Mt Hira College Case Study
Located in the heart of Keysborough, Mt Hira College has been running as a co-educational Foundation to Year Twelve Islamic College for almost two decades. Mt Hira College is committed to raising upstanding citizens of tomorrow and instilling ‘Life Long Learning’ in each and every student.
life long learning committment
The Challenge
The mission of Mt Hira College is to inspire and encourage ‘Life Long Learning’ in each student by catering for their social, emotional, academic and spiritual needs within a positive, safe, caring, challenging and supportive learning environment. The staff at Mt Hira are committed to raising upstanding and responsible citizens of tomorrow who will hold universal values in a globally and technologically advancing society.
After a lengthy consultative process Mt Hira College made the decision to adopt a 1:1 classroom approach to learning within their K-6 classrooms. It was believed that a 1:1 Learning Environment that centred around the iPad device would provide the best learning outcomes for students.
The school leadership and IT Management were acutely aware that a successful program would depend largely on ensuring that the Mt Hira network infrastructure was robust enough to handle the demands associated with connecting 450 devices to the wireless network.
invotec proposed a multi-step process
The Solution
Step 1.
Network Infrastructure including new fibre optic backbone cabling and enterprise layer 3 managed switching to create a 10GB backbone throughout the entire K-12 campus.
Step 2.
New enterprise wireless solution utilising the 802.11AC wireless networking standard.
Xirrus is the leading provider of high-performance wireless networks. Xirrus solutions perform under the most demanding circumstances, offering consistent “wired-like” performance with superior coverage and security. The Xirrus suite of Wi-Fi optimized solutions – high density access points, access points, cloud services, and wired switches – provide seamless connectivity and unified management across the network.
Step 3.
Mobile Device Management (MDM).
Cisco Meraki was chosen for its multi-platform.
- Unified multi-platform device management
- Robust security policy enforcement
- Scalable endpoint configuration
- On-device content management
- Automatic device classification
The Meraki solution also allows network administrators to automatically apply network policies for managed device characteristics as well as being able to analyse network activity via automatic reporting.
Step 4.
Procurement and Deployment Services.
Invotec’s friendly sales team and their Apple Certified Technical Consultants ensured that the right mix of devices were incorporated into the program. These included the 7th generation iPad, protective cases, keyboard covers and Apple pencils.
Step 5.
Post-Sales support and Training
Invotec continues to provide managed services relating to the ongoing proactive and preventative maintenance of the network, including remediation as required.
Invotec also assists schools in their ongoing professional learning via programs such as Apple Teacher, by directing teaching staff to the Apple Teacher Learning Centre, and via school based professional learning which is delivered via engagement with an Apple Professional Learning Specialist (APLS)
education solutions for mt hira college
The Benefits
Matt Wilde
IT Manager
Mt. Hira College
Matt states that “there is no guaranteed solution when it comes to teaching students as all children learn through different stimuli and at different rates. Some students learn best with a visual, some audio, some absorb best by reading, some by games and other experiences. iPads in the classroom offer a multipurpose learning tool that can appeal to all types of students irrespective of how they learn best”.
Matt further explained that in determining which product the school would adopt, “it was heartening to know that everyone involved, from students to faculty to staff, we’re all committed and excited to experiment with iPad devices”.
“We expect educational technologies to continue to evolve quickly, and we needed our network infrastructure to support our plans for the future. The new backbone cabling, switching and wireless infrastructure has significantly improved the overall functionality, reach and performance of our network”, says Matt Wilde.
Mobile Device Management combined with the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) ensured an effective and streamlined way to rollout the devices.
Going forward the MDM solution will continue to allow for controlled device updates, increased network security, BYOD support, improved licensing compliance, and reduced IT Helpdesk requirements.
By creating an environment centred around iPad devices the following key benefits have been identified:
- A cost-effective solution
- Greater student engagement
- Efficient management of a single device fleet
- More creative learning outlets
- Tailored learning experiences utilising online content
- Improved student / teacher communication
Working with an education solutions expert such as Invotec has meant that we have had a collaborative partner every step of the way in the development of, not only our ICT network infrastructure, but also in determining how best to engage students, deliver content, and drive learning outcomes
Matt Wilde
IT Manager
Mt Hira College
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