Distant Entry Software program: Tech Help From House

COVID-19: Lessons Learned and How to Move Forward

When COVID-19 required educational institutions to switch to a completely removed model this spring, many schools and colleges struggled. The pandemic suddenly forced academic institutions - which relied heavily on traditional face-to-face interactions - to snap up any remote tech they could cobble together on short notice. It wasn't ideal.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's observation of the impact of COVID on business - that the American company experienced a digital transformation of two years in two months - can also apply to science. Unfortunately, schools and universities were less prepared than most companies. When the pandemic sent everyone home in the middle of the spring semester, the students were:

• They couldn't access computer resources that they were used to on campus
  As a result, the tuition fees seemed unjustified, and many students and parents denied them. This was particularly problematic for students from the fields of creative and design. These students needed access to high quality and expensive desktop software typically available on campus: Revit, AutoCAD, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and many more.
• Required custom computing devices compatible with resources on campus
  However, some students did not have personal laptops and could not afford to get one. While many students had personal laptops, these computers were typically not powerful enough to run high-CPU applications that were hosted on the academic computers. Schools had to maintain equality among students and be careful not to create a gap between digital learning.
• Adequate support could not be obtained from IT departments
  If getting on board with remote learning wasn't daunting enough, imagine needing computer assistance while studying from home. Most students and school staff were used to dropping by the IT help desk to solve computer problems. And since the remote control was new to many, many computer problems had to arise. The IT help desks were not prepared to handle a large number of remote support requests, especially for home devices used by students and faculty.

At the beginning of the new academic year, the institutions had a little more time to study and implement solutions to these problems. One of the most successful approaches is for schools to use remote access and support software.

How to reach school computers from home

The remote access software enables students to access and control Windows and Mac lab computers in the school from their own devices. You can run any software program on the school computers during a remote session, including Chromebooks. Therefore, schools do not need to purchase additional expensive licenses for Adobe and other high-end software. Imagine needing to extend licenses for AutoCAD or Adobe Creative software to all remote students? With remote access there is no need. The ability to access lab computers with Chromebooks also means schools can get these affordable devices for students who didn't have access to a powerful computer.

How to get technical support from home

As explained above, remote learning has put a heavy strain on IT help desks: providing remote support for academic computers and students, as well as faculty home devices: personal laptops, tablets, Chromebooks, and more. With remote support software, educational IT teams can support any Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and even Chromebook device remotely and as needed.

The only way is forward - and here is why

We are in the midst of change at all educational levels and are only scratching the surface. We need to take this opportunity to do things better.

While technology can solve many problems, something bigger is at stake. This is our moment to democratize educational technology and thereby improve the playing field for all students everywhere. When access to remote learning is affordable and easy to manage, it means everyone has equal access to the latest and greatest hardware and software available.

Imagine a world where students can learn from anywhere and teachers teach without being tied to one place! The possibilities seem endless and well worth the investment in solving the current growing problems of eLearning.