Why do schools and colleges choose iPad for students?
The Coronavirus pandemic made online education the only alternative for school students to continue their classes. The lockdown also brought in focus the need for the right kind of device for students. The choice of a device is critical as these classes continue throughout the day. With parents working from home during the pandemic, the students need a device that will make studying online easy, without adding to physical stress. The choice obviously is between tablets and laptops since smartphones are too small for comfort to their eyes.
Why tablets for students?
The laptop is a complete package that is suitable for office-goers and professionals in different fields. But tablets have just about the right combination of features that help students continue their education and ensure that there is a study-recreation-life balance. Their user-friendliness is unbeatable. The need for every student is a device that is easily manageable, lightweight, yet containing the essentials of a computer.
Let’s focus on some key points that prove that the light and versatile tablet is the best device for studying.
Apps and Educational Content
The tablet is entirely suitable for browsing, reading, online research, playing videos, video calls, etc. All these functions are useful for students for their education. Technically, a tablet can perform almost all the regular computer functions, including running different educational apps. The powerful new Learning Management Systems (LMS) like iGnite used by schools for classroom as well as remote learning are designed for tablets.
And there are now lakhs of quality educational apps which help with everything from math to geography, in innovative new ways using technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). For example, Apple’s Everyone Can Code programme makes iPads ideal for students to learn coding, which is becoming a more important part of school curriculums now.
To address the new educational needs, smarter tablets like the iPads have become almost essential. Students & teachers both benefit from features like video conferencing, advanced collaboration, real-time whiteboard, annotations, and many similar, useful features.
Ultraportable
Laptops are heavy for students. The tablets come in different sizes, with the most appropriate ones being 10-inches or bigger. Some models of iPad now have 12.9 inches screen size, which is equivalent to many laptops. However, the tablets have remain much lighter in weight — most of them weigh below 1kg, which makes them easy for children to carry. Tablets can be popped into a backpack easily.
Touchscreen
Children are more adept to touchscreens. Tablets are equipped with multi-touch input, which makes them more user-friendly to students. Touchscreen laptops, though available, can be quite expensive. Tablets are suitable for students because, in most cases, they are used for watching educational videos or listen to lectures.
The smart pen used on iPad is particularly useful as it doesn’t just allow students to take notes seamlessly and annotate on projects seamlessly, but also adds powerful new functionalities that encourage creativity. The scribbled notes can be seamlessly converted to text in real time. However, when typing necessary, the iPad can easily be connected with a light and smart keyboard.
Good cameras
iPad comes equipped with excellent front and back cameras. Though not many schools advise their use in class, there are situations when the cameras are very useful. While front cameras help with online classes, the back cameras allow students to be creative during projects. These are some big advantages of iPad for students that laptops can never match.
More battery life
Tablets usually have long battery life. You can use a good tablet for almost 10 hours with a single charge. On the other hand, the most laptops run between four and eight hours because their operating systems and most computer software are more resource intensive. The hardware and software components in a tablet do not consume a lot of power; hence, it can run for longer.
Storage capacity
A common misconception is that the slim and light tablet does not have much storage capacity. In truth, the modern devices use solid-state memory which can pack a lot of storage on tiny chips. The latest iPads come with 128 GB to 1 TB storage space. But more importantly, most data is stored on the cloud today, which makes it secure and accessible from other devices.
Security, Parental control and monitoring
The iPad is designed with security and privacy in mind. They are unlocked with the fully secure Touch ID or Face ID of the user. The operating system is very secure and unlike Android, Apps in the Apple Apps Store are thorough are verified by Apple.
Modern Learning Management Systems and educational apps also have high end privacy, usage control and monitoring features. Schools can restrict usage to help student focus by blocking unnecessary or unsafe apps and websites, disabling the cameras during study time, etc. Parents can also block apps and websites which distract their children. At the same time, they allow teachers and parents to easily monitor students’ progress at any time.
Cost factor
Tablets are available in various price ranges depending on the brands. The average starting price of an entry-level tablet is around Rs 11,000 and can go up to around Rs 80,000 for high end tablets like iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S7. The starting range for the 10-inch iPad is around Rs 29,900. One of the important advantages of iPad is the new tablet-specific operating system, iPadOS, which adds immense capabilities to it. Apple Pencil is no doubt another fantastic accessory for students. In addition, student discounts are available for iPads.
Why iPad for students?
For students as well as for schools, iPads are undoubtedly the best option. These lightweight devices support most apps, shoot print-outs, and allow students to be as creative as possible. Their portability makes them great for everyday use. As compared to Android or Windows tablets, Apple iPads are unbeatable when it comes to ecosystem of high quality educational apps, modern learning resources and support for teachers. The laptop is best for office work and for those who need to perform intensive tasks like image and video editing. But for students, the iPad is perfect for school work as well as everyday learning.