How to start a successful one-to-one program in higher education?

Even though digitalisation in colleges and campuses got going in the early 2000s, it grew significantly in the last couple of years due to the global pandemic. To answer the shut down of institutes in the first place and secondly to get ready to welcome back students to their learning environments, 1:1 programs quickly became a hot topic. But what does it take to start a successful one-to-one program in a higher education institution?

One device for every student

The term “one-to-one” refers to learning programs that provide each student from a school, district, college or campus with their own laptop. In the current global scenario, where technology drives innovation in all sectors, a suitable device becomes a masterful ally in the hands of each learner, a critical factor in the pursuit of their dreams.

Whether your institute is starting from ground zero or refreshing its fleet, a 1:1 program represents a significant investment. For this very reason, decision-makers need to ask themselves the right questions before moving forward.

First of all, each degree course features very specific subjects and characteristics. Therefore, choosing a device for every student following a single learning path needs to be highly accurate. For example, students pursuing a degree in design have different needs from those studying liberal arts. The same goes for engineers and medical professionals in the making, to name a few examples. 

After selecting the right laptop according to the faculty type, your university or college network might need an upgrade. That may be your case, especially if you foresee a considerable increase in the number of devices connected to your bandwidth compared to last year. Several students might be attending remote classes from their dorms, labs or shared spaces; hence executives might consider adding wireless access points or powering up their networks before moving on. 

Preparing IT departments for one-to-one in higher education

Alongside setting up the network and choosing the most suitable device for your students, you also need to take into account the IT side of things. 

A fleet of university/college devices may include a vast number of laptops and even desktops from laboratories and libraries. They will all need to be deployed and enrolled into the institute network while also easily manageable and secure enough to protect students’ data from hackers. 

In order to tackle this effectively, the IT department devices will have to be selected wisely. And the same goes for the fleet’s deployment system. Thanks to Windows Autopilot or Chrome OS zero-touch enrollment, Acer devices can be automatically deployed and enrolled to free the IT department from this time-consuming task.

Last but not least, long-term maintenance and management are undoubtedly essential. In this sense, you will need to roll out strategic plans to replace potentially damaged devices and promptly solve their problems or replace them to prevent learning loss.

Acer laptops for higher education include a vast portfolio of reliable and performing devices suitable for multiple learning needs and areas. Would you like some help to find the one for your university or campus? 

Don’t hesitate to contact us. Our experts will be happy to help you find what’s best for your institute: acerforeducation.emea@acer.com