Apple's Schoolwork 2.0 app is coming soon, with distance-learning focus [u]

AppleInsider

Apple's Schoolwork 2.0 update will allow for better management of assignments and handouts, and is geared toward making distance learning more manageable for both teachers and students.

The original Schoolwork app | Image Credit: Apple

When it launched in 2018, Schoolwork allowed creation and broadcast of assignments with a wide range of content, ranging from web sources, to PDFs, and other documents, in conjunction with specific activities in apps. Students can use Schoolwork to stay organized and keep track of the work they need to complete and due dates.

Schoolwork 2.0 adds in a few new features that are designed for remote-learning, such as at-home schooling during the ongoing pandemic. A new Handout library lets students look through their assignments by class, including features like drafts and favorites. Cards on the side of the app provide helpful reminders for upcoming events, tests, or assignments coming due, as pointed out by CNet.

Teachers are also given new tools, as well. Schoolwork 2.0 allows teachers to see how many students have finished an assignment and how long it took, which helps them see if the pacing is correct for a majority of students. It also could help teachers identify students who may be struggling to keep up with the rest of the class.

There's also a feature that allows teachers to FaceTime or message students who may need extra help. This allows teachers to take a hands-on approach, even when they can't be in the same room as their students.

Schoolwork 2.0 will be available for educators and students, requires the student to use an iPad, and must be set up by the school's IT administrator.

Apple recently updated its technical, training, and support advice for IT staff in education, to help them set up and cope with the increased demand for home studying on Macs and iPads.

Update 5/26: Apple's updated Schoolwork and Classroom apps are now available to download.

GeorgeBMac

I'm glad to see them rolling this out.   But I fear that they may be showing up too late for the party:   Microsoft and Google have pretty much captured the school market with combinations of cheap hardware and (at least partially) effective software that has been developed, implemented and used by the majority of schools.   Teachers and school districts are not going to quickly abandon something they have invested time, money and extensive training in.   (And the training is not just for school IT personnel but for teachers, students and even parents).

Apple will need to provide a very compelling case to break into that market at this point.

jpellino

There is a niche for something that is simpler than the Blackboard/Canvas level and more robust than Google.  Google still has that bug where a student can "submit" an empty entry in an assignment that uses attached documents.  It started life as a wrapper for their docs and has progressed little.  Any solutions should be BYOC (credentials) so you do not need to tie to a doc ecosystem or OS.  Also, universal interop LMS<>SMS would be nice.  Right now it's mostly carting csv files around.  Seems like a small thing until you need to do that at the end of the term for lotsa students and courses.  

mcdave

GeorgeBMac said:

I'm glad to see them rolling this out.   But I fear that they may be showing up too late for the party:   Microsoft and Google have pretty much captured the school market with combinations of cheap hardware and (at least partially) effective software that has been developed, implemented and used by the majority of schools.   Teachers and school districts are not going to quickly abandon something they have invested time, money and extensive training in.   (And the training is not just for school IT personnel but for teachers, students and even parents).

Apple will need to provide a very compelling case to break into that market at this point.

The current pandemic has demonstrated that, despite apparent market dominance, Google’s offerings have been poorly deployed and understood by teaching staff.  Perhaps it’s bad product design (the usual culprit) but something is definitely lacking which gives Apple an opportunity. That said, I know supposedly iPad-based schools which try to use Google services and wonder why things don’t work well - completely blind to tech-politics.  

I can’t vouch for schools but Microsoft-based businesses I work with are similarly uncommitted with cursory implementations of SharePoint beyond recreating network drives and most really wishing they’d implemented InTune/Autopilot for digital onboarding.

whilst Google & MS have market dominance there’s definitely an opportunity for Apple to deliver better products, services and CX in both business and education.  Good luck to them.

SpamSandwich

Y’know, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for Apple to extend the capabilities of this app to turn it into a project management and scheduling app for businesses. Just a little more tweaking and they’d have a “WFH” (Work From Home) solution.

GeorgeBMac

mcdave said:

GeorgeBMac said:

I'm glad to see them rolling this out.   But I fear that they may be showing up too late for the party:   Microsoft and Google have pretty much captured the school market with combinations of cheap hardware and (at least partially) effective software that has been developed, implemented and used by the majority of schools.   Teachers and school districts are not going to quickly abandon something they have invested time, money and extensive training in.   (And the training is not just for school IT personnel but for teachers, students and even parents).

Apple will need to provide a very compelling case to break into that market at this point.

The current pandemic has demonstrated that, despite apparent market dominance, Google’s offerings have been poorly deployed and understood by teaching staff.  Perhaps it’s bad product design (the usual culprit) but something is definitely lacking which gives Apple an opportunity. That said, I know supposedly iPad-based schools which try to use Google services and wonder why things don’t work well - completely blind to tech-politics.  

I can’t vouch for schools but Microsoft-based businesses I work with are similarly uncommitted with cursory implementations of SharePoint beyond recreating network drives and most really wishing they’d implemented InTune/Autopilot for digital onboarding.

whilst Google & MS have market dominance there’s definitely an opportunity for Apple to deliver better products, services and CX in both business and education.  Good luck to them.

Yeh,  I'm sure that Google & Microsoft have left lots of room for quality products to step into the cyber world -- not only for schools but for business and healthcare.

I think all three industries:  education, business and healthcare have been irrevocably altered toward remote and cyber paradigms.

-- In education, I see cyberschooling becoming an integral part of education and complimenting classroom, in person, learning.  It can be both better & cheaper.

-- In healthcare, telemedicine offers an opportunity to better serve underserved areas and populations.  It also unchains patients from dependence on local providers while potentially reducing costs significantly (although the healthcare industry always finds ways to increase costs)

-- In business places like FaceBook have already committed to largely remote workforces.   Facebook has told qualified workers they can leave the San Francisco area and pretty much live and work wherever they want.

All of that has opened a lot of doors to technical solutions.   But, AWS, Microsoft and Google are already well established in those areas.  Will Apple be able to both catch-up and break in?    It will, I think, be hard.  But, if they can do it, there is immense, long-term opportunity waiting for them.   Essentially, it is the future.