The overwhelming message from the bulk of the literature is that good BYOD practice and policy stems from clarity of purpose and vision.

It’s tempting to start thinking about “What” or “How” at this point – but most articles insist that there are some important ducks to get into a row before you start thinking about the actual technology that you will be using, or how to go about using it. So, before you go much further down the path, ponder this:

What is the end game? What is the change that you’re looking for in your RTO?

Remember, at this point, it isn’t about the technology, it’s about the intended outcome.

Work out who is going to be effected by the changes – will this be staff (teaching and administrative)? Learners? Industry stakeholders? Visiting subject matter experts? Everyone? – who are you trying to impact for the better?

Once you’ve established this, it is vital to make sure your management team (or other key stakeholders in your RTO) can confidently understand the vision and purpose – and answer the question “why”. This will make things simpler for them to discuss the issue with their networks when the inevitable bumps in the road appear.

Articles written about the experiences of larger educational institutions stress that involving the tech crew at this point is a vital way to gain their support, specialised insights, creative input and technical expertise. This will help the project will run more smoothly throughout.

If your RTO is new to the BYOD scene, this is a good time to work with your IT service provider or to engage the services of IT consultants, digital mentors or e-learning champions. They can help you to develop a strong picture of what life could look like in your RTO, once you’ve made the changes. They can also save money and pain down the track.

Here are some of the “whys” that have been mentioned as reasons for adopting BYOD practice in RTOs:

A way to add value and competitiveness to my RTO
Address compliance requirements for reporting
A way to add more fluidity to the way that staff and learners interact with my organisation
Appealing to learner’s desire to work with their devices anyway
Teaching learners industry relevant skills that will improve accuracy and efficiency in their industry setting
Saving money and optimising use of existing resources

Stay tuned for the next episode of Go Go Gadget Grabs, where we’ll share what we’ve found out about getting ready to create a digital strategy.