BYOD
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Students in Middle (Year 7-9) and Senior School (Years 10-12) at the College will be required to participate in the BYOD program. The BYOD program is designed to allow senior students to choose and bring to the learning environment one or several devices of their choice. The devices will connect seamlessly via the on campus College wireless network and extend to any internet connection outside the College.
How does it work?
Students in Year 7-12 will be expected to participate in the Bring Your Own Device program. Students are required to sign a student agreement that outlines how the device can be used at school.
Investigator College has chosen the following two options. Please choose one of them.
- Parents choose and purchase their own Windows 10/11 device based on the recommended platform and specifications from a retail outlet. Students primarily support themselves, with access to the internet at school via our extensive wireless network. IT staff will assist with connecting to the wireless network, a printer and the internet, but will not be responsible for removal of viruses and warranty. Print and take a device specification sheet with you to the store.
- Parents purchase a device via our JB Hi Fi Parent Purchase portal. The devices in the purchase portal are selected by the College to ensure that they meet the minimum device recommendations. See BYOD Purchase Portal page to access the purchasing portal.
Please refer to the following documents which contain details of all aspects of the Bring Your Own Device program.
BYOD 2023 – Letter to Parents.pdf
BYOD Device Specifications (Print and Take to Store)
BYOD Student Agreement.pdf (Sign and Return to the College)
Details and Feedback
The Bring Your Own Device program will be improved as technology changes, processes improve and experience increases. If you have questions or feedback about the program you can contact the Bring Your Own Device Delivery Team via email byod@investigator.sa.edu.au and we will respond to your query within 1 business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
These frequently asked questions are in addition to the original FAQ document above and are in response to questions raised by students and parents since the program was released.
Q: Will ‘Windows 10/11 S’ edition work for the BYOD program?
A: No, the newly announced version of ‘Windows 10 S’ is a cut down version of Windows 10 and only allows installation of Apps from the Microsoft App Store. Parents need to make sure devices come with Windows 10/11 Home or Windows 10/11 Pro. If a device is purchased with ‘Windows 10/11 S’ edition it is possible for parents to purchase the upgrade to Windows 10 Home edition through the Microsoft Store.
Please see these links for more information.
Introducing Windows 10 S
Windows 10 S FAQ.
Q: What particular brand of laptop would the College recommend?
A: Most of the major brands make good products, and many people have various answers to this depending on what is being currently released at the time. Laptopmag.com ‘Best and Worst Laptop Brands‘ is a helpful summary to quickly make a decision about which brand to choose.
Q: I have purchased a laptop already and want to help my student get prepared for the BYOD program next year. Can the College please set it up for us?
A: The College will run a number of ‘getting started’ sessions early in the new year to ensure that all students are up and running with the program. If students would like to get a head start with installing software and getting familiar with their device ready for the new year, they can access the BYOD Self Service portal in Microsoft 365 using their school login. Students can access the portal from both school and home.
Q: I have a laptop that needs repair which is not covered by my original warranty.
A: The College recommends Quikfix Computers as the best option for parents needing a repairer for our BYOD program, or a local business offering personalized purchasing advice. Students are able to borrow a loan laptop for the duration of repairs from our BYOD Loan laptop cupboard in the Senior School.
Q: Can the College help get older laptops upgraded to meet the minimum specification?
A: No, the College does not have any upgrade paths for either newly purchased or older laptops that do not meet the minimum specification. Please ensure that supplied laptops meet the requirements outlined in the ‘Laptop Specification Sheet’. Any upgrade questions can be directed to QuickFix Computers, our preferred support partner and repair supplier.
Q: Can I bring a Macbook?
A: The College would prefer that students bring a Windows 10/11 device for best compatibility. If parents have already purchased or own Macbooks then students are welcome to use them as they are now compatible with our BYOD program as of 2023.
Q: Can I bring an iPad or Chromebook as my primary device for the BYOD program?
A: No, students must have a Windows 10/11 laptop as their primary device for the BYOD program in order to connect seamlessly to the College systems and install College supplied software required for the curriculum.
Q: My laptop is being repaired. Are there spares available to loan?
A: Yes! the College recognizes the importance of having a device for every student, even in the event of laptops being repaired. There are a select number of loan laptops available from the Senior school front admin desk for short loan periods while the student’s primary laptop is being repaired. The College does not offer any long term loans of laptops. It is very important that students learn to always keep their files stored in their College Microsoft 365 OneDrive. This ensures that work is automatically backed up and in the event of hardware failure a student simply borrows a loan device and logs in and continues working with no data loss.
OneDrive has 1Tb of storage for each student and can be used to backup any files the student wishes to keep. College Microsoft 365 accounts remain online for the duration of student’s education and are removed in April of the year following successful graduation, which gives ample time to save files. It is recommended that students apply for external jobs or further study using their own personal email accounts.