Managing Battery Life

Battery life is an important aspect in a mobile computing environment.  Without power, the devices do not run.  Battery life is dependent on three factors:

·         Size

·         Age

·         Use

Size

Most laptops or tablets will come standard with a battery that will last around four hours when it is new.  Many vendors also provide an option to upgrade the battery (for and additional price) to a larger cell battery.  These batteries could last up to ten hours on a single charge when they are new.  The size of the battery will determine the initial length of run-time available.

Age

Batteries depreciate the more they are used.  Batteries come with a certain number of life cycles.  Each time the battery is used and emptied, it uses a cycle.  When the cycles run out, the battery will no longer hold a charge.  In addition, as more and more cycles are used, the less time the battery will last.  For example, a new battery may last for four hours and have 2000 life cycles.  After the battery has used 1000 cycles, it may only hold a charge for two hours.  As the number of life cycles used increases, the length of an individual charge time decreases.

Use

The type of computer use can affect the length of time an individual battery charge will last.  The more functions and processes the computer uses, the more battery power is required.  For example, if a student is typing a Word document, it will use far less battery power than if a student was playing a game that required a large amount of processor power.  Below is a list of ways students can extend the amount of time a charge will last:

·         Turn the brightness of the screen down – the brighter the screen, the more power used

·         Avoid running CDs and DVDs – the CD/DVD requires a lot of power to run

·         Turn your wireless off – the wireless function uses additional power so only have it on when you needed to connect to the Internet or network

·         Place your computer in sleep mode if you won’t be using it for an extended amount of time

·         Limit games, audio, video, etc. – they require additional battery

·         Calibrate your battery twice a semester – calibration is the process of fully charging your battery, then emptying it to 0%, and charging it completely again

Battery life is an important part of a mobile computing environment.  Students need to be encouraged to establish a charging plan.  As their battery life decreases, they need to charge at the appropriate times to provide them with enough operating power to get through the class period.  Multiple charging centers will be established through campus and students can typically charge anywhere there is an outlet.  Certain classrooms will also be more convenient for charging than others.  Some classrooms may have outlets at every station while others may only have outlets around the outside of the room.  As long as students have their charger, they can charge anywhere there is an outlet.  An instructor will want to establish how they will handle charging in the particular classroom they are teaching in.