Advice from MoLeNET Project Managers
Within the Final MoLeNET Report Project managers have indicated their tips, advice and suggestions relating to the technologies chosen and the procurement of devices. The Tips4u section includes many extracts from these reports. Why not start by looking at things to consider before purchasing devices.
Procurement of devices
Almost all projects have experienced some issues whether it is problems with popularity of the chosen devices which has led to a lengthy wait for delivery or whether there's been a need for strong negotiating skills when dealing with mobile phone providers. Delays with procurement has led to an impact on planning, with many projects having to rework their schedules to accommodate new timescales.
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Local suppliers
There have been many strong recommendations to use local suppliers. Using well-established suppliers of mobile technology with a reasonable track record of working with the educational world and also ‘working closely with the procurement team to ensure any hidden costs are accounted for”, St Helens College suggest.
And for those projects who have sought Senior Management approval to do business with suppliers not on the College’s approved list have successfully procured devices at a faster rate than previously experienced. Many projects recommend not only to work with local suppliers but also with one key member of staff in purchasing as this can speed matters considerably as, “long delays between commissioning of projects and the equipment actually appearing can have very detrimental effects on the morale and motivation of academic staff”, recommend Stoke on Trent College.
Delays and problems in procurement
Although delays for delivery can often be out of the hands of suppliers many projects warn of empty promises of suggested delivery dates. “In hindsight it would have been better to use more reliable suppliers. However it is difficult to identify reliable suppliers as they all promise results in order to secure sales”, say Capel Manor College. They experienced issues from initial order to running out of stock half way and then the model of PDA becoming obsolete. This caused issues in terms of deployment to staff, learners and affected staff development training sessions.
Sometimes delays can also mean that specific mobile devices might even become out of date or no longer available as Gloucestershire College reported. And clarifying the technical specifications and requirements is essential otherwise imported devices may not have the correct settings. “we received from Nintendo DS Lites with Chinese as the default language and American style chargers.” state Stoke on Trent College. "To rectify issues like this can cause extreme delays to the start of the project".
Asking teaching staff for their opinion
What has worked well is that many projects have asked the teaching staff for their opinion before ordering equipment. Projects have suggested that familiarity with devices can be an advantage too, as it is “beneficial when delivering staff training and development because many staff had already got a Nintendo at home so they were familiar with the devices, requiring minimal training.”,Walsall Consortium recommends.
Working with consortia
Many projects are various organisations working together as a consortium. Working in collaboration can be challenging, however large consortium procurement bids can be beneficial, but it does require careful management and many meetings. Worcester College recommend that all those involved should determine the common procurement objectives and methodologies and establish a strong working relationship in ordering equipment.
"A key point (which can undermine collaboration within a project) is getting all project partners to understand the project financial arrangements and the ownership of equipment. We feel we overcame this by having frequent meetings and good channels of communication throughout the project which has helped run the equipment ordered process smoothly"
Worcester College Project Manager's Report
Invoicing between partners can present issues - the turnaround time of invoicing needs to be discussed and agreed from the onset.
Obtaining the appropriate licence or agreement of rights was made clear to partners i.e. server licences and laptops etc. Worcester College made it clear about who owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for any relevant work undertaken.
The procurement process can be lengthy one. Stockport College took great value in using the OGC Buying Solutions network, as stipulated by their financial regulations. The OGC-set model, with an Invitation to Tender, meant that OGC-approved short-listed providers were invited to present their proposal to the Project Steering Group.
However it wasn't plain-sailing for Stockport in that O2, the chosen provider, stipulated their ability to organise a Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution, yet in reality struggled to configure the devices and were consequently dropped. An alternative provider was sourced (T-Mobile) - the delay resulted in adding 4 weeks to the project timescales.
Recommendations
- Use the knowledge and experience of consortium partners to share expertise.
- Ensure that the technical teams are part of the decision making process as technical support time is key to the implementation phase of the project.
- Establish that the Colleges' infrastructure can support mobile learning innovation and curriculum development
Negotiating price
Relationships have been important when negotiating price or support. Some projects refer to the working relationships required by all involved in Consortiums and the project overall have been made; “between the project manager and O2 had great benefit to the project as a whole. This accounted for a rapid deployment of the required devices.” Ashton Sixth Form College suggests.
