School books are slowly being phased out in place of laptops and tablets, with students doing a lion’s share of their work using apps and Wi-Fi connections.
But are the devices being kept in good enough condition to allow students to do the work?
Recent research from McGraw Hill Education shows 81 percent of students use smartphones and tablets to study, which is only behind laptops as the most popular tech device. Statistics also show mobile has become a must-have, with 66 percent of students saying it's moderately to extremely important that they be able to study on their device.
Today’s students are studying in shorter bursts, as opposed to spending hours with the books cracked, said Chuck Morrison, president and chief marketing officer of Staymobile, an Atlanta company offering technology repair services. It’s what he’s hearing from teachers and students as he goes about making sure their technology is up-to-date and ready for use.
“Four years ago, (teachers) were using text books,” he said. “They’ve adapted really fast and I think they all really enjoy it.”
Morrison said his company stresses the importance of maintaining technology with clients — from protecting the devices physically to keeping software updated.
“In some cases, some kids do have to use a broken device for a period of time,” he said, “like later in the year before the new budget year begins.”
He recalled walking into a school during the summer and finding they stored iPads without cleaning and running diagnostics checks so they would be ready for students when the new year began.
Among other things, Morrison suggests educators make sure their equipment has the latest updates to both operating systems and used apps, and also advises getting protective covers or protection plans to keep products usable.
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