The Client
by Denise Cole
The Hugh Christie Technology College has some 1,200 students, including 200 sixth formers. Although the schools history dates back to the 1950s, it gained Technology College status in 1994 and has attracted excellent reviews from recent Ofsted inspections.
The Colleges commitment to moths, science and ICT means that there is a real focus on the use of technology to aid learning. Hugh Christie offers flexible qualifications to students between the ages of 11 and 18, including GCSE, A/S and A levels, as well as career related qualifications in ICT, publishing, computer artwork, multi-media, and web design.
The Requirement
Just over a year ago, the College began an ambitious project to roll out personal computer access to students and staff. At that time, tablet technology was relatively new to the market, but the College took the bold step of choosing tablets over more conventional laptops because of their robust design and ease of use. Some 250 tablets were bought initially, 220 of which were for students, with the remainder used by teaching staff. One of the key advantages of tablets over laptops is that students can take notes in class without needing to acquire advanced keyboard skills.
With the procurement of the tablet computers came the need for secure storage and efficient battery re-charging. Hugh Christie allows students to take the tablet computers offsite to use for homework and projects, monitoring this freedom of movement electronically. The system uses bar codes and the same swipe cards that give students access to the building and catering facilities, enabling the location of each tablet to be logged. This works well, but places high demands on re-charging when tablets come back on site and are required in the classroom.
The Solution
The College currently owns eight LapSafe® cabinets, with a further seven on order. Each cabinet provides secure storage for up to 30 tablets. Recharging is quick and easy and the students soon adapted to replacing their tablet computers in the cabinet at the end of lessons or when returning them from home. The cabinets have been completely problem-free in operation, as IT technician, Gareth Lawes, explains: We cant fault them; there has been no vandalism, or even attempts at vandalism. As well as being extremely robust, the LapSafe® cabinets also provide us with a safe and convenient method of charging the tablets from one mains source. This saves us money, because we would certainly need additional mains wiring without this facility.
The Future
Hugh Christie Technology College has an exciting time ahead as they look forward to the opening of a new school, which should be ready for occupation early in 2006. Their current College is spread over two sites, which presents certain problems in terms of equipment sharing and mobility between classrooms. The new building will bring not only the benefit of a single location, but will offer a unique opportunity to enhance the use of technology by students and staff. The policy is to move away from desk based computers towards tablet or laptop use, where each student will use their own computer in a completely mobile environment, linked by a wireless network. In fact, Hugh Christie is already pioneering similar technology in a pilot scheme where a wireless link is set up between tablet computer and projector, allowing staff to move around the classroom whilst they teach, plus annotate their presentation using the screen as an interactive whiteboard.
As Gareth Lawes says, Our demand for LapSafe® cabinets is bound to grow as our use of technology extends. The transition between buildings will present a challenge for us, but we are determined to seize this opportunity and make the most of its potential benefits.