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.
Interested in supporting the efforts of School in a Box? You can help use make quality education accessible to many!