The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant change to the way in which schools and organisations deliver teaching and training. Whereas previously teaching and training was predominantly delivered face-to-face in a classroom setting it has now predominantly moved online.
A significant problem educational establishments and training providers face is that the online training must be better than or at least as good as the face-to-face teaching that was delivered previously. Whilst online and distance learning is not a new concept, with Virtual Learning Environments having been around in some form for over two decades, until recently there has not been a requirement for it on such a large scale.
A key problem that needs to be addressed is providing an environment that is accessible to students irrespective of what hardware they have available. The UK government has provided a number of laptops to schools, but often not in quantities required. Further, the time for IT departments to configure the devices often means that there is a huge delay in getting the devices to students.
How can Remote Desktops Help?
A remote desktop image can be created to replicate the in-house desktop that students are familiar with and which contains all the applications they require to learn effectively. From this single image, multiple identical virtual desktops can be created which can be accessed from virtually any device with internet connectivity irrespective of hardware specification or operating system. For example, a student accessing a virtual desktop on an iPad would be presented with exactly the same interface as another student who is accessing the virtual desktop on a Windows based laptop or Raspberry Pi.
The concept of the virtual desktop is simple; the remote desktop is hosted in the cloud and is accessed via an internet connection. If the image used to create the desktop is a replica of the in-house desktop, the students would be presented with exactly the same interface that they would view if they were sat in front of the desktop at school or college.
The virtual desktops are also highly scalable, a single image can be used to produce as many desktops as are required for the needs of the organisation whether it be for 5, 500, or more students.
How can Azure RD Help?
Azure RD have developed a desktop infrastructure which can be tailored to meet the needs of your school or organisation. We are able to build images on your behalf and to your specification. We can then host and run these machines to the hours that suit you.
If you wish to setup your own virtual desktop environment that you control in-house, we are able to provide expert consultancy and project management to ensure that you can provide your remote desktops as quickly as possible.
If you would like further information on virtual desktops please get in touch by e-mailing info@azure-rd.com.