BYOD Introduction

Implementation of BYOD Technology in Modern Education

No more pens and paper! Learning tools such as these are obsolete.  This is the Cyber-Age and the books are electronic.  Pens and paper, computation, and reference points are digital.  This digital capability enables us to learn by living through various devices and our lives are enriched by the education within elements around us.  Technology has changed learning forever.  Previously, cell phones were not allowed in classrooms because they were considered a distraction.  Policy letters informed parents of confiscation for violation of the rules and students were cautioned to keep devices at home for fear of theft.  However, recently, there has been a paradigm shift in perspective and cell phones are not only welcome but encouraged for learning enhancement.
Bring your own device (BYOD) is a revolutionary approach to modern education and it “refers to technology models where students bring a personally owned device to school for the purpose of learning.  A personally owned device is a technology device brought into the school and owned by a student (or the student’s family), staff or guests” (Alberta Education, 2012, preface).  These devices come in many forms; handheld computers, MP3 players, notebooks, smartphones and tablets and they facilitate personalized learning which makes BYOD so desirable.  Let’s examine how the BYOD concept has impacted the world of education today.