| High school and college students often work on | | | | rewrite-ability can be a benefit that overrides the cost |
| different computers daily to complete assignments. | | | | difference. Another potential cost-override difference is |
| And high school teachers and college professors are | | | | the sheer memory available now on USB flash drives. |
| demanding more and more professional presentations | | | | Today, you can purchase 32GB USB flash drives for |
| from their pupils. Many students use USB flash drives | | | | less than two-hundred dollars. A 32GB USB flash drive |
| to store their work and teachers are increasingly | | | | has more memory than some computers and 64GB |
| accepting assignments submitted on USB flash drives. | | | | USB flash drives are also now available. |
| Why are USB flash drives (also called USB memory | | | | For Teachers and Professors: |
| sticks and USB thumb drives) becoming popular for | | | | Teachers and professors like USB flash drives for |
| academic purposes? | | | | many of the same reasons students do: durability, |
| For Students: | | | | reliability, and memory size. They also like the versatility |
| First, students can create personalized USB drives that | | | | USB flash drives offer. |
| copy their desktop applications and preferences from | | | | Assignments are increasingly becoming multimedia |
| their personal computer. When they plug in their | | | | presentations. When students submit these |
| personalized flash drive, they can run programs using | | | | assignments on a personalized flash drive, they can |
| their settings, utilities, browser, etc. This is obviously a | | | | include supporting PowerPoint presentations, |
| handy feature for students who may work on their | | | | spreadsheets, databases, Flash Media, narration, web |
| own computer, in the computer lab, on a coffeehouse | | | | links, research, and more along with their main |
| computer, and on their parents' computer all in one | | | | assignment. This allows the teacher to assess their |
| week. Plus, many smaller, more portable computers do | | | | pupils on much more than their paper-writing abilities, |
| not come with a DVD device, but all computers have | | | | which in turn, gives the students more accurate |
| USB ports. | | | | feedback. |
| Second, though DVDs are less expensive, USB flash | | | | Teachers and professors are also benefiting from the |
| drives offer more features that are student-friendly. | | | | portability of personalized USB drive assignments. In |
| USB flash drives are much harder to damage. Their | | | | class, they can transfer each student's work onto their |
| case protects them from damage with normal usage, | | | | own USB memory stick, then return the students' |
| unlike DVDs that require special handling to keep from | | | | memory sticks immediately. Even if the teacher or |
| accidentally rendering data stored on them unreadable. | | | | professor takes all of the USB flash drives home, they |
| You can drop USB memory sticks without damaging | | | | can carry all of their students' assignments in their |
| the data stored. Leaving them on the hot dash of your | | | | briefcase or attaché. Compare this to carrying |
| car may warp the case, but usually does not damage | | | | home reams of paper each time a major assignment |
| the memory. Some USB pens have even survived | | | | is due. Not only is it easier on the back, but it is |
| being washed and dried in Consumer Reports' | | | | obviously easier on the environment as well. |
| independent lab testing. Students can carry their | | | | Students and teachers alike are becoming fans of |
| personalized USB drives in their pockets, backpacks, or | | | | customized USB flash drives They offer unparalleled |
| purses with little risk. | | | | portability, storage capacity, and reliability. As their price |
| Third, USB flash drives are rewritable many more | | | | continues to drop, USB flash drives are sure to find |
| times and can hold much more data than DVDs. Since | | | | their way onto more campuses and into more |
| a student is usually modifying data daily, this | | | | classrooms. |