Schools Embrace BYOD

A survey of information technology officials at 500 education institutions has found that 85 percent of the schools allow some form of “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) despite concerns about network security.

The “Impact of BYOD on Education” survey by Bradford Networks, found that 89 percent of higher-education institutions surveyed allowed students to use their own devices on campus networks; only 44 percent of K-12 systems allowed it. Of the schools that do not allow BYOD, 84 percent said they received frequent requests from students and faculty to change the policy.

Other findings:

•72 percent of respondents said students were using their own devices to complete class assignments.

•52 percent of respondents said personal devices were being integrated into classroom activities.

•The survey also found that education institutions that allow BYOD need to adopt more stringent security steps. For instance, 27 percent of respondents say they allow open access to the school network to anyone, without registration.  

•54 percent of respondents say they don’t require antivirus protection to be installed on a device prior to allowing it to connect the school network.

The survey received responses from more than 500 IT professionals from colleges, universities and K-12 school districts in the United States and United Kingdom.