Dive Brief:

• By 2019, 58 million two-in-one devices are expected to be sold annually, and growth in popularity of these products, which combine the features of both tablets and notebooks, is being driven by the education sector.
• EdTech: Focus on K-12 reports the Leander Independent School District in Texas found the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 11e was best able to accommodate the needs of teachers across subjects including science, math and social studies who were using digital devices differently.
• Districts that have already converted to two-in-one devices recommend considering durability and battery life of potential products, both of which can be tested in small-scale pilots before committing to a school- or district-wide rollout.

Dive Insight:

Finding one product that can meet the wide-ranging needs of students and teachers across a district is a major win. IT systems can be streamlined, cost savings can come with greater bulk purchasing power and staff training is more straightforward. While districts used to have to choose between laptops or notebooks and tablets, now they can get the benefits of both in a single device.

It is important for every district to do its own internal research before choosing a device, however. Surveying teachers about how they plan to use digital devices in the classroom can help identify needs. From there, schools must ensure the infrastructure exists to support greater internet use. A slow rollout can give more hesitant teachers time for additional training and also help IT leaders address system shortcomings before they cause widespread problems.