NetOp School

With the pressure today being on producing technologically-literate school leavers, Richmond Systems has released NetOp School v1.5, a software package designed for PC-based classroom training. The concept is one of a teacher giving a demo and students logging into the virtual classroom on the network. There is no need for expensive overhead projectors or large-screen monitors, you simply use your existing networked PCs. Of course, it also overcomes the normal physical limitation that all students of a particular class have to be in the same room -- the network is the only limitation as to where students can be located and, theoretically, this could include distance learning over the Internet.

Here is a brief summary of its features: As the teacher, you can show your screen to one, several or all students at one time. You can take over any student PC for individual instruction. Any student PC can be monitored, one at a time. You can start a program on all PCs simultaneously. There is a file transfer facility between teacher and students. Help request allows students to ask for attention without interrupting the whole class. There can be dual keyboard/mouse functionality to allow co-operative action between teacher and student, without total take-over. There is a chat mode for on-line conferencing.

NetOp is very simple and quick to install, and training teachers in its use takes about 10 minutes each. In a large educational establishment, a central IT administrator can also use the Monitor Students feature on the PC in his office to look in on every PC in any classroom for a few seconds at a time. If he spots anything unauthorised going on, he can go directly to that student and/or notify the teacher. The best way to explain how it works in practice is by an example scenario -

1. Teacher logs on.
2. Students log on.
3. Teacher's PC shows Ask for
Names screen.
4. Students' machines show Enter
Name field.
5. Teacher now has a list of machines and the names of the students using them.
6. Teacher launches Give Demo feature, which broadcasts the teacher's screen to all PCs in the room.
7. When the demo is finished the students start to work.
8. Run Program will launch a server-based program on all PCs.
9. The Transfer Files feature can be used to hand out work to the class.
10. Teacher uses Monitor Students feature to poll round the room and pick up each PC for a few seconds.
11. Teacher has the option of sending an individual Chat message to a student who needs help, or take over the student's machine to show a particular routine or technique, or walk over and do it in person.

A big advantage of NetOp is the ability to give a proper demonstration to the whole class, and be sure that, since their machines are effectively frozen during the demo, they have the students' full attention! NetOp supports all learning styles, from visual/auditory to kinesthetic by enabling a program or routine to be demonstrated on the student's own machine, and enabling the student to learn by doing. NetOp School in Stealth mode also enables the teacher to keep a virtual eye on any student known to be having difficulties or with a tendency to lose attention.

From a technical support point of view, NetOp is a potentially powerful productivity tool, which enables a single administrator to support a growing number of machines over a school's typically rather scattered campus. NetOp can also be used to provide troubleshooting help to non-PC-literate teachers elsewhere in the school.

Feedback from schools that have implemented NetOp School indicates that some of the less able groups initially resist having control of the computer taken away from them, perhaps because they like to learn by doing rather than listening/looking. However, demonstrations can be made brief and interspersed with plenty of hands-on activity. Although there is a chat facility, teachers still like to interact with their students in person. Students accept that they are under supervision while working on the PC, and appreciate the support and help that NetOp is able to deliver. Regarding system requirements, all machines in a NetOp environment must be running a 32-bit version of Windows, i.e. Win 95, 98, NT 3.51 and 4.

NetOp School is a cost-effective solution that is easy to use for non-computer experts and helps expand the capabilities of your existing network. It should not be seen as appropriate only to schools and the education sector, as it is also the perfect tool for any organisation that requires the provision of PC-based training.

www.richmondsys.com