Since the pandemic, there has been greater emphasis on providing students and teachers with devices that keep them connected, as well as other educational technology tools.
Since these digital tools have now become essential, greater attention must be paid to technology audits.
Mike Afdahl, technology services coordinator for Northwest GA RESA, makes it clear that a technology audit can help save money while focusing on preserving what works.
“technology audits tell me where things are,” he says. “Whether it's a bookshelf, a book or a computer, you have to know where it is.”
Technical audits can give you a better understanding of what devices and items you have available at your school, how these items are used, and whether you may need to make changes to your inventory. A technology audit works hand-in-hand with your budget, giving you a clear picture of where you might need to focus your spending if necessary.
<h2 id="tech-audits-in-house-or-third-party”> technology audits: internal or third-party?
Having your technology audits performed by trained professionals can help you get accurate results that can be invaluable to your decision making. However, no one may know the true impact of your devices and programs like your own staff.
Afdahl makes it clear that in some situations your own technology department can be effectively objective when it comes to conducting a technology audit.
“Sometimes your technology department can be that third party, because they often don't have a dog in the fight,” he says. “When it comes to those kinds of emotional decisions, they just ask, 'What do we have?' 'Are we getting good use out of it?' So you don't have to use a third party, but what you're really looking at is objectivity.”
<h2 id="when-should-you-conduct-a-tech-audit”> When should you perform a technical audit?
Many schools conduct a technology audit once a year as a form of inventory. However, Afdahl says there may be more beneficial times during the year to conduct your technology audit.
“At the end of the year, when you've collected your students' devices, it's a good time to do an audit,” he says. “If you wait until August to do a student device audit or inventory check, you may not have enough devices for next year. Also, if I wait until July to audit my platform, we will have already completed the renewals by then. It might be a good idea to start conducting an audit in December of your educational technology tools.”
If you are looking for educational technology tools, there are several questions that will determine the usefulness of a tool and whether you should look for a replacement for next year.
A technology audit can mean different things depending on who you ask. Some may group educational technology devices and tools together in one audit, while others do one or the other at different times of the year.
Afdahl suggests conducting two audits during the year.
“When I do a device audit, I do it to make sure my devices are where they're (supposed to be),” he says. “When it comes to educational technology tools, that's where your curriculum should be involved. “Actually, the curriculum doesn’t have to be related to devices.”
To create good flow, Afdahl suggests doing one audit in December to make sure devices are where they're supposed to be, and another in June to make sure you have all the devices you're supposed to have.
The hidden cost of poor audit practices
Conducting a technology audit can provide a good idea of what devices you are using and what educational technology tools work for you, but it can also help your school save money on cybersecurity insurance. As more and more connected devices are used in schools in recent years, keeping student and educator information secure is a top priority. Afdahl says regular audits can help mitigate the cost of cyber insurance, especially by implementing multi-factor authentication.
“Multi-factor authentication has been a big push in some districts,” Afdahl says. “If my insurance rates are going to go up or we're not going to get coverage, it's because we don't use multi-factor authentication, and that could help improve those practices.”
