Owning and using the means of production in class

5 Reasons Why BYOD is a Bad Idea

Only five reasons?  that doesn't sound like enough to stop what is basically a good idea.  Look what happens when you don't!  Count the number of classrooms and labs at KSU 

• that are filled with aging computers, 
• that have computers of a single platform (PC most often ... Disclosure: I am a PC-user, have used Macs, Linux, VAX, etc. and really don't care as long as the box runs software that gets the job done.)
• that need constant maintenance
• that get/lose software at the whim of the university's license or the wishes of the administrator of the room

Yes, most of the time, the classrooms in Moulton work just fine.  That can't be said for others that are running 3-year-old versions of Firefox, use a program that prevents updating the single-machine's system (a good thing), but that prevents the software from updating itself -- so you lose a couple minutes while Acrobat Reader updates itself, only to have the update lost on the next reboot.  Same with the 2-year-old version of Java that Firefox no longer will use.


And it is all transparent to the student and instructor.  You turn on the box and it just works ... until it doesn't.  And even if you know what the problem is, fixing is only good until the next reboot.


You can't add new programs, so no new CMap or VUE if you want to do concept mapping, no utilities that handle ebooks, etc.  You get what you get.


Versus BYOD -- otherwise known as students owning their own computers.  After a couple weeks in a class that uses a range of software, those who can't or don't want to configure their computers (some students won't take the laptop that Grandma gave them for graduation because it might get dirty or scratched!  yes, I've heard both explanations) ... those who don't want to configure, use the university's aging computers or use portable software.  And their personal computers remain unconfigured.  Fine.  But then they go home for a weekend, for Thanksgiving, or spring break and their haste to leave campus, decide to submit their work when they get to their destination ... only to find that they can't get a connection, or that their hardware/software isn't configured correctly.


And there are some (fewer and fewer ... probably around 5%) who can't afford their own equipment.  We do need to address the truly needy with purchases spread over a couple semesters' of tuition, or encourage the reluctant by charging a per-minute fee to use the university's equipment -- a class-rental system.


Better yet, let's make part of the First-Year Experience course that is always looking for something meaningful to fill 15-weeks of instruction (not difficult to do, but most courses fail to find something and are reduced to what one of my ed students a couple years ago called his three hours of rest each week).  We could get them on Learn and any other software that their majors required.  We could give them basic trouble-shooting instructions or ... heaven forbid, post that information online and keep it up-to-date.  We could teach each student to be responsible for their own technology, just as we expect them to maintain their modes of transportation.  (Who uses the campus bus system in a pinch? especially when you need to get cross-campus in 15-minutes?  We train 'em to walk fast, park at the meters in lots near their classes, or to schedule classes within walking distance.)


We are not doing students a favor by UTMD -- Use the Man's Devices.  Buy your own, use your own, and learn to maintain your own.  And ask the university for a reduction in the technology fees, especially if they don't even provide paper!