Apple Acquires Education Analytics Company LearnSprout

[MacRumors]

Apple has purchased education-technology startup LearnSprout, reports Bloomberg. LearnSprout is a company that develops software for schools and teachers to track student performance and other metrics. Apple will likely use its technology to build out its classroom tools to encourage schools to adopt iPads and other Apple products.

Apple confirmed the acquisition with the standard statement it gives on purchases: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

According to its website, LearnSprout software is already used in more than 2,500 schools across the United States. It aggregates all student grades across the school, letting teachers and administrators hone in on students that may need more help. LearnSprout aims to allow schools to analyze collected data, discovering trends on attendance, college readiness, student health, and more.

To combat waning iPad sales, Apple has been making an effort to make the tablet more appealing to educational customers. In iOS 9.3, Apple is introducing a wealth of new education-oriented tools, including shared iPads for students, a dedicated Classroom app that allows teachers to guide students through app-based lessons, an Apple School Manager for easily managing student accounts and courses, and new Apple ID creation and management options for schools.

Article Link: Apple Acquires Education Analytics Company LearnSprout

 

[Johnny Vegas]

I wouldn't say Apple missed the boat all together when it comes to the education market, but they do have a lot of catching up to do. Chromebooks are cheaper, easier to manage and are becoming more and more mainstream.

PS. The Apple Configurator sucks.

 

[Zax]

Apple needs a REALLY BIG iPad. The new iPad Pro size is not enough.

 

[bommai]

I think this ship has sailed. My daughter's school has adopted Chrome Books and Google for education. She can use my iMac or iPad or chromebook at school and log into her account and have instant access to all the documents that she has been working on. She can only email them to her teachers or other authorized people. She can submit her work and have the teacher notate and return it to her. The interface is fast and is not slow like icloud.com. Apple previously bought PowerSchool or some such company and let it rot and fail.

 

[2457282]

Is blackboard shaking?

 

[b1wils1]

being in the higher education sector, i would welcome ANY refresh on current course management and administrative softwares. our processes seem so archaic; my proposal for appletvs in some of my lecture halls so i could airplay to them(i teach music) were met by looks that indicated i intended to perform wizardry.

 

[LordQ]

Chromebooks are cheaper, easier to manage and are becoming more and more mainstream.

They are? I've never seen one in my life. I thought they flopped :O

 

[captain cadet]

Is blackboard shaking?

As someone who works with Blackboard dream on!
Its awful but I cannot see it going anywhere soon as everyone uses it...

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

They should sell it to Google. Google would love it.

 

[JimmyHook]

It's good timing because Chromebooks have all but failed our education system. kids and teachers want iPads when given the choice. Chromebooks just don't do enough. Just a website machine

 

[VulchR]

One need never underestimate how much one can profiteer from software doing simple things (e.g., cross-tabulation), provided it is labelled as 'for education'.

 

[JimmyHook]

I wouldn't say Apple missed the boat all together when it comes to the education market, but they do have a lot of catching up to do. Chromebooks are cheaper, easier to manage and are becoming more and more mainstream.

PS. The Apple Configurator sucks.

Apple has 3 decades of head start over Google and their expensive web browser. Also, MDM. You don't use configurator for large numbers of devices

 

[illinois2011]

Apple previously bought PowerSchool or some such company and let it rot and fail.

PowerSchool is the most prolific student information system in use in the US. It's true, Apple did own them for awhile, but it did not rot and fail. It was sold to Pearson and later was spun off into an independent company. I use PowerSchool at work every day.

 

[Popeye206]

Sweet... earnings are out so it's time to go on a buying spree. I'd love to see Apple get tight in the educational market again.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I wouldn't say Apple missed the boat all together when it comes to the education market, but they do have a lot of catching up to do. Chromebooks are cheaper, easier to manage and are becoming more and more mainstream.

PS. The Apple Configurator sucks.

And yet, iPads are used in far far far more classrooms than Chromebooks are. Chromebooks are still struggling to find their place in the classroom.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Apple has 3 decades of head start over Google and their expensive web browser. Also, MDM. You don't use configurator for large numbers of devices

Sometimes Apple Configurator was used to Supervise devices.
Now with DEP, that is also done without touching the devices.
Apple was a bit late implementing these tools for the education market, especially outside the US. Other issues were creation of Apple IDs for students below the age of 13.

So, iOS 9.3, DEP and the correct MDM Apple finally gives great tools for iPad in the classroom (finally).

 

[69Mustang]

Here's a 2nd chance to get it right. Here's hoping Apple doesn't half ass it like the first go round in the education market. A concerted effort focusing on getting the backend right should be the top priority if they're going to go all in again. If support and admin aren't good, this will be a waste of time. If they're not going it alone, thoroughly vet the partners. Pearson's reputation in certain circles would have been enough to give me pause. Consider the education market more of an investment opportunity than a potential profit center.

The more competition we have in this area, the better it will be for all concerned.

 

[bgraham]

They are? I've never seen one in my life. I thought they flopped :O

You clearly haven't been in a public school very recently...
[doublepost=1454011919][/doublepost]

And yet, iPads are used in far far far more classrooms than Chromebooks are. Chromebooks are still struggling to find their place in the classroom.

Evidence?

 

[myusername]

Apple already owned an educational software company, they used to own Powerschool. At the last tech update they were pushing iTunes with classroom management, biggest issues were no import of classes and not integration with any LMS. So they appear to be pushing an all-in-one education package, software and hardware. Problem is convincing teachers to learn another LMS, re-write existing lessons.

 

[yaxomoxay]

As someone who works with Blackboard dream on!
Its awful but I cannot see it going anywhere soon as everyone uses it...

And yet, iPads are used in far far far more classrooms than Chromebooks are. Chromebooks are still struggling to find their place in the classroom.

I see Chromebooks from > Grade 3 and iPads for K-3 at most. When real homework has to be done, it's all Chromebook and Google Drive.

 

[pat500000]

Apple, don't feel bad just because your sales went down. Fire your current vps and recruit back the old ones and we will all be in an one big happy family. Stop selling iPads every year... Okay? Thank you.

 

[TMRJIJ]

You clearly haven't been in a public school very recently...
[doublepost=1454011919][/doublepost]

Evidence?

Well my old high school had over 700 Chromebooks and 80 iPads. Teachers would always fight over which class got the iPads and students frequently had issues doing work on the Chromebooks.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Aha. That's the software David L. Lightman hacks to get his grades up.

 

[Thunderhawks]

It aggregates all student grades across the school, letting teachers and administrators hone in on students

Read that as : It aggravates all student grades across the school.... hone in....

Probably not far from the truth
[doublepost=1454014248][/doublepost]

Apple, don't feel bad just because your sales went down. Fire your current vps and recruit back the old ones and we will all be in an one big happy family. Stop selling iPads every year... Okay? Thank you.

Ah, asking for the American way fire and hire new people making the same old mistakes.

How about using the experience of the current crop of VPs , jointly analyzing what can be improved, make a plan and carry it out?

Nah, not as easy as firing everybody.

PS: Had this sign on my office wall:

In every company works somebody who knows what is going on.
This person MUST BE FIRED!!!

 

[2457282]

As someone who works with Blackboard dream on!
Its awful but I cannot see it going anywhere soon as everyone uses it...

Yes I was mostly joking. I used to work for Blackboard about 4 years ago before it was bought out. My wife uses it as a student in her master's program - she hates it and the teachers seem clueless on how to leverage it.