A Blended Approach to BYOD and One-to-One

A Blended Approach to BYOD and One-to-One

            Both approaches, BYOD and one-to-one programs, have some similar barriers to implementation: distractions in the classroom, student access to inappropriate content, and teachers’ fears of implementing mobile devices.  Solutions to these problems will be similar.  Many feel that the biggest different between the two approaches is that BYOD is less expensive than providing a device for every student.  But others feel that BYOD causes an inequity of learning opportunities between those that have better technology and those that cannot afford quality technology.  The Alberta Education BYOD guide for schools provides a BYOD plan that uses some one-to-one approaches to bridge the equity gap.  The Alberta Government recognizes that it is very difficult for schools to fund and sustain the cost of a one-to-one program, so it is pushing its schools to develop BYOD programs.   To address the equity of access problem that may occur with BYOD, the guide suggests that school authorities may choose to provide devices similar to the one-to-one approach for students that cannot afford to purchase their own technology.  Another alternative suggested may be to provide cheaper lease-to-own programs to try to make ownership more obtainable for families.  While the program attempts to bridge the gap by providing alternatives for students to have devices, the guide does indicate that there will still be an equity gap for students that do not have Internet access at home (Alberta Education, 2012).

                                 Infographic courtesy of www.onlinecolleges.net