BBC News recently released an article stating that 70% of schools in the UK allow students to make use of tablets for studying. While this is something that has not always been the norm; this particular change has certainly made it easier for students to access information via the internet and use their handheld devices to compile projects and information with ease. The studies carried out to determine these statistics also found that students often went to bed with an internet connected device and were completely immersed in technology both at school and at home.
While there is said to be no definitive proof that using a tablet or other internet connected device for studies can improve a student’s results, it has certainly been a trend that is simply growing and growing. In South Africa paper and pen seems to still be the norm, and tablets an indulgence. We can but wonder if our classrooms and education departments will be making changes to modernise the classroom environment and provide students with access to a wealth of information and knowledge – the internet.
One thing that has struck us about increased tablet and internet connected device use in students is that of security. Connecting a tablet to a school’s network can present a certain amount of vulnerability to both the student and the school. Various precautionary methods must clearly be taken to protect the data and personal information of the school and the students who are making use of the network. We can only hope that if SA does see a change over in how advanced classrooms are and how much connectivity is allowed on the school premises, that precautions are taken to backup data to secure servers where the information is encrypted.
If your child makes use of a tablet or even laptop at school or at home, don’t overlook the potential security and privacy dangers that are present. Browse through our cloud computing and cloud backup and packages and find out more on how you can help to protect personal information stored on your child’s handheld device. Contact us at Soteria for more cloud computing and cloud backup information and advice today.