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Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, opened its
doors in 1960. The Catholic secondary school for young men has 980
students and is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
With a mission to "educate the whole person," the school
believes learning is most effective through a variety of methods.
Moeller is currently in its seventh year of a one-to-one laptop
program, which continues to enhance learning for every student.
"We believe technology is a tool which, if used properly, will
enhance learning in ways that could not be imagined just a few years
ago. Jeff Gaier, Director of Technology, shared his thoughts on
the program, "Through the proper use of technology, our school
will be able to provide new avenues of discovery that will lead
beyond the traditional classroom walls."
The Challenge
Moeller High School was in a position where reducing damage rates
became essential to sustaining the feasibility of their laptop program.
As damage rates continually increased, Moeller found the cost of
laptop insurance skyrocketing. At the end of the 2000 school year,
insurance claims were at such a high level that the premiums had
doubled and the insurance company was threatening to drop coverage
of the school. However, worse still was the negative impact on the
learning process. The high damage rate meant students did not have
ubiquitous access - one of the key program objectives. Moeller administrators
realized action had to be taken to improve protection of the laptops
and ensure the survival of their laptop program.
The Solution
In an effort to solve their problem, Moeller began using the Exo™
carry case solution at the beginning of the 2002- 2003 school year.
The Exo Always-On™ design remains on the machine at all times,
which means constant protection in the most challenging of environments.
The students never need to remove the laptop from the case to access,
charge or use the machine. Administrators felt the feature most
important in a carrying case is the level of protection it provides
from drops. The high school was previously using backpacks that
did not provide the level of drop protection necessary for the
demanding academic environment. Additionally, Moeller adheres to
a strict acceptable use policy that requires students to keep the
machine in its case at all times. The guidelines for case usage
are only one facet of a comprehensive use policy that regulates
computer use and acceptable behavior in general.
Results
As a result of introducing the Exo™ carrying cases into the
laptop program, Moeller has experienced a 31.1% decrease in machine
damage rates. Moeller has not only improved their insurance premiums,
the institution is now self-insured. Every year since the initial
deployment, Moeller has purchased 250 units to outfit incoming freshman
in order to protect their investment for years to come.
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Background
Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Texas, is a model of technology integration
for schools across the United States. Founded in 1874, this independent
Catholic college preparatory school for young women has a strong
tradition of innovation and excellence. With a current enrollment
of 800, the Academy educates students in grades 9-12 offering a
challenging curriculum and comprehensive academic experience.
Leadership development for young women is a hallmark of an Ursuline
education. The Academy offered its first computer science course
in 1980, a revolutionary introduction for a secondary school at
the time. Susan Bauer, Director of Technology, was intent on carrying
that vision forward through innovative uses of technology.
In 1996, Ursuline became one of the first six schools in the U.S.
to pioneer the Anytime, Anywhere Learning laptop computer program.
Extending the boundaries of learning outside the traditional classroom,
Anytime, Anywhere Learning supports the Academy's mission to prepare
young women to think critically and act responsibly in a global
society.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Ursuline laptop
program continues to be leading-edge with remarkable benefits for
hundreds of students and faculty. Over the past decade, the Academy
has hosted more than 4,000 educators and others to share information
about its technology program. Ursuline's unique and comprehensive
approach to professional development has been cited as a model for
other schools.
The use of laptop technology encourages self-directed and collaborative
learning through idea and information sharing. State-of-the-art
technology connects students to nearly limitless educational resources.
A wireless local area network, installed in 2000, makes it possible
for students to access Ursuline resources, the library, and the
Internet from anywhere on campus.
At the beginning of freshman year, all entering students are required
to purchase a laptop/tablet computer through the Academy's laptop
purchase program. The laptop package includes: industry leading
hardware and software, four-year system guard warranty, four-year
on-site maintenance, wireless networking on campus, access to "hot
spares" for temporary use and a laptop carrying case.
The young women use their laptops in the classroom, at home, and
places in between. The long-term goal is for each student to become
"lifelong learners", proficient in and comfortable with
technology tools of the future.
Challenge
Along with its impressive success, Ursuline Academy does experience
obstacles within its laptop program. One of the biggest every-day
challenges Susan faces is decreasing downtime so the machines are
in the hands of the students at all times. "They form a very
close bond to their machines," Susan says. Although loaner
machines are available, not having access to her own computer can
have a significant impact on a student. The carrying case each student
receives is provided to help protect her laptop from hardware damage.
When asked to identify the leading feature she looks for in a carrying
case solution, Susan responded, "Protection!" Meeting
demands for laptop protection in an active school environment, as
well as the students' request for a small and attractive carrying
case, is not an easy task.
Solution
After years of trying different carrying case options, Ursuline
Academy decided to supply the InfoCase Endo™ for the 2004
school year. The Endo's lightweight sleeve design is engineered
to resist compression. So when placed in a student's backpack, the
molded foam shell protects machines from damage. In addition to
the unmatched level of protection of the Endo™, it maintains
a low profile, which makes it no problem to fitting it inside a
backpack. With the Endo™ case, students were also provided
a shoulder strap for convenient and quick transportation. This option
allowed students to choose to place the Endo™ and laptop in
their backpack or to carry it on their shoulder.
Results
During the 2004-2005 school year, the Academy's laptop machine
damage rates decreased drastically. Within the normal parameters
of everyday student use, the rates show a decrease in damage to
machines between the 2003 and 2004 school year for LCD screens,
system boards, and hard drives. The number of cracked or broken
LCD screens decreased over 88% after the use of the Endo™
cases began. The number of damaged system boards and hard drives
has also been lowered by 3% and 22.2%, respectively. Not only are
students benefiting from increased productivity, administration
is also experiencing a lowered Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), as
machines do not need major repairs as often. Ursuline Academy recently
purchased the InfoCase Endo™ for the 2005 school year, the
first repeat purchase of carrying cases in the ten-year program.
Susan Bauer feels the Endo™ fits well with the program at
Ursuline while assisting in the fight against hardware damages.
"I value having a high quality vendor who works with Ursuline
as a partner in meeting our goals for the students."
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