IT in Education – Different to CorporateIt is common to design an Education sector IT environment in the same manner as one would in the corporate world. But is this the right approach?
In this article we cover the key differences between Education-related IT and Corporate-related IT, warn of the common traps for IT Managers working in education environments such as High Schools, and suggest a strategy for them to apply.
IT in Education – The goalFirstly, let’s clarify the goals of using IT in education. Here’s our working assumption:
The aim of IT in education is: To assist the teaching methods of teachers and enhance the learning experience of students.
IT in Education – Common trapsNext, let’s consider some of the common traps facing IT Managers and Network administrators in schools. There are 4 main traps:
Trap 1: Over-focussing on security
Whilst appropriate in the corporate sector, a ‘lock it down’ approach in education can be detrimental to the goals of the school. Appropriate restrictions to sensitive resources need to be enforced ofcourse, however, opening up the IT infrastructure to learning tools and methods should be a high priority. We discuss some examples later.
Trap 2: Over-focusing on server and network uptime
When the computer systems are down in a business, the business starts to lose money at a set or determined rate. When computers or networks are down in an education environment, schools do not lose money. The reason: schools have a fixed revenue model, therefore the paying customers (students) are being serviced at the minimal level.
Trap 3: Over-looking students as a priority
Many IT Managers think staff are the highest priority – however this is a misconception. Students are the real ‘clients’ by virtue of their being the income source for the school. Thus, they (students) need to be the highest priority.
Trap 4: Ignoring or limiting parent information
Usually parents are the last to know about their son’s or daughter’s progress at school. Schools need to give parents constant access to their child’s progress, allowing for a greater understanding of how they are performing.
IT in Education – A suggested approachNow, let’s discuss the 3P (Provide, Prioritise, Prepare) approach appropriate for IT Managers in schools today.
Provide
Focus time and resources in allowing increased functionality of computers and their learning materials. A common example is Instant Messenger (IM) tools. These should be encouraged, along with other online collaboration tools, as an accepted communication method between students and teachers.
Prioritise
Place students as the highest priority regarding support and usability of technology. School notebook and tablet programs should be considered highly. School help desks should be geared around student needs, student access hours and most the common issues students face.
Prepare
Perform external security reviews of network vulnerability and rather than blocking it, analyse it and understand why the vulnerability exists. If it exists to assist in learning, then create disaster plans to counteract the exploit if it were to eventuate.
SummaryEducation is different to Corporate. The main aim of IT in education is to allow students to explore learning methods.
By over securing a network (and other similar traps), the capability of learning with technology in classrooms is diminished.
By contrast, allowing students more functionality increases the interaction between learning tools, curricular programs, online learning programs and teachers.
Being aware of the differences between Education and Corporate, and planning accordingly will greatly enhance the student learning experience.
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