivity, and improved creativity and collaboration between students, faculty and administrators. IT will appreciate built-in security and data protection, plus easy implementation and manageability features. Meanwhile, Google Chromebooks include built in tools for educators to plan and manage classes, share assignments and grade work, along with manageability features
