a) does Airdrop require WiFi access?
Airdrop uses Bluetooth to find other users to share with and then looks for a wifi network to share stuff. If there isn �t a convenient wifi, it will send stuff using Bluetooth, though that is slower and less sure.
b) can iPhone students share photos / weblinks with other iPhone students using Airdrop?
Photos, yes. That �s exactly what it �s intended to do. Weblinks also, though you could also consider a group SMS - for iPhone to iPhone this does not use the telephone carrier if the users have access to a wifi network or have a data allowance, so it �s either free or �kind of free � in the sense that it only uses data. To use Airdrop, you need to have an iPhone 5 or later. More about Airdrop here.
c) Can iPhone students share photos / weblinks with android/windows phone students using Airdrop?
As far as I know, no they can �t (Airdrop is designed for Apple devices and Android phones use a different mehtod/system), but there are apps that both can download that they can use as alternatives. Have a look at this page.
d) is there an alternative sharing method between iPhone and
android/windows phone that is direct from one device to another that
doesn´t require internet access?
Yes, that page I mentioned above allows each phone, whether iPhone or Android to set up a kind of mini wifi network from the phone itself, which, as long as the devices are close to each other, allows them to share stuff.
You could also look at an app called
Zapya for both Android and iPhones.
Hope that helps! Maybe you could set it as an exercise for your class, to research and then write a set of clear instructions on how to use one of these methods?
Tap