According to Nutanix, many schools are now adopting its Enterprise Cloud OS solution, and it claims 13 schools and colleges, particularly in Canberra, are now embracing cloud technologies to provide students with a modern digital learning experience.
Nutanix reports the e-learning uptake as STEM education is placed firmly on the national agenda, with the Federal Government announcing this year that more teachers with STEM backgrounds would be placed in Australian high schools to increase interest and adoption of those subjects and the careers that flow from them.
According to Nutanix, with the additional resources available, Canberra Girls Grammar School (CGGS), has been able to introduce popular online games like Minecraft as part of its curricula to stimulate how students learn about religion, and the school expects other subjects to follow soon.
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“We have about 3000 simultaneous connections logging onto our systems, but only five people in the IT team. It’s imperative that our IT environment is simple and scalable so that our focus stays on improving education. Nutanix helps us do that.”
Prior to Nutanix, even simple processes like starting up a computer took 10 minutes or more due to poor IT performance.
With the Nutanix deployment, Nutanix says that students can now access CGGS’ digital platforms both in school and from home in seconds, while the IT team continues to explore more "self-paced" learning initiatives as well as potentially creating wireless classrooms, where students can use a range of devices to further enhance their experience.
And another Canberra school, Radford College, is able to provide a consistent, but easily adaptable, IT environment to its faculties using Nutanix software, which Nutanix says means any digital service the IT team creates can go further.
“We’re now looking at how we can leverage Nutanix and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) for creating media labs and image and video processing capabilities,” said Carl Flanagan, IT operations manager, Radford.
“Nutanix creates a simple, consistent environment to enable us to do that and because it works with any device, all students can benefit.”
Nutanix says it has also helped Radford reduce its carbon footprint, with the new IT environment taking up just 5% of the physical space of its predecessor, reducing power consumption and IT energy costs by two thirds and freeing up space for the school.
Other schools using the Nutanix environment include Marist College, Merici College, Daramalan College and St. Francis Xavier College, all in Canberra, St Peter’s Girls’ School in South Australiaan, d six other schools and colleges across New South Wales and Victoria.
“Schools are realising the need to innovate and start adopting cloud services to provide the stimulus and eLearning tools modern children require and expect.” said Neville Vincent, vice-president, ANZ, ASEAN & India, Nutanix.
“Parents want to see schools using the latest technology to enhance their children’s education and prepare them for a digital future. That’s what we provide.
“Operationally, schools are similar to medium-to-large businesses, but with less IT resources. As a result, many children are missing out on more creative learning and improved education, as schools are forced to focus on keeping the basic IT facilities running.
“Enterprise cloud prevents that from happening and maximises the limited resources schools often have, clearing the path for a better learning experience for students. Research also shows that exposure to technology in school helps promote STEM careers, which is something Australia needs.”
