CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY The benefits of Smart Lockers in education
KAY TILBURY, Content Writer at Lapsafe® takes a look at the importance of Smart Lockers in education and illustrates the benefits of using them.
• Efficient remote IT management IT Services play a key role within educational institutions, the level of service they provide affects the learner’s experience.
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mart Lockers have fast become an essential component across campuses, they offer an array of benefits to both institutions and learners.
These intelligent lockers are used to store, charge, loan, and update devices in volume and seamlessly automate many time-consuming manual processes.
Let’s delve into the five key advantages of incorporating Smart Lockers in educational institutions.
• Enhanced student learning and productivity
Education technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing student learning and productivity. Providing easy access to essential learning devices like laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets, not only helps bridge the digital divide but also helps to maximise academic learning potential; students can engage with educational content, use resources, and collaborate with peers. However, manually loaning devices to students by continuously ‘checking in’ and ‘checking out’ devices can become time-consuming; students often waste valuable learning time queuing to borrow or return a device, whilst the administrator must spend a significant amount of time operating this process.
Instead, a Smart Locker provides a self-service solution for students to loan devices, 24/7, without staff intervention. This automatically eliminates long queues and frees up staff time to focus on more pivotal duties.
Students simply scan their I.D. cards at the easy-to-use terminals to access and return devices.
Some advanced Smart Lockers also allow you to use the bays as a drop-off and collection point, which can provide a seamless exchange of books, coursework, and other learning materials. This self-service solution allows students to manage their timetables with flexibility, control, and ownership.
• Revolutionised learning spaces Traditionally, access to student I.T. equipment
would consist of desk stations and large PCs within a dedicated room. The implementation of Smart Lockers revolutionises these traditional learning spaces.
Storing, charging, and loaning devices through a compact Smart Locker, can save a significant amount of space, as dedicated room is no longer required, and the space can then be used more efficiently.
Smart Lockers are often found in campus corridors, providing students with the freedom to borrow a device and study in an area of their choosing, whether that be outside in the sunshine, in an engaging common room, or in a quiet library.
This flexible approach allows study spaces to become more interactive and engaging, encouraging collaboration and creativity.
• Increased device security and control Smart lockers provide a solution for managing and safeguarding educational assets and devices. When loaning devices to students, maintaining control of their whereabouts can become challenging and time-consuming. Research has shown that many institutions find devices often go missing, or valuable time is wasted searching the premises for devices when they have been left in a non-designated area.
A Smart Locker eliminates this problem. As previously mentioned, to access a device the students use their I.D. cards at the terminal; Intelligent Smart Lockers will have functionalities which will allow you to track assets and their statuses. This information can provide you with which devices have been loaned and by whom, what devices are available to be loaned, and what devices are charging.
Depending on how advanced your chosen Smart Locker is, IT features can also include a record of user history, the ability to set group and user rules, management of late return fines, an overview of bookings and reservations, and monitoring of drop-off and collections. With these advanced tracking capabilities, administrators can maintain control over devices and assets, and minimise the risk of loss or theft.
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Smart Lockers can streamline IT management processes by offering remote control. IT Services can remotely track device usage, perform technical updates, and troubleshoot technical issues with a Smart Lockers ‘Break/ Fix’ service, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing student downtime. When a device is faulty or has reached the end of its life, the manual process can be time-consuming which can affect the level of productivity for the learner. With the Smart Locker support, devices can be connected to the network to allow any updates and maintenance to be controlled simultaneously and remotely, whilst the device is still secured in the Smart Locker.
End-of-life devices can be stored in the Smart Lockers until IT services can collect them. For the student, once the device has been returned to the Smart Locker it can be swapped out for another device, ensuring productivity can continue. This efficient IT management ensures that educational resources remain accessible, facilitating uninterrupted learning experiences for students and educators alike.
• Time, resource, and cost savings By automating device/asset management and streamlining administrative tasks, Smart Lockers save valuable time and resources for educational institutions. The automation of routine procedures minimises the burden on administrative staff, allowing them to focus on more pivotal duties, aimed at enhancing the overall educational experience. Additionally, this can lead to cost savings, which can be reallocated to other critical areas of education. Smart Lockers also have a positive impact on IT budgets. By reducing the risk of asset loss or damage, smart lockers help reduce replacement costs and prolong the lifespan of educational devices. Furthermore, the enhanced efficiency in IT management results in lower operational costs and a more sustainable use of resources, ultimately contributing to a positive impact on the IT budget.
In conclusion, these 5 key advantages demonstrate just how effective Smart Lockers can be when implemented within an educational institute; Smart Lockers support learners’ experience and broaden their learning opportunities, they help to revolutionise learning spaces and procedures, and they have a positive impact on time, resources, and budgets. Some of the most intelligent Smart Lockers will also support you with additional features, such as hot locker convenience, a drop-off and collection service, and practical vending.
To support these facts, and for those wishing to delve deeper before investing, many case studies can be found at
www.lapsafe.com/casestudies
March 2024
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