'Digital natives' driving the BYOD phenomenon
Students no longer expect to wait for access to a computer or to learn in a predictable classroom context but instead can choose to use a range of devices and interfaces that enable them to customise their learning, according to lecturer Dr Allan Sylvester.
They’re referred to as 'digital natives' -- Generations X, Y and whatever the one that comes after it is called -- those who have spent their entire lives surrounded by digital technologies.
Dr Allan Sylvester, Lecturer at the School of Information Management, says 21st Century learners expect to be able to access their smartphones and tablets all the time.
"Students no longer expect to wait for access to a computer or to learn in a predictable classroom context, but instead can choose to use a range of devices and interfaces that enable them to customise their learning in a style and at a pace that suits them," says Dr Sylvester.
So rapid has been the change that many schools have been unable to keep pace with technology: enter the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, where students seek to bridge the gap by bringing their own smartphones, tablets, netbooks or iPods to school to use as learning devices.
"BYOD is an emerging socio-technical phenomenon in both businesses and schools, where it is being advocated for ICT learning. Yet despite accelerating adoption, the factors that affect students' use of BYOD are still not well articulated."
Last year, Dr Sylvester and one of his Honours students, Nathan Hopkins, surveyed nine secondary schools around New Zealand to determine factors that affect students’ use of BYOD. Together with the co-author of the study, Dr Mary Tate, they evaluated antecedents to the behavioural intention of BYOD.
The team received 386 responses to a range of questions, including issues such as teacher, peer and parental influence.
"The results showed that students’ behavioural intention to use their own device was substantially influenced by their attitude and moderately influenced by their subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. The results also suggested that devices that were easier to use and compatible with the learning tasks at hand would positively affect students’ intention to use and that the influence of peers, teachers and parents/guardians was important."
Perhaps more surprising was the response of parents/guardians from the 70s and 80s whose expectations are based on their own experience of school.
"I may have initially expected some push-back from parents whose learning was conducted without these digital devices, but they were actually very encouraging and supportive of BYOD."
The findings have major implications for the education sector, including the need to renegotiate the way classrooms operate.
"Access to knowledge is now democratised. Teachers are just as important as they always were but the teacher’s role becomes more of a mentor, coach, guide and trainer."
It also means schools need to consider initiatives such as training sessions for students on how to use their devices, taking precautionary measures around issues such as cyber safety, as well as providing a sufficient network infrastructure. The BYOD phenomenon isn’t without its risks, says Dr Sylvester.
"It has been argued that BYOD creates distractions and cyber risks, as well as unrealistic demands on school infrastructure and teachers’ technological knowledge."
The BYOD phenomenon has also been blamed for chiselling an even wider crevice in the digital divide -- those who have access to digital devices and those who don't.
"One rural secondary school principal told me it was all very well putting in ultra-fast broadband, but he had four families who didn’t have access to electricity. For those families, using digital devices is not an economic reality. We need to ensure that students aren’t left behind."
Despite the risks, Dr Sylvester says BYOD offers a powerful learning environment.
"Managed properly, BYOD can offer an environment that is engaging, fosters creative thinking and honours students' own passions and preferences for learning."
Dr Sylvester will be presenting the paper, Motivations for BYOD: An Investigation of the Contents of a 21st Century School Bag, in the Netherlands in June. He is hoping to conduct a follow-up survey in 2014, and while in Europe will be speaking with educational institutions in London with the view to internationalising New Zealand's data.