Category Archives: App purchase and management

App purchase and management, Framework Supplier Advice

Framework Supplier Guidance: Managing Apps

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Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

As discussed in the post ‘Purchasing Apps’, some modern tablet platforms manage the deployment of applications in a different manner to traditional Windows and OS X operating systems. Apps purchased from application stores on Android and iOS, for example, are specific to the account of the user downloading or purchasing them, rather than to the device. This raises some issues around purchase and installation of apps provided on the device at deployment as well as of those provided post-deployment. In some cases, schools choose to treat apps as consumable items, whereby apps are gifted to pupils who can then continue to use them when they leave school, others use a model where the school maintains ownership of the apps, which are retrieved and redeployed when pupils leave school. The former model requires little setup by the school as redemption codes are sent to pupils who redeem them against their own account. The latter model may look financially attractive but will require up-front work to configure the device, the resource cost of which may ultimately be more than the cost of the apps themselves.

There are circumstances where, with an additional Mobile Device Management (MDM) service, you may be able to deploy applications to tablet devices over the air. There are free and paid MDM solutions available offering varied functionality and XMA can advise of the best solution to suit your individual requirements.

App purchase and management, Framework Supplier Advice

Framework Supplier Guidance: Purchase of Apps

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XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

Framework Supplier

With these modern operating systems the method for purchasing applications and licensing is quite different from the method you may be familiar with for traditional Windows or Mac computers. In the past you would probably have purchased software applications from a computer reseller or retail shop on some sort of removable media like a DVD, CD or a floppy disk. This would have an associated license agreement (and often a license key or serial number) that would allow you to install the application on a single computer or across multiple computers. Tablet devices offered on the national framework all come with an application store (or app store) built-in to the device’s operating system. This is the primary (and with Apple devices, the only) method for purchasing, downloading and installing applications. These application stores are as follows:

Android
Devices

Apple
IOS Devices

Microsoft
Windows Devices
ASUS Nexus 7, Galaxy Note 10.1
iPad mini, iPad
Dell Latitude 10

Google Play

App Store

Windows Store

All three stores offer free and paid applications and require you to sign up for an account to download either. These accounts can often be used to purchase and download other types of media such as music, movies and digital books and to access other services offered by the store’s vendor. These accounts are as follows:

Google Play

Google Account (with Google Wallet for paid apps)

App Store

Apple ID

Windows Store

Microsoft Account

Each store will prompt the user to setup an account or log in to an existing account when you first try to download an application. When downloading free applications you will be required to enter contact details but payment details will not be required. More information on each vendor’s specific application store can be found on their websites as follows:

Google Play

App Store

Windows Store

When creating an account and downloading applications from these three stores you are essentially entering into a legal agreement with the store vendor or application developer that outlines the use of the application. This agreement will cover the use of applications on multiple devices (similar to licenses that you would have purchased with traditional software as noted above).

While all of these stores allow you to re-download purchased applications on other devices that use the same account, each store (and in the case of Google Play and Windows Store, each application) will offer different terms for the use of applications on multiple devices. An outline of these is noted below but it is important that you read and understand the terms and conditions that you agree to when creating an account and when downloading an application. Also note that the terms of use are often different for institutions than for individuals.

Google Play

Defined by app developer

App Store

App licensed for use on one device only

Windows Store

Defined by app developer

Having an understanding of how apps are licensed on the device platform you are using will help define your strategy for account creation. For example, if the applications you are purchasing from Google Play are licensed for use on an unlimited number of devices, it would make sense to use the same Google Account across multiple devices. Given that the App Store requires one app per device it would make sense to create an Apple ID for each user. This in turn raises issues around purchase method and application deployment.

For paid applications you must have a suitable payment method associated with your application store account. Supported payment methods differ from store to store but all support debit and credit cards. It is unlikely that an institution would want to allow learners access to an account that is associated with a debit or credit card.

