New approaches for education in the digital age

These are interesting times in the world of education. Schools, colleges and universities are preparing today’s tech savvy generation for an unpredictable future, while addressing some of the most pressing challenges ever to shape the education landscape.

In recent years, teachers and educations boards in the maintained sector have seen their budgets squeezed, with a sharper focus on tightening belts to save time, money and resources.

So here at ASL, we believe in creating innovative solutions to support teaching and learning, while keeping costs to a minimum.

Quality as standard

Although much of today’s learning takes place in front of a screen, there is still a growing demand for print services in schools. Coursework, projects and classroom displays are just a few examples where only a hard copy will do.

And quality print format is a priority – young people who have grown up with high definition wouldn’t expect anything less.

With ASL’s print solutions, schools benefit from printing technology that brings their pupils’ creations to life, day-in-day-out, without letting them down. And with energy efficient consumables and lower power consumption, quality printing won’t cost the earth.

Value for money

Electronic communication may be gaining ground in schools and academy groups, but there will always be times when a paper copy is needed, from parental permission forms, to data for the governors’ meeting. Managing a school’s printing costs can be a complex task.

This was the case at Kempston Challenger Academy which wanted to keep closer track of its printing volumes and the corresponding costs.

Following an extensive print audit, ASL’s managed print service team built a multi-vendor technology platform for KCA with state-of-the-art technology and cost-effective systems. This enabled KCA to measure all aspects of its document workflow.

Better connected

Another top priority for any school is communication. School offices make hundreds of phone calls every day to stakeholders, parents and suppliers, but the cost of these calls can mount up. A hosted telephony solution can be a simpler way to manage communications.

ASL’s cloud solution reduces the cost of internal calls within an organisation, so for a large multi-academy trust with multiple schools, this represents a significant saving. The hosted system also enables school staff to sync their mobiles to their school handset so they can take calls on the sports field, in the canteen or at home.

Easing the burden

Heavy workloads are an ongoing issue for both teaching and administrative staff in the education sector, so any technology that can lighten the load is welcome.
Tasks such as managing the school network, upgrading software and backing up files take up valuable time.

As an experienced education supplier, ASL understands the IT needs of schools and academy groups. Working with a range of partners, we design solutions tailored to a school’s evolving needs.
Just one example among many is the development of an app that automates the copyright reporting process. Developed in conjunction with the Copyright Licensing Agency, the app reduces the burden of administration for schools.

A-grade support

Whatever the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, ASL supports schools, colleges and universities in delivering the best possible outcomes for their pupils.