School in a Box

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below is a list of our more frequently asked questions. We have done our best to answer all of your most important need-to-know-right-now questions here. If you don't see your question listed below, please use our support request form to log a formal enquiry.

The School in a Box can be used entirely offline, except for specific online apps – which are not necessary to complete lessons. All content, quizzes and data are stored on a local server within the Box. New lessons and apps are added monthly, either by going online (max 1 GB) or through a USB flash drive.

With the exception of the SiB SOLO, each kit includes a router and either a Raspberry Pi or a mini-server, which means that all lessons can be accessed offline, as well as most apps and the dashboard for reporting and monitoring.

The various offline options (School in a Box, SiB Lite and SiB Mini) differ in their price, packaging and in the amount of tablets they can support: the Lite is in a padded backpack and has 1-4 tablets; the Mini is in a briefcase and has 5-10 tablets; and the regular School in a Box is in a trunk and has a more powerful server which can handle up to 30 tablets, or even 60 in certain circumstances.

With the SOLO tablet, connectivity is through your own wifi and all lessons are streamed as you go through the lesson. In addition, the SOLO tablet comes with a keyboard cover and not just a protective cover. The SOLO is more suited to single users or small tutor groups that won’t benefit from the data savings generated by using the caching server.

No, this isn’t necessary with any version of the School in a Box.

Data usage depends on how often you use your tablet. Each lesson uses between 20MB and 80MB, depending on the length of the video content. So, two lessons a day, every weekday, would use approximately 2GB per month. In terms of speed, a 2 MB line is sufficient.

We strongly recommend that learners use a pen and notebook to make notes as they learn. When you have multiple learners in the same venue, we recommend that they bring their own earphones.

Content is available for multiple subjects from Grade 1 to Grade 12, including maths, science, English and more. New content is continuously added – for the most current content list, please contact us at info@schoolinabox.co.za. Click here to view the content available in School in a Box.

Not to worry, there is a portable solar supply available at an extra cost; please contact our office for more information or email info@schoolinabox.co.za

Absolutely! There’s a full dashboard available to facilitators which provides detailed data on the progress of every learner and their usage of School in a Box. 

For all versions, the first year’s licence fee is included. After that, a R300 per annum per tablet licence fee is payable. Multiple users do not pay extra fees, so a single tablet used by 5 users is still only liable for R300 per annum.

No, a single tablet can have multiple users.

Prices vary – Please contact our office for further details and pricing at: info@schoolinabox.co.za

School in a Box owners are responsible for insuring the Box and contents – we provide you with an excellent insurance provider and package that you may choose to sign up with directly.

Boxes can be easily packed away into a secure store room or office area, or even taken away from the venue overnight. The SiB Mini and SiB Lite are even more portable.

As tablets are “locked” into our system, they are effectively useless away from the router and server and this tends to eliminate theft concerns.

Absolutely. Customising of content is not difficult, and we can work with any prospective user to help them to do this.

Yes it is curriculum based as it is aligned according to the CAPS curriculum. Content is separated into grade levels that students can work through at their own pace. Lessons are made up of various types of media, including PDFs, HTMLs, Phet simulations, videos and exercises for assessment. 
 
Current subject content that is offered: 
  • English, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Natural Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Social Sciences, Geography (including Map Work), History, Economics, Life Skills, Coding and Three Phase Literacy and Numeracy Program for Gr1-3.
Our content also includes:
  • Study guides and past papers
  • Digital library (includes audio books and books in South Africa’s 11 official languages)
  • Teacher academic support material
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