Four Questions to Ask Before Investing in Classroom Tech

The year 2020 gave educators and administrators a lot to reflect on. It also made clear that classroom technology isn’t just nice to have — it is indispensable. 

As the market saturates with education solutions, how do schools decide which products are worth the cost? These questions provide a smart framework for making education tech investment decisions. 

One: Are we prepped for in-person and digital learning? 

There are countless lessons to be learned from 2020. The biggest? Preparation.  

The school day can’t stop just because students can’t come to school. Software tools, such as Microsoft Office 365 Education, support educators in delivering individualized instruction at scale to help students succeed in and out of the classroom. For any tool, you must ensure that IT managers can easily set up and add policies, users or software to supported devices for the entire school or district from anywhere they have a secure connection. 

Two: What's just a fad? What's here to stay? 

When deciphering trends, do your homework. Vet educational hardware and software based on its track record instead of what’s newest or most deeply discounted. In your research, make note of features with staying power like durability and statistically improved learning outcomes in addition to cost-effectiveness. For example, many laptops support modern STEM tools, as well as 3D and spatial thinking programs, which have been shown to improve test scores and attentiveness. 

Three: How are we protecting our data? 

Schools are responsible for protecting students, especially when they’re learning off campus. The massive information exchange that happens during the virtual school day leaves both campus and classroom vulnerable to cyberattack without the right infrastructure. 

Software with intelligent security can proactively safeguard the school’s devices and sensitive school information. For instance, schools that used the safeguards in Microsoft Education tools reported spending 34%¹ less time handling security issues and 20%² less IT management time overall. 

As students take to the internet to complete their coursework, many will be susceptible to the nearly 2 million phishing sites created each month. This particularly insidious cyberthreat has increased 600% last year, primarily using COVID-19 references to play off people’s fears. Be sure to research tools that will automatically block phishing emails. 

Four: Are all students’ needs being considered? 

Classroom diversity is a key consideration when buying educational technology. You need devices and solutions that support students of all abilities in realizing and achieving their potential. The Learning Tools provided by Microsoft for Education are great examples of solutions that promote independence and give students who learn differently the opportunity to learn without stigma. 

Providing students with laptops that interoperate with a wide range of peripheral equipment like digital pens can help lower mobility learner’s complete curriculum sans keyboard. And there’s evidence to suggest that doing so may help them score higher in subjects like science.  

Finally, technologies can free up to 30% of teachers’ time for helping students. That’s 216 hours per year in individual instruction for learners who require additional support in their educational journey. Better learning outcomes are the ultimate return on EdTech investments. 

¹  The Economic Value of Devices Operating the Windows 10 Platform for K-12 Educational Institutions, Framingham, MA: IDC, January 2017 

²  Forrester, Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Windows 10, 2018 

Source: Dell Technologies, Inc.