Deploy Apple devices to teachers
Refine the setup experience by first deploying devices to a small group of teachers. Select individuals who can test workflows, provide feedback, and eventually train their peers on best practices. Implement a way to receive cohort feedback — such as a collaborative iWork document — and improve the experience based on their recommendations.
Here are recommended workflows for them to test:
Setup
How long does it take to get to the devices’ Home screen?
Which Setup Assistant panes should be skipped on student devices?
Which apps and books are considered “mission critical” and should be downloaded during setup?
Which apps and books can be downloaded after initial deployment to reduce network load?
Security
Do the mobile device management (MDM) restrictions you are deploying ensure that devices are secure, students have access to resources from anywhere, and respect your acceptable use policies?
Does the device passcode policy adequately balance the needs for security and convenience? Can Face ID, Touch ID and four-digit passcodes assist younger learners?
Have you informed students, teachers and parents about privacy and security for Apple products in education?
Is a workflow in place to vet each requested app to ensure it meets the school’s standards for student privacy?
Will students be issued verification codes so they can access their school resources on other devices?
Personalisation
How can devices be easily identified by students?
Does the MDM solution allow you to modify device wallpaper by year group or inscribe the student’s name on the Lock screen?
Does the MDM solution provide a self-service option?
How can self-service be personalised by year group, content area and learning needs?
Should students be permitted to personalise the layout of their Home screens, or should the layout of apps and folders be standardised?
Teaching tools
Are classes visible in the Classroom app?
Should these be synced with Apple School Manager, created by your mobile device management (MDM) solution or set up manually by teachers.
Are classes visible in the Schoolwork app? Does the instructor role in Apple School Manager enable teachers to create their own Schoolwork classes?
Are Apple TV devices managed to ensure only the appropriate devices are permitted to mirror? Have teachers been made aware they can AirPlay student content using Classroom?
Which users are permitted to use FaceTime and iMessage?
Can Pages, Numbers and Keynote documents be shared both inside and outside the institution?
Has auto accept and user account lookup been turned on for students and teachers?
Is it easy to initiate iWork collaboration with students and teachers?
Assessments
Is Classroom’s app lock feature (Manage students’ app usage in Classroom) a viable solution for coursework assessments on iPad or Mac?
How can assessment mode be leveraged for exam-based assessments?