AISB has required Secondary students to bring their own laptop (BYO) to school for over a decade; however, in the 2019-20 school year, after a three-year rollout, the policy changed to Bring Your Own Mac (BYOM) where it became the requirement to use a MacBook, rather than just highly recommended by the school.
In the words of a grade 9 student responding to The Bite’s survey on this policy: “Weird policy […] I don’t even know why it exists.” This comment speaks for many, perhaps.
According to The Bite‘s inquiry into this policy, in consultation with Digital Learning Coordinator Gitane Reveilleau, it wasn’t just put in place to make parents spend more money on a more expensive computer; its intention was to improve the learning environment and create an effective ecosystem between systems.
“Moving to a single platform has allowed teachers and students in our community to be more focused on learning and less distracted by technical issues and obstacles brought by a myriad of operational systems,” Reveilleau says.
Therefore, this article hopes to provide insights on this policy since it has been in place for over five years.
What Students and Staff Say about the BYOM Policy
The Bite‘s survey, with about 50 respondents from students and some teachers across Secondary, showed mixed opinions on the BYOM program. Throughout the survey, it seems that students are split in half about the BYOM program being an effective and preferred operating system, and even more split on how they felt about it.
A majority— 61.2%—of all respondents claimed their preferred operating system was MacOS, and 36% said Windows OS, and the remaining 2% said ChromeOS (associated with Google Chromebooks) was their preference. While Windows OS was preferred by 36.7% of respondents, Microsoft’s operating system just missed the mark by a bit in the hearts of students.
Given that 100% of students use an Apple MacBook daily at school, what can explain such a large percentage who still prefer Windows? Well, some students on the survey noted that Windows was simply cheaper and more affordable than Apple’s products. In addition, others noted Mac’s restrictions on some Windows based applications.
But a recurring theme is the pricing and the school making students bring their own rather than issuing them out similar to other schools who may do so. Overall, it does seem that more students are familiarizing themselves closely with Mac and its programs. But is an iconic laptop like the MacBook really offer the best learning environment?
What Benefits Does Windows Offer?
Windows has been effective for the majority of the brand’s lifespan, to the extent that over 73% of the world’s computers use Windows OS, according to data from Statista conducted in 2020. This OS is noted for its user-friendly interface with the iconic four squares, making it beloved in the hearts of many users, gamers, developers, across the world even to this day, coming packaged with highly regarded programs like MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, MS Word, Teams, and more.
Windows’ compatibility and pricing were also key features noted by respondents. We’re all aware of how expensive Apple products get. For example, based on a recent search online, a MacBook Pro can be as expensive as $1500 USD, while a PC running off Windows can be built for under $600 USD. So cost-conscious consumers may prefer such an adaptable, affordable option, especially since student laptops get such heavy use.
Indeed, due to the high costs of Apple computers, one grade 11 student respondent, Mikhail A., says he thinks “the school should supply Macbooks [for students to check out]. So you could check out a Macbook for a year, and then if it gets damaged, you pay back the repair cost.”
Why Apple May Be More Effective for a Learning Environment
Even some respondents who preferred Windows noted its imperfections. MacOS has been a high standard of the computer industry for years with its security and user-friendliness of users, as well as being present in an extremely popular technological ecosystem, with most Apple devices being compatible with AirPlay and AirDrop, which are extremely useful in a loaded work environment. For example, all teachers now use AirPlay to project their slides and show videos in class, whereas before they had to connect using an HDMI cable.
Grade 9 student Malik G. says that Mac OS is best for “general use at school or at work. Even if they are expensive, they are still well worth the purchase. Although Mac is good for everyday use, the only downside is that most gaming software is unavailable or more complicated to use on Mac so Windows is used for gaming instead.”
Grade 9 student Roman Y. agreed with Reveilleau’s claim (made at the start of this article): “When everyone uses a Macbook it is much easier to deal with technical issues, as all the systems are the same.”
However, it may surprise many that over 50% of respondents felt that Apple had not improved their user experience in any measurable way. “When my Mac broke,” says grade 8 student Tigran K., “I used my family’s Windows operated computer and there were no changes to my learning system. The Mac policy is just a waste of money for parents on overpriced computers.”
In any case, there’s a reason that students had some preference for Apple devices, even if they were familiar with Windows. A common trend among the respondents was how strong Mac was in handling video production and editing, being able to fix any technical issues easily with the help of the IT department and teachers, and plenty of other quality of life reasons.
Macs are also seen as the better option in some industries such as graphic design, video editing and more, which are well present in the school’s curriculum and may help create a more connected digital community at AISB.
With this, what do you think of the BYOM policy? Leave a comment below!
nice article 🙂
I was also wondering why this school prefers Apple over Windows. I think this is a great article with a careful and strategic approach to cover both sides of the article. I personally really liked it, because it is something relevant to everyone, but no one really talked about it before.