Google Play

Credit/Debit card (via Google Wallet) Gift/Pre-paid cards

App Store

Credit/Debit card Gift/Pre-paid cards

Windows Store

Credit/Debit card Gift/Pre-paid cards

As an alternative to the App Store, Apple offers a method of purchasing application redemption codes in bulk with their Volume Purchase Programme for Education. These redemption codes can be distributed to users and allow them to download paid apps without requiring a payment method associated with their Apple ID. The institution manages purchase through a central portal which requires a credit or debit card but these details are not exposed to end users. The programme also offers a 50 percent discount on many apps when purchasing 20 or more copies. Details of the programme are available on the Apple website.

Microsoft does not limit installation of applications to the Windows Store. As such it is still possible to purchase applications and licensing direct from computer resellers or developers. Consider how the application installation files will be delivered, as tablet devices do not have built-in CD or DVD drives. Preferably, application installation files should be provided electronically for download or installed to the device as part of an image.

Look out for a future blog post on application deployment and how this can be managed as you introduce more tablet devices to your institution.

1:1 deployment, Aberdeenshire, App purchase and management, Apple, Device management, Teacher

Fishermoss PS: iPod Touches in the P2/3 classroom

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Fishermoss PS: iPod Touch in the P2/3 classroom

Aberdeenshire Council has a long history of commitment to and use of digital technologies to help deliver better outcomes for learners. This past year has seen them continue this as they have begun to explore the use of a range of devices in their schools with pilots trialling iPads, Android tablets and iPod Touches.

One of these pilots saw every pupil and teacher at Fishermoss PS in Portlethen being given an iPod Touch by the Local Authority ICT team. We were obviously very interested in finding out more about this ambitious pilot and visited the school late in 2012 to see how things were progressing.

We met with Ashley Rennie who teaches P2/3 to ask her how her early experience in using the devices with her young learners had been. She explained that she was still very much finding her feet with the devices and with what they could do but at that stage she was allowing the children to have their iPod Touches at their desks all the time to use when they saw fit. A number of learning apps have been installed on the iPods and she was allowing the children to use them when they thought it would help them with their learning. Although she is allowing a degree of freedom of use of the devices she is using them in structured ways when carrying out tasks such as spelling and phonics work and she is differentiating her input at these times based on who she feels requires direct teaching and who is more capable of coping with increasing levels of independent learning.

Fishermoss PS: iPods in P.2/3 Interview with Mrs Rennie about her involvement with the iPod pilot

Mrs Rennie remarked that simple things such as the World Clock on the iPods had created a real sense of enquiry and that it had stirred her learners curiosity about the wider world at large. As a result of a most probably overlooked facility in the iPod Touch the class have been motivated to explore areas of the world where they have visited and where they can see that the time is currently different from that in Scotland.

Technical challenges

Mrs Rennie told us that there has been some issues with the management of the iPod Touches in the early stages but that she did manage to take responsibility for ensuring that all the devices for her children had been synced and that all necessary apps had been installed. She felt that this was a challenge but that once it was done it was done and she could carry on with looking at how to use the devices in her practice. One problem that she did identify as an issue for her was the fact that the iPods could not play Flash games or resources that she felt were appropriate for her learners.

Fishermoss PS: Technical challenges with the iPod Touch Mrs Rennie discusses some of the technical challenges of the iPod pilot

1:1 deployment, Android, App purchase and management, Device management, Edinburgh, Impact on learning, Teacher

Forrester HS: Managing the Android devices and Google Marketplace

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Forrester HS: Managing Android and Google Marketplace
Forrester HS is using free Android apps

The management of the Android devices and the apps that could be installed on them are fundamental to the success of any device pilot. The team at Forrester HS gave this great consideration in view of how it could be done as effectively as possible but in such a way that it would enhance the learning culture of the school. Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that, rather than put in place a controlled environment that the school managed, they left it much more open so that learners were able to download apps that they were requested to by their teachers as well as ones that the learners themselves felt were useful for their learning. The school has found this approach to be reasonably successful up to now and the fact that they have good bandwidth means that if 20 pupils are asked to download an app for a lesson at the same time then they can.

Mr Cunningham explained that all apps that they were using were free from the Google and that there had been no need for them to access any of the paid-for apps. He did however point out that at this stage of the pilot there was as yet still  no volume purchasing option for Android.

