Martin Spriggs

A couple of weeks ago I outlined the numerous positives associated with a Web-based computing model in the classroom. “Living in the browser” is definitely doable! However, it’s not all peaches and cream. There are some rough spots when trying to live online. Let’s look at a few.

1. OK. OK. The obvious down side of living in the browser is that you have to have a solid internet connection. There are a couple of concerns here of course. One is the stability of your wireless infrastructure. Many of our schools have cobbled together Linksys routers and aren’t totally sure how to correctly configure them, keep them updated with new firmware, secure them or insure there is solid coverage throughout the building. A second concern is the amount of bandwidth available when more than a few students need solid speeds to get their work done. Cheaper/older routers struggle with too many connections. “Free” internet that some cable providers give to schools may not have enough bandwidth to support a whole class or two of students online at the same time.

None of these issues are show stoppers but they will require a knowledgeable network person (or consultant) and perhaps some funds to upgrade equipment or internet service. I don’t have any concerns about the Chromebooks ability to find and connect to any wireless network. I’ve been on many networks of different shapes and sizes without any issue.

2. The second possible negative of a Web-only approach to computing is that there are just some applications that aren’t available in a web app. Most of these are in the processor (both CPU and Graphics) intensive category of apps. It will be very hard to find a usable application that will allow students to do movie editing within the browser. This may be changing, but right now I haven’t seen anything that can do what iMovie or MovieMaker do. Part of the reason for this is that web apps can’t use a lot of local storage space to cache files.

The potential solution for this issue is to have a few desktop computers in the classroom that could be used for video and audio editing. If that isn’t possible, wait a 6 to 12 months and I’m sure programmers will figure out how to allow these kinds of apps to run acceptably in the browser.

3. The third is similar to number two and is app related. Web-based apps may not be as feature-full as their desktop alternative. As good as Google Docs or Microsoft Office Live are, they do not compare to the full suite of tools available in MS Office or even Open Office / Libre Office. Google has recently updated it’s Presentations tool, but there still is a gap between it and MS PowerPoint or Keynote. Having said that, students may not need the extra features. You will have to make the call.

4. Finally, the last negative in a classroom setting I can think of is that EVERYTHING you do requires a username and password. Almost all web-based apps need to know who you are. Thus your students will need to set up an account for each service they use. Currently there is no “single-sign on” that app makers use. Some use Google, some Facebook and other similar services, but the reality is that students may have to juggle (and remember) different logins (sometimes email, sometimes username, etc) and different password requirements.

That’s it for the “bad” of computing in a Web-only environment. There are probably others…printing comes to mind, but each school will have to weigh the goods and the bads and determine what works best for them. As you may have read in my last post, I visited a school that has successfully moved to an online-only experience quite well. However, that may not be for everybody. My next post will address the cost of implementing Chromebooks For The Classroom.