What is BYOD?
BYOD refers to “Bring Your Own Device” is a practice in which students and workers use their personal devices to interact with educational platforms and organizational networks. The most common personal devices used are laptops, smartphones, flash drives and tablets.
BYOD has gained popularity In the last few years, especially in the year 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BYOD allowed educational organizations to offer a lot more flexibility in terms of physical attendance. The ability to study and work remotely has become very important in recent times, which will surely make BYOD more common.
It’s worth noting that for security purposes, many organizations do not allow people to use personal devices. Instead, they use internal devices to better protect their data while still retaining the benefits technology provides.
BYOD in education
BYOD can lend many benefits to educational organizations, but before implementing BYOD, they should create a “Bring Your Own Device Security Protocol” to avoid compromising their networks and confidential information. These security protocols can also help students understand how to safely use their personal devices in and outside of the classroom. Teachers report that students often increase class participation if allowed to use their personal devices for education. Considering that most young students are deeply familiar with their technology, this finding makes sense.
Teachers that use BYOD practices report other significant advantages, including:
- Technology is integrated with education, allowing teachers to develop technological skills on the fly, decreasing their need for formal digital training.
- With the aid of computers, technical educational support becomes more simple.
- Educators have access to a greater variety of tools for presenting lessons, and lessons are easier to manage.
On the other hand, other educators believe bringing electronic devices in the classroom can create extra distraction. Even if restrictions on device use and internet access are put in place, students can quickly find new ways around these limitations. BYOD can also be extremely difficult for low-income countries and families, which can create disparity between students of different income levels.