As schools and districts consider transitioning a digital classroom and deploying mobile devices to students and staff, they must also decide whether to deploy cases to protect these devices and if the additional expense is beneficial in the long run.
In a recent survey, tech directors across the United States helped us to determine that the decision to protect take-home devices with high-quality cases reduced damage rates by 40%. Over the past two decades, Techprotectus has worked alongside technology directors and their teams to learn what program directors look for when making these decisions and help to provide guidance as they embark on technology initiatives.
While selecting a protective case for a student device, keep in mind a few important factors to help reduce the rate of damage. Before purchasing the first one school tech directors should consider the following tips:
Choosing a case partner
Choosing a case partner for your student devices is an important part of the purchasing process. You'll likely need to replenish inventory every year, so it's important to find a provider with a proven track record in the EDU market. Some companies are more affordable than others, but you should also do your due diligence. Consider asking other school districts for referrals or conducting a thorough evaluation of case providers.
Getting feedback from colleagues and decision-makers
It's important to consider the impact that your behavior may have on other people. Feedback is valuable in helping you improve your performance and addressing shortcomings. To get the most out of it, seek feedback from colleagues, decision-makers, and superiors. Ask for clarification and examples of what they're referring to. It's also important to assume that your feedback provider is correct, as this helps defuse negative feelings when receiving critical feedback.
The best time to give feedback is immediately after the event. Feedback is more meaningful when given soon after an event, and most organizations have regular feedback sessions. In-person feedback can be scheduled whenever necessary, but it's best to do it as soon as possible. The reason is that if you give feedback too soon, it may be interpreted as criticism by the learner and will negatively impact departmental relationships. Additionally, feedback that's too long after the event can be questioned as less objective.
Getting a custom-molded case
Getting a custom-molded case for a student device can be a good way to protect your asset while keeping it safe. If you have a large order, a case provider may have inventory on-hand. However, if you need more, a case provider will have to order the cases and ship them directly to the school. Depending on the case you purchase, the lead time can vary from 75 to 100 days.
When purchasing a custom-molded case for a student device, remember that your device will be in the classroom, traveling home, and even being used in different grade levels. You want it to be protected against falls, spills, and wear and tear. Choosing a case that protects your device will make it last for a long time. It is also helpful if you can find a case with fastening mechanisms. These can save you hours of time.
Ease of Installation
Case installation can be particularly time-consuming especially when deploying custom-molded cases that are designed to provide a snug fit. Be sure to incorporate this time into your deployment timeline.
Since some case companies use the same packaging for large deployments as they do in retail stores, the product may come in cumbersome packaging that may take a long time to remove and dispose of. That, coupled with potentially difficult installation and deployment size can become quite the time suck. Imagine completing this process 1,000 times or more for a large deployment! Enough said!
Barcode Scanning & Asset Management
When deploying hundreds to thousands of devices, it’s important to make sure you have a way of tracking and managing all those devices.
Many schools use a barcode system for asset tagging. If you are deploying molded cases and this is the system your school uses, select a case that has a transparent window to display this bar code. The last thing you want to have to do at the end of the school year is remove all the cases in order to catalog your devices. This transparent window is also a great place for personalizing with a student name, stickers, or photos! And, if you’re interested in case customization, make sure to look for device providers who offer debossing, screen printing, or embroidery for your cases, bags, and sleeves.
Once you decide to add case protection to your device deployment, selecting the right case is essential to the success of the program. Hopefully, these tips will be helpful as you consider the selection of the perfect case for your unique deployment. If you work in a school IT department and responsible for student protective case procurement, you come to the right place. Please feel free to send us email at info@techprotectus.com , our K-12 Solution expert will be glad to help you.