Sydney, Australia - 09 May 2009: IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that Pymble Ladies' College, one of Australia's premier private girls schools with a tradition of academic and cocurricular excellence, has introduced an electronic classroom student roll call system using IBM interactive technology to significantly increase learning time by almost 4 hours per week.
IBM AnyPlace Kiosks, installed in the College's Senior School classrooms and Library, provides an integrated self-service system where students record real time roll call with minimal disruption and gain access to their most up-to-date individual class and activity timetables - and all with a swipe of their student card.
Prior to installing the kiosks, and to meet its duty of care to record and maintain an accurate attendance register for every student in the school for every period of the day, the College was using a Web-based system to record roll call. However, the process took a minimum of 10 minutes of valuable class time and the College was determined to return this time to teaching without compromising on the accuracy of the attendance record.
Pymble Ladies' College, after reviewing and assessing technology from IBM and other vendors including HP and Dell, selected IBM and IBM Business Partner Datacom to assist in the delivery of a new solution to not only meet core safety and attendance recording requirements, but to also be scalable to meet future functionality requirements.
Using the touch screen kiosks and swipe card system, students mark their attendance in academic and co-curricular classes using their smart student card. The system links with the events database which records all the events, excursions and co-curricular activities that the student is involved in as well as linking into the students and teachers timetable.
Students can swipe their cards to gain access to up-to-date individual schedules such as music lessons, sports commitments, messages and when assignments are due. Further, teaching and operational staff anywhere in the College are presented with an accurate record of where a student is at any particular time. In the event of an emergency, this data allows the whole Senior School evacuation list to be printed within 3 minutes of an evacuation alarm.
"Pymble Ladies' College prides itself on its innovative use of technology to enhance all aspects of curriculum delivery, student engagement and operational efficiency of the College," said Rathika Suresh, Director of Information Technology, Pymble Ladies' College.
"The classroom kiosks have been enthusiastically embraced by both staff and students and IBM has delivered a solution that is both simple and robust to survive the rigors of school life."
The College plans to add further functionalities to the classroom kiosks which will include: Smart Room Control for efficiency and environmental friendly classrooms: The room control module will allow a one touch management of audio visual equipment like data projector, DVD player and TV. When the teacher leaves the room, a one touch action will switch off the airconditioner, fans and lights. The functionality will help in preserving our natural resources as well as educate the future generation in the importance of energy saving, paperless operations and other Green initiatives.
Emergency Notification and Location based evacuation route displayed on the screen: Centralised announcements will be displayed on the classroom screen for emergencies like a lock-down. The security of the room will be enhanced by a centralised room security system manageable through the touch screen.
"This is a terrific example of an idea that is both smart and simple," said Darren Gossling, Business Unit Executive from IBM Systems and Technology Group, Australia and New Zealand.
"To our knowledge, Pymble Ladies’ College’s classroom student roll call system is a first of a kind in Australia and is a wonderful showcase of applying innovative technology for the 21st century classroom."
About Pymble Ladies' College
Established in 1916, Pymble Ladies’ College has a reputation as a centre of educational excellence, providing students with extraordinary opportunities to achieve their potential. Set on 20 hectares of beautiful grounds on Sydney’s North Shore, the College offers outstanding curricular and co-curricular programs for girls from Kindergarten to Year 12, with boarding available from Year 7.
Pymble offers advanced learning technology and extensive opportunities in the performing arts, sporting and cultural arenas. A strong academic record and focus on each student as an individual creates a refreshing and stimulating environment, which inspires a holistic educational experience.
For more information about Pymble Ladies’ College, visit www.pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
About IBM
For more information on IBM, please visit www.ibm.com
Contact(s) information
Gisele Boulay
IBM Media Relations
0401 713 940
gboulay@au1.ibm.com
Richard Madgwick
Director, Marketing & Communications Pymble Ladies’ College
02 9497 7862
rmadgwick@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
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