Written by Rom Feria

This is it! This coming academic year, most students will be stuck at home doing remote learning. So what are the tools needed for a successful remote learning setup? Here’s a quick rundown of what a student may need to survive.

1. Internet connection

This is necessary and there is no excuse for not having access to the internet. It is unfortunate that internet service providers in the Philippines have poor coverage of the country. There is, of course, the promise of another major player, the so-called “third telco”; but frankly, at the rate things are going with them, there is a higher chance of the pandemic easing up, than having this new telco up and running and covering current dead spots. 

Anyway, students need access to email, at the very least; but having decent internet speeds enough to be on video conference is ideal. If you are in an area that has decent LTE coverage, get a mobile wifi device from the telco as back-up to the broadband connection.

2. An iPad

Yes, I am actually recommending an iPad for most students. It practically can perform 90–95% of what a laptop can and in some cases, even better than what a laptop can do. There is a common misconception that students need a laptop, or even a desktop; but this is not always the case.

An iPad provides tools, applications or online services, from Google, Microsoft and Apple — unless the laptop is a MacBook, then you are stuck with Google and Microsoft only. The iPad also has better battery life; it is more portable (lighter) and has better cameras. When paired with an external keyboard, it is practically almost a laptop! Now add a stylus, or better yet, an Apple Pencil and it becomes a far better and more affordable choice than a hybrid laptop (which is often more expensive!). And finally, the iPad provides better privacy protection than non-Apple laptops! 

Note that I did not recommend an Android tablet for two major reasons: Google ditched tablet support on Android (the apps are scaled up smartphone versions, and are ugly!), and Android (it is a surveillance tool for Google, i.e., it collects personal data for profit).

3. Keyboard

An iPad does not come with a keyboard; but any bluetooth keyboard will do.  It doesn't have to be from Apple. For long form writing, nothing beats a tactile keyboard!

4. Mouse

The new iPadOS provides additional support for pointing devices, e.g., mouse. Any bluetooth mouse will do. Whilst the iPad has an interface primarily for the finger, some fine-grained text selection is made easier using a mouse.

5. An iPad stand

When using the iPad with keyboard and mouse, it is more ergonomic to have the iPad propped up. Choose your preferred stand; but if you can find one that has a swivel and provides multiple angles to position the iPad, then that would be better. 

6. Headphones 

There is a wide array of choices for headphones. Get the one that the student is comfortable with. This is important for video/audio conferences and also for drowning the background noise when studying. A wired headphone/earphone is preferred.  A bluetooth one is more convenient; albeit, it is another device to charge.

7. An alarm clock 

In addition to waking up the student in the morning, this can be set to chime every hour. It is important that the student takes an hourly break and stands up for a minute. Yes, this is from the Stand goal from the Apple Watch, a minute standing for every hour of sitting! 

8. An anti-blue light glasses 

This will protect the student from prolonged hours looking at the screen! 

9. A water bottle 

I have seen numerous drinks spilt on keyboards and other electronic devices, so having a bottle with a tight lid might avoid this. It is important to stay hydrated with water and not some sugary drink.

10. A pen and a notebook

Taking notes is easier using a pen and paper. I am partial to the Pilot Frixion ballpens, as their ink is easily erasable. If you can afford the Rocketbook Wave notebooks — the ones you can microwave to erase the ink (using the Frixion pens), then you can reuse the notebook multiple times (after taking a photo of the pages for archiving).

Here’s hoping that this provides you an idea as to what students might need for remote learning.