The education sector has dealt with a huge amount of stress and strain over the past couple of years from the absence of face to face learning, difficulty accessing materials and coping with online remote learning. Institutions have had to adapt to a completely new way of working which has had an impact on staff and students alike. Educational institutions need to implement tools that allow everyone to connect with one another and access resources they need instantly.
Having a future proof tool that gives every individual access to the stuff they need, whenever and wherever they need it, is an absolute essential going forward. If there is one thing technology can do well, that connects people - instantly. And for institutions like schools and universities, having an integrated and modern intranet platform will act as a knowledge base, interactive collaboration tool, document sharing system, storage solution, social hub and remote learning platform - all in one system. They’re not nice to have, they’re a must in today’s society.
So what exactly should you be looking for when searching for that do-it-all tool?
The Modern Intranet for Education - What It Actually Needs
To Be User Friendly and Cater to All User Groups
Technology can be scary for those who don’t know how to use it and the education sector is full of people of different ages, life experiences and technological abilities. Not to mention that each individual will be interacting with your intranet in a completely different way from the next person. It’s vital that you implement a solution such as a modern intranet that caters to all user groups and can be used by everyone with ease. Having one integrated intranet that allows every person to use it in relation to their role and group is essential.
Content Management System
How easy would life be if all our documents were stored in one place and everyone had to access to this repository? Well… it’s possible! Having an intranet with a content management system is a game changer and will make life a whole lot easier for everyone. Oaks content management systems integrate with third-party applications which means everyone can stay up to date and access the right information. It’s easy to find university resources, student information, projects, curriculum, reading lists, events and more within your intranet.
Integrated Workspace
Having an intranet that integrates with other apps will do wonders for productivity as it will allow users to work and find information seamlessly in real time. No need for switching tabs, losing track of apps and using tons of different tools when you can just use one, everything is easy to access in one place.
Mobile App
In education, everyone is working on their own personal timetable, with no two days looking the same for everyone. It can be hard to connect with the people that you need. Having a mobile app that everyone can access from any device or location is a lifesaver. Being able to access news, read important information, and send project work without being tied to a desk makes life in education so much easier for everyone when everything is at their fingertips. All you need is a mobile and some good wifi!
Benefits of An Intranet For the Education Sector
That’s all well and good knowing what an intranet can do in the realm of the education sector, but how does it actually benefit everyone using it?
Improve Collaboration
Whether it’s people working on a shared project or you need to share information with fellow staff and students, having a go-to place for document management does wonders for collaboration. Having everything in one set place means that multiple people can update and view documents in real time with ease and tasks, projects, curriculum, meetings, activities and events can all be held via your company intranet.
Keeping Staff Records up to Date
Schools and universities are made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands of fellow staff and students. So whether you’re managing an intranet for a smaller school and need to keep records of teachers, admin staff, part time workers and more or a larger university with heads of department, lecturers and student records, an Oak Engage intranet will give you everyone's information at your fingertips and the ability to contact them right away. Keeping track of staff records and updating them has never been easier.
Sharing Data With Colleagues
Having the ability to share information with colleagues, ask for feedback and have conversations around current work is great for teamwork, giving each and every employee a voice and making workflow seamless and encouraging productivity.
Personalised Learning
Intranets help to break down hierarchical barriers and bring everyone together through one system. Gone are the days of mere document sharing on an intranet, intranets have evolved to be much more than that. Teaching staff can now set students tasks for certain deadlines, mark work and leave comments making it a secure place to manage your workloads, complete tasks and exchange feedback and comments. Plus, it means that work can’t easily be lost and is easily assigned to specific individuals.
You can also create discussion groups, have quizzes and tests, contact staff members and fellow students with any queries and problems and access any live information. It’s the perfect remote learning solution needed to complement class work.
Helping Students With Coursework
Intranets aren’t solely for staff use, they can be a great port of call for students and their learning. Your intranet can be used as a central point of contact for students needing to connect with tutors and fellow peers which will help them in any project work and coursework. A modern intranet makes it easy for different departments, groups and those operating on different schedules to collaborate and work together wherever they are.
Having an intranet is such a powerful tool for encouraging collaboration, giving students and staff the access they need to contact one another and ensuring everyone is on the same page with regards to project work, coursework and deadlines. It’s a brilliant tool for managing daily life on site and on campus.
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