5 factors to consider before investing in high-tech gadgets in school

Education, as we know it, is witnessing a drastic change. The old trusted learning aids are being replaced with the use of technology. While high tech gadgets promise to make learning more fun and experiential than ever before, the downside is that education technology tends to be expensive.

If you are planning to add high-tech gadgets to your school’s repository of learning aids, you should be prepared to make a significant investment. Here are five important factors to consider when choosing instructional technology, to ensure that the investment is well worth the cost.

1. Does it align with your vision and Goal?

While an increasing number of parents are recognizing the importance of a well rounded education, good grades are still at the top of the priority list for most. Schools need to recognize this if they want to get parents on board with the latest high-tech technology products.

If the use of technology in education is likely to help learn faster and improve their grades, then you should consider investing in it. On the other hand, if the product is merely a fun tool that is unlikely to show any academic results, then it might not be worth it.

2. How often are you planning to integrate the gadget?

Teachers are ultimately the deciding factors in how much a high tech gadget is going to be used. If the product is complicated to use or does not help a teacher with their job, then it is probably just going to gather dust in a forgotten corner of the classroom.

Can it help students in the classroom become more engaged and less distracted? Will the use of education in technology help a teacher improve results from their classes? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then the product might be worth investing in. 

Also Read: 5 reasons why a physical learning environment is the best for students in the long run

 

3. Does the high tech gadget company provide access to Tech support?

One of the major factors for technology selection in schools is that products require consistent customer service support or training and Edtech is no expectation.

Before investing in education technology make sure you check if the product has accessible customer support in case it malfunctions. Depending upon the complexity of the gadget, you might also need to find out if the company offers frequent training on how to use it.

4. Does the product exceed the allocated budget?

Often few high-tech gadgets require additional components at an extra charge in order to be functional. These expenses can often exceed the allocated budget and put a severe strain on a school’s resources. To ensure that you don’t fall into hidden costs, it’s important that you ask upfront about any accessories required.

If the product doesn’t have any additional parts or if the extra components are still well within the budget, if it exceeds the budget, then you can look for affordable alternatives before making any financial commitment.

5. Will the high tech gadget be sustainable in the longer term?

Most forms of technology often have a limited lifespan. As soon as a new product is released, the existing one becomes obsolete. In the case of instructional technology, this feature can prove to be unsustainable. 

Because of the high investment involved, schools cannot afford to keep replacing assistive technology in education products. This is why, before investing in education technology products, schools need to check if the product will still be useful a few years from now.

The education syllabus is largely static, so you should look for products that address fundamental topics in a curriculum, rather than new-fangled games that could go out of use very quickly.