JISC RSC advice has been invaluable. For example offering advice and help to identify server-side technology appropriate for project needs. “JISC RSC London were helpful in brokering contracts with institutions who had experience in Apple-based suite of technologies”, Kingston College states.
Other suggestions are:
Check Provider packages - they can vary. T-Mobile have frequently been mentioned as providing a good package. They are willing to bundle web access or call charges in with the cost of the devices and their WebnWalk package which costed at about £6 per month per device for unlimited access. (as at July 08).
Keep negotiating the price. If this process stalls then asks for extras - such as free memory or mini USB card readers. Ask for free training to be included or assistance in the installation of the devices. (Coulsdon College)
Buying in large numbers. Purchasing more than 10 in one go might need credit card checks and advance arrangements. See Mobile data Contracts section for additional information.
Realistic deliveries. Many Project Managers have advised to ensure the suppliers are truthful in giving delivery times. A keenness to take your order might encourage them to give an over enthusiastic indication of a realistic supply.
Be aware of unit cost increases. A delay between order and delivery might mean a change in exchange rate - will that be passed on to you? Try to discuss this and negotiate a fixed price, if possible, to avoid any cancellations and re-ordering at a later stage. Swindon College recommend using a mini-tender process as it gave them protection on pricing and ordering. They also found that by ordering as a consortium they could buy in bulk and drive prices down.
Test for suitability and functionality
Putting on trials? Many Colleges took to purchasing a few devices and putting them to trial first before making a decision. The HTC TyTyn 2 was a popular device; many opted for this as it had just arrived on the market in 2008 with lots of whistles and bells to potentially fit the bill. Those Colleges who consulted with the end users and who did trial devices found this helped with their final decision before purchase.
Working with suppliers from the onset? Suppliers should be encouraged to bring along a range of devices and demonstrate their potential. A suggestion would be to ask for a loan of some devices from the chosen suppliers.
Operating systems
Full version of WinMob6 required? 
Boston College advises to check that if you wish to run specific software or to be able to read certain files e.g. CAB or Windows specific files, then naturally a Windows Mobile device or UMPC with Windows operating system is required. However it is worth noting that Windows Mobile 6 is an operating system that allows devices to function with keyboard input as well as touch screen. Some devices, such as HTCS310, run a hybrid of Windows Mobile 6 which doesn’t permit touch screen input and therefore some features will not function correctly. Certain software will only function using touch screen input so they advise to check a device of your choice can permit this.
- Don't try to buy the latest gadgets just before Christmas when the stocks have gone.
- Don't be seduced by loads of features. Students can find them quite difficult and become nervous about taking responsibility for them.
- Don't rush into buying Smartboard software which allows multiple mobile screens on the board. Sometimes you will experience issues with students connecting. We got this working with Asus eeepcs but not our Smartphones.
Regent College Project Manager's Report
Bundled software
Working with a commercial partner? If you consider working with a commercial partner to provide bespoke or specific software, then check whether this is acceptable within your institution's procurement policies. It may be necessary to prove that the software and service cannot be purchased elsewhere or at a cheaper price. Alternative quotes might be required and this will take time to achieve. ( Aylesbury College)
Memory Cards
Check Memory capacity! If you intend to purchase Memory cards for the devices - check whether devices can support large memory cards. ‘After the purchase of 4GB micro-SD cards (to contain all the required learning content) we found that the devices didn’t recognise or support that capacity.” (Bolton College)
Keyboard or Touch
Too compact? Some Colleges have made critical comments about devices and the ability to enter text. Devices, like a HTC TynTn, have very compact keyboards and, although clever in design, most were found too compact for many learners. Learner feedback from Eccles “ It was very good for taking pictures and videos but it was a bit difficult to type in questions as the keypad is small.’
However it is worth noting that Windows Mobile 6 is an operating system that allows devices to function with keyboard input as well as touch screen. Some devices, such as HTCS310, run a hybrid of Windows Mobile 6 which doesn’t permit touch screen input and therefore some features will not function correctly. Certain software will only function using touch screen input so they advise to check a device of your choice can permit this.
GPS requirements
Connection too slow Check whether GPS functions suitably in the locality intended. Eccles College reported that, as their devices took variable lengths of time to achieve connection with the satellite, this hampered the intended activity.
Lowestoft College used Mediascape software which allows you to assign GPS coordinates to a map that activates content when the mobile devices enters that area. They also loaded Google Maps onto devices which worked well.