Forrester HS: Apps management Mr Cunnigham (Class Teacher) discusses managing Android apps

In relation to the management of the devices, Mr Cunningham explained that the school had insurance in place as well as a two-year warranty. There had been a small number of instances where devices had been damaged and also where issues with devices had led to them being returned under warranty to be repaired. It was stressed that any necessary repairs were carried out satisfactorily by the manufacturer but when a device was away being repaired it led to challenges for the learning and teaching in a classroom that required access to a personal device. Mr Cunningham suggested that, if budget allowed,  a small bank of school-owned machines could be used to temporarily replace any device that was out of commission due to damage or warranty repair.

Forrester HS: Managing the devices Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses how the school has managed the Android devices

1:1 deployment, App purchase and management, Apple, Device management, North Lanarkshire

Bellshill Academy: Technical challenges with their iPad pilot

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Bellshill Academy
iCloud details are the same as school network logins

Willie Davidson (Learning Centre) at Bellshill Academy was a central figure in the planning and implementation of the iPad pilot at the school. In our discussions he talked of the many technical challenges that he faced in order to ensure that the pilot moved forward, such as those associated with wi-fi, iTunes accounts, parental issues and infrastructure.

One of the first challenges he recalls was associated with the  purchase and management of apps for the iPads. He told us that when the pilot began there was no way of managing apps for a number of iPads centrally and as a result he had to buy 150 iTunes cards at a local store, scratch off the material to reveal the 15 digit number, then type those numbers into the computer for every card. This proved to be a time-consuming and laborious process and at the time was one that he was concerned about in terms of the sustainability of this process. He is aware that this issue has now been addressed to some extent with Apple introducing Apple Configurator and Volume Purchasing, services it is hoped will make the purchase and management of apps an easier process.

Bellshill Academy: Technical challenges Mr Davidson (The Learning Centre) discusses the technical challenges that the pilot faced

When the iPads were set up it was decided that the school would retain control of absolutely everything. iCloud accounts were set up using the school network login credentials that had already been allocated to pupils. Pupils were informed that they were not allowed to change the details of these accounts and this rule was written in to the Acceptable Use Policy. The pupils and their parents/carers were informed that the apps installed on the device were the property of the school and parents/carers were advised against tying their credit card to an iTunes account due to the fact that any purchased apps would still belong to the school and also because it would limit the chance for their account being hit with the costs of many purchases.

As part of the pilot a new wi-fi system was installed; however, this needed to be reviewed, particularly when it became apparent that the signal was not reaching the areas that it was intended to. Mr Davidson stressed in the interview the need to have a strong data connection for any school that intends to embark on a similar device pilot to theirs.

1:1 deployment, App purchase and management, Apple, Device management, Independent Schools

Cedars School of Excellence: Managing and deploying apps to iPads

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Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock is an independent school catering for children ages from 5 to 17 years. In 2009 they were inspired by the announcement of the Apple’s new iPad that would lead them to become the first school to offer 1:1 iPad provision for learners and staff. Since that time they have been working to integrate the use of this technology into the fabric of learning in their school. We visited them in October 2012 to find out what their experience with their 1:1 approach had been.

We met with Fraser Speirs (computing teacher), who has been responsible for the planning and management of the school’s iPad deployment. We asked him about the challenges there might be with managing apps to over 100 iPads in his school and he explained that there had been issues with this aspect of their iPad initiative but with the advent of Apple’s volume purchase and configurator tools that this had now become a much easier and smoother process.

Cedars School: Managing apps Interview with Fraser Speirs about managing apps

Fraser was accompanied by Andrew Jewell to explain the use of their syncstations to help manage the apps on their iPads. They also discussed practicalities such as charging the iPads and explained that this was the responsibility of the learners at Cedars School of Excellence with an expectation that they came to school with their device charged and ready for the day.

cedars_syncstation Interview with Fraser Speirs and Andrew Jewell about the process of syncing the devices (apologies for slight interference in this recording)