3 viktiga slutsatser
- Technical issues and maintenance are costing schools significant time and money.
“Within every hour, we are losing approximately 6 minutes, 6 and a half minutes, due to some form of technical difficulty… the sort of cost of this was approximately 30% of that initial cost of the device.” - Visibility is critical to both device and app management.
“But they don’t have the best ways to really have a window into how that technology’s performing… I’m going to show you a lot of that visibility that’s coming through two of Lightspeed’s tools.” - Actionable insights drive better decisions and outcomes.
“Being able to come to [parents] to bring and shed a light on what’s happening in screen time… can be a really powerful way to showcase the good that digital technology is doing.”
Over the past few years, schools across the globe have experienced a dramatic shift in the way technology is integrated into teaching and learning. The pandemic may have accelerated device and app adoption, but that trajectory has only continued. In our latest webinar, I had the pleasure of exploring the challenges (and exciting solutions) around gaining true visibility and control over edtech devices and applications in schools.
➡ Om du vill kan duwatch the webinar on-demand now.
The Universal Challenges of EdTech Devices and Apps in Schools
Let’s start with the reality: the challenges you’re facing with edtech aren’t unique to your school or district. They’re universal. Within every hour, we are losing approximately 6 minutes, 6 and a half minutes, due to some form of technical difficulty. This highlights the impact technical hiccups have on valuable teaching time.
On top of that, the ongoing cost to maintain devices can be staggering. Often approximately 30% of that initial cost of the device. When you think about the number of devices in circulation, especially in the US, UK, Scandinavia, and Asia, it’s easy to see how these costs and lost learning time add up quickly.
But devices are just one half of the equation. Software proliferation is the other. There typically can be over 2,000 different applications being used on use on average across schools, which means a massive potential for distraction, compliance risk, and wasted budget.
Why Visibility into Edtech Devices and Apps Matters
So, what do we do with all this complexity? For me, it comes down to visibility. Schools are ever increasing digital technology and facing the challenges I’ve just talked about. But they don’t have the best ways to really have a window into how that technology’s performing.
That’s where tools like Lightspeed Signal™ och Lightspeed Insight™ come in. Lightspeed Signal, launched this year, is designed to give you actionable visibility into device and app issues—be it outages, inventory confusion, or network health. With features like app health monitoring, device location tracking, VPN detection, and real-time notifications, it transforms reactive IT work into proactive support.
Lightspeed Insight goes deeper into the software side, helping you measure app usage, surface compliance gaps, and track return on investment. We need to be making smarter choices around the understanding of the return on investment that might be putting in place there as budgets tighten and software sprawl continue
Making Edtech Device and App Data Actionable
One of the biggest value-adds is the ability to turn data into action. For example, Lightspeed Insight can flag “rogue apps” being used without approval or privacy review, and even automatically block them through Lightspeed Filter™. It also allows you to track underutilized licenses, aggregate software spend across newly joined schools, and communicate approved app lists to stakeholders.
And yes—screen time data is included, too. Being able to come to parents to bring data and shed a light on what’s happening in screen time across the campuses that you have responsibility for can be a really powerful way to showcase the good that digital technology is doing. Dispelling myths about technology as a “time waster” starts with transparent, purposeful data.
Streamlining EdTech Management
Ultimately, my goal, and the goal of our team at Lightspeed, is to help schools “step in, and streamline these aspects by ultimately listening to what the challenges our teachers and our administrators and leaders and IT teams are telling us. Whether you’re evaluating devices, apps, or both, it’s all about building confidence, saving time, and maximizing impact for students and staff alike.
If you missed the live session or want to explore these topics further, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is always here to support you on your edtech journey.
Thank you for your time, and here’s to smarter, safer, and more effective digital learning for all.
