Week Three Assignment
Laura Moll
Ashford University
Dr. Bruce A. Johnson
Introduction
Students in an inner city middle school have been given the option to take several courses at home, at the expense of the district to compensate for insufficient attendance, interest in academic subjects, suspensions or expulsions from school or other circumstances that would make the home/school connection with a dual classroom feasible for student achievement. The board has decided that in order to supplement the need for technology in most of the student’s homes, and stimulate success for student’s that might otherwise fail they must purchase portable devices to loan out to students for the entirety of the school year. This process would be similar to letting student’s borrow textbooks and students would be responsible for the full purchase price of the item if it is lost or stolen. These instructional solutions would allow students to participate in class from home, complete assignments online and interact with teachers and other students via the internet. However, the board of education has come to stalemate on which device would be most beneficial.
There are three potential candidates for purchase for this dilemma. The tablets to choose from include the ipad Air, the Samsung Galaxy 3 or the Kindle Fire HDx. A cost analysis is described below, to weigh the details of each device as they relate to student accessibility, cost and ease of use. These devices will be evaluated based on criteria listed below to determine the product that is the most efficient and conducive to online learning environments.
Particular attention should be paid to the ability to use video conferencing, apps that are available for download and the ease of access to the app store. Also, the amount of users per administrator will be considered upon analysis of each device.
Cost Analysis
Name of Product
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iPad Air (16 GB)
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Samsung Galaxy Tablet 3
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Kindle Fire HDX
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Image
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Cost
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Amazon.com $549.00
Best Buy
$499.00
Apple
$499.00
Wal-Mart
$499.00
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Amazon.com
$197.00
Best Buy
$239.00
WalMart
$200.00
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Amazon.com
$339.00
Best Buy
$369.00
WalMart
$379.00
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Challenges
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Benefits
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Websites
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Additional Comments
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Specs
9.1 Inch Display
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Specs
8 Inch Display
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Specs
9.1 Inch Display
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Summary
Each of the various technologies that have been examined have their benefits and their challenges in a classroom setting. The ipad boasts several positive features such a technical support, portability, individual app stores and a plethora of educational apps. However, it is the most expensive of the three devices and most apps need to be purchased. There are a minumum amount of apps that are available for free. Also, apple limits the amount of devices that can be assigned to a specific itunes account.
The Samsung Galaxy is much cheaper than the ipa, ranging from $197.00-$219.00. The screen size is about 8 inches which is slightly smaller than the ipad. The galaxy tablet runs off the android market which has the largest app store and the greatest availability of free apps. There is a lot of flexibility in apps that are available. This tablet has a plastic casing, making it more durable and longer lasting than the ipad. Although this tablet has many features that are useful for tech savy users, like being able to use more than one app simultaneously, some of the features may be challenging for users that are not familiar with android devices.
Lastly, the Kindle Fire has a fast processor, face to face interactive features for support and it’s casing is lightweight and portable. However, there are limited app purchases available on the Amazon app store and the tablet has to be closed, then opened when it goes idle.
Conclusion
Overall, each of the tablets that were described have several features that would adequately accommodate a school district looking to purchase for student use. However, considering the demographics, age and economic status of the students that these devices would be purchased for, the Samsung Galaxy would be the optimal choice. Most students are technologically aware and able to navigate new devices with each. The teacher can request new apps and purchases through a school created app store at little or no cost to the students. Also, there are interactive features that allow group collaboration and interaction. The cost to replace the tablet if lost is the cheapest of the three models as well, so students would be able to reconcile the cost of lost material. In addition, the durability of the device enhances the usability and decreases the risk of damage to the device. The purchase of these devices are a critical element of enhancing the success of students in an urban area. Students with these devices would have continual access to technology and the internet, therefore increasing their network of resources and capability. The purchase of the Samsung tablets will effectively influence students in the district.
References
Amazon.com. Retrieved from www.amazon.com on June 9, 2014
Amazon Kindle Fire HDx Review: A must-have for amazon prime members. (Jan. 2014).
Retrieved from http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-kindle-fire-hdx-8-9/
Apple. Retrieved from www.apple.com on June 9, 2014
Apple iPad Air Review: Thinner, faster, lighter. (Nov. 2013). Retrieved from
http://www.cnet.com/products/apple-ipad-air/ on June 9, 2014.
Best Buy. Retrieved from www.bestbuy.com on June 9, 2014
iPad Mini. Retrieved from www.macworld.fr on June 9, 2014
Kindle Fire HD. Retrieved from www.bostino.streetwise.co on June 9, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Tab Android Tablet Review. Retrieved from www.the-gadgeteer.com on June
9, 2014.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Review: An Excellent Tablet at a premium price. (Oct. 2013). Retrieved
from http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-8-inch-gold-brown/
Walmart. Retrieved from www.walmart.com on June 9, 2014.
