More About BYOD

BYOD stands for "Bring Your Own Device". Students bring their own device to school for teaching and learning.

The best BYOD programs aim to increase the ratio of computers to students whilst taking into account the reality that many students already own a device. BYOD programs can also be helpful in allowing students to use a device they're familiar with, or to more quickly become familiar with a new device by having access to it both in and out of the classroom. They can also help the student grow in responsibility and technical maturity.

The BYOD "Spectrum"

Some BYOD programs are extremely permissive, you can bring any technology you like, just as long as it can connect to the Internet. These are sometimes referred to as BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) or BYOA (Bring Your Own Anything) to emphasise the agency they aim to give students.

Other BYOD programs are extremely restrictive. You have to use a specific device (or maybe choose from two or three) and you must purchase it from the school and you must give the school full administrative privileges. Programs at this end of the spectrum tend to be school-owned 1:1 programs in disguise.

HOPE's expanded BYOD program tends more towards the permissive end of the spectrum, however we have introduced some constraints. The goal of these constraints is not to limit students or families, but to provide helpful guidelines as to what devices will deliver a reliable and safe computing experience in the classroom and beyond.

The Cost of BYOD

BYOD is sometimes rolled out by schools or districts purely, or primarily, as a cost-saving measure. For most schools, the second biggest budget category (behind staffing) is ICT so it's a natural target when budgets are shrinking. Whilst cost is a consideration for HOPE, it's certainly not the driving factor. See Why BYOD? for the why behind the what.

HOPE's overall budget, and HOPE's ICT budget specifically, are not shrinking but, in order to purchase the number of devices we require to sustainably provide ICT to all students, the ICT budget would have to grow significantly. Rather than the school raising fees for all families, or charging an ICT levy, introducing BYOD will allow us to pursue our educational goals while making more efficient use of the resources our community already owns.

For those students who don’t already own a suitable device, the school will provide options and recommendations on an appropriate devices. 

Our Goals

The main goals we are hoping to address with this expanded program are:

• to better train and equip our students to be discerning users of technology.

• to increase the availability of technology in the classroom in a way that is sustainable for years to come.

Teaching Discernment

Technology is not inherently good or evil, but it is used to enhance and amplify human abilities and expression, both positive and negative. Training students in appropriate and constructive use of technology supports HOPE’s vision of equipping future generations to be Globally-minded servant-leaders with a biblical understanding and application of knowledge to impact the world for Christ.

We want to partner with parents to help you and your child navigate the ever-changing technology landscape, helping them to learn:

• the role of technology in a fallen world.

• the opportunities and connectedness that information and communication technology can afford.

• the risks and dangers of having all the world's information and opinions available in your pocket.

• the role of technology in society and it's ability to equalise opportunity on the one hand, and exacerbate inequity on the other.

• healthy boundaries and balance in technology and social media use.

Increasing Availability

Much research has been carried out into the role of technology in education and learning. From mainframes and teletype machines in the 60s, to personal computers in the 80s, laptops in the 90s, smartphones in the 00s, and tablets in the 10s, schools have always been interested in the role of technology in learning.

Teachers packing up their class, marching them to the computer lab and spending the next 15 minutes trying to get the computers turned on and students logged in never really made much sense... but it was the only option when computers cost as much as a car. Since the world's first 1:1 laptop program rolled out in 1990, there has been a growing body of evidence that the "magic", the biggest changes and improvements, occurs once every student has access to their own device.

The difference comes when technology starts to be used naturally and organically. Sometimes the right tool is pencil and paper, sometimes it's a few students gathered around a whiteboard with markers, sometimes it's a collaborative slideshow with videos, audio and links to other resources.

Here at HOPE, we would like to tap into the increased classroom engagement and interest that 1:1 computing is evidenced to bring, along with the slightly increased student achievement that accompanies it.

Options Considered

We considered several options for making progress toward the "magic" 1:1 device ratio. We evaluated school supplied 1:1, expanding computer labs/trolleys and a more permissive "Bring Your Own Anything" policy. We settled on the expanded BYOD program as the best fit for our community. We believe it provides the best balance of:

• educational outcomes for students

• affordability for families

• equity of access

• sustainability

Downsides and Risks

While we believe it's the best option for HOPE, that's not to say that there aren't any downsides or risks to BYOD. Ones we anticipated include:

• increased support load due to the variety of devices, for both teachers and ICT.

• affordability or equity concerns for those needing more capable devices (e.g. for music, art or design).

• difficulty obtaining devices in Cambodia.

• increased difficulty managing, securing and monitoring family owned devices.

• losing sight of the "why" behind BYOD (the risk of sticking with it for financial reasons, rather than educational ones, if and when the technology landscape changes).

Although these could still grow into legitimate issues, the past few years of BYOD have proven to be successful without these concerns having been significantly present.