Laptops and Learning
Purchase and maintenance of computers is seriously burdening the schools’ budgets. Firstly, they need to make sure that every students has his own computer and secondly, they need to keep up with the changes in the ICT technology to provide their pupils with up-to-date technology. This in practice means replacement of school’s computers every three years. In order to keep the costs down and enable their students and teachers to take advantage of ICT technology, many schools are therefore replacing stationary computers with laptops.
Advantages of Laptops over Stationary Computers
Laptops offer several advantages over stationary computers. The main reasons why a growing number of schools is replacing classroom computers with laptops include:
- increased interest in learning; the fact that each child is provided a computer of their own makes them more interested in both working with the computer and learning the subject matter
- ability to learn at home; most pupils have a computer at home but it is a lot easier for them to learn if they use the same computer at school and at home
- fewer notebooks to carry around
- responsibility; by entrusting the child a laptop, he/she is also entrusted its care which in turn boost the sense of responsibility
- lower electricity bills; laptops consume less electricity than stationary computers which can dramatically cut the school’s electricity bills
- parental involvement; by giving each pupil a laptop of their own and allowing them to take it at home, the schools can turn to parents to share the costs
Disadvantages of Laptop Use in Schools
Replacement of stationary computers with laptops offers more advantages than disadvantages. There are, however, a few challenges that should be addressed such as:
- control over use; it is a lot more difficult for the teachers to control what the pupils are doing on their laptops than on classroom computers
- fragility; laptops are fragile and easily break if dropped for instance
- protection from online threats; on the one hand, laptops allow the pupils to learn at school and between classes but on the other, they are at increased risk of malicious software
- standardisation; which devices will be used
- financing; who will fund the purchase
- maintenance; having own laptop boosts independence and responsibility in pupils but some tend to care better for their possessions than the others
Tablets Vs Laptops
Tablets are attractive due to their lower cost, lesser vulnerability to undesirable applications and smaller size which makes them ideal for kids. But they are more vulnerable to damage due to lack of built-in keyboard and are generally less suitable for computing tasks.