As a long-term solution, we propose a partnership between Freegle, MyGreenPod, ComputerAid and Citrix, to operate in the following way:
• Freegle as collection points for donated hardware, and to promote the message to its ~2.8m members
• MyGreenPod (sustainability supplement of The Guardian) to promote and market the message
• ComputerAid to deal with the remote wiping, rebuilding and onward distribution to schools
• Creation of a DfE funded “Citrix schools platform” managed by a Systems Integrator which schools can buy into and base their own Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams environment on (more details below). This would have the following advantages:
o More hardware could be brought back into service as lower spec devices can be used
o Schools and students don’t have to worry about anti-virus or malware on the devices
o Management overhead is taken by the Systems Integrator – this is especially important for Primary Schools which are generally not set up with their own IT infrastructure due to their size, unless they are part of academy chains
o Kids in deprived areas don’t have the worry of expensive devices which could attract the wrong attention
o Less Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) goes into landfill
3. Proposed “Citrix schools’ platform”.
The proposed “Citrix schools’ platform” will be a fully managed, centralised digital learning platform built using Citrix Workspace technologies in collaboration with selected partners and vendor solutions. The platform will be cloud-delivered from sustainable datacentres which eliminate any need for on-premises hardware, reducing management complexity and overhead. The platform also benefits from cloud elasticity and cloud presence which ensure excellent levels of service delivery with the ability to scale on demand.
Students and staff will have simple, secure and reliable access to digital learning materials from any device, from any location using the Citrix Workspace App. Low-powered, low-maintenance endpoint devices can be provided for a relatively low cost and students are no longer constrained to a traditional endpoint device in a classroom, giving the pupil the freedom to learn wherever they feel comfortable, using a device that they prefer. Regardless of the device used, the student is guaranteed a seamless, secure and consistent user experience.
The platform also supports the full range of IT peripherals – from headsets to printers – so learning is guaranteed to be a hassle-free experience and by reducing the cost of the endpoint device, in combination with using High Definition Experience (HDX)X technologies to optimise network connectivity, the platform directly addresses digital poverty concerns.
The platform will provide staff and students with single sign-on, and secure access using Time Based One Time Password (TOTP) Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) to all learning resources. This includes all learning material, applications and collaboration tool entitlements, including popular Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), teaching software and collaboration tools.
Data and applications will be centralised in the datacentre, protected using state of the art security controls. The platform provides identity- and context-aware, zero trust access as well as additional security functions for all applications accessed through Citrix Workspace. This includes powerful Data Governance functionality such as Watermarking, Cut-Copy-Paste protection and Enabling/Disabling Printing as well as App Protection functionality including Anti-Keylogging and Anti-Screen Capture along with secure internet access protection such as Malware protection, Sandbox, Firewall, CASB, DLP, SWG and SSL Inspection. This level of security is essential when protecting both student and institution.
The platform will deliver all the capabilities of the secure digital workspace, while also enhancing the student experience by guiding work and providing time-saving workflows. Workspace intelligent features give students and staff a single unified experience to all apps and data no matter where they reside, while incorporating machine-learning micro-apps and workflows to guide and enhance productivity, and offering universal search to quickly find data no matter where it’s stored. Analytics and automated intelligence make it possible to customise the experience for individual users using a personalised intelligent feed. The platform’s intelligent feed ensures students and staff see only what they need, and from here they can review reports, submit coursework, approve submissions and access files all with a single click, designed to address specific common problems and use cases quickly and easily, adding to increased user productivity. All of this is on the same single, streamlined screen. The platform can also push event-driven micro-apps and notify users of something that requires their attention (for example approval of a report, or new course available for registration).
With both of these solutions we believe that we could offer a streamlined digital solution which takes the IT overhead out of the hands of schools, giving them the benefit of cloud technologies whilst allowing them to concentrate on their core competence of being places of education. The recycling of devices will allow for an ongoing solution to a problem which has been growing but which was brought into sharp focus by Covid. Thankyou for reviewing our proposal.
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