Education Tracking Software Can Prevent License Penalties

The time for education tracking software is now. In a 2018 contributing article for Forbes, Mike Silagadze, Co-Founder and CEO of Canadian educational software company Top Hat, made a series of predictions about how technology and education would evolve together in the next 10 years. Among his predictions were that learning would become more interactive. “Instructors have been working to create a more dynamic classroom experience of decades,” he said. “By incorporating digital quizzes and assessments, videos, simulations, and gamification elements into course content, educators can create a dynamic learning experience for each student on an individual level. By capitalizing on the digital habits of students, the classroom can be filled with interactivity regardless of the class size or topic.”

The Classroom Moves Online

Online classrooms are becoming commonplace, as well. Homeschoolers often complete their schoolwork online. Secondary educational institutions have rolled out online classes for students as a means to pick up required courses during the school year or summer months. Institutions of higher education are offering online programs for working professionals.

Software License Management

As technology plays an ever-increasing role in education, the number of software licenses maintained by the average school also will increase. Each of those licenses must be renewed from time to time, and some may limit the number of users. Keeping track of that information is vital because failure to comply with the terms of the license can result in fines or worse. Expired licenses, in fact, are a common cause of violation penalties.

IT administrators who aren’t sure how many software licenses their organization currently has should conduct an audit as soon as possible. Education tracking software can complete that process quickly and accurately. By identifying the existing of any expired licenses, administrators reduce their employer’s risk and exposure to penalties and reputational damage. They also may establish custom notifications and alerts to remind them of upcoming expiration dates for current licenses.

Additional Benefits of Education Tracking Software

Aside from the tracking and management of software licenses, education tracking software helps educational institutions manage their IT assets. Desktop computers, laptop computers, servers and other IT equipment must be routinely updated and maintained to ensure security and peak performance. Slow-moving equipment has a direct impact on staff productivity. Ignoring the warning signs of an IT asset that may need service can result in expensive repairs and even replacement. The risk of a security breach also is higher with IT assets that haven’t been regularly updated. Similar to license expiration reminders, education tracking software enables administrators to set up maintenance alerts. They can also create work orders and examine the maintenance history of any IT asset.

Education tracking software is a powerful tool to track the remainder of a school’s fixed assets – for example, library books, athletic equipment, office equipment, classroom furniture and much more. Theft and loss is a common occurrence at educational institutions of every level. Education tracking software monitors fixed assets and allows users to look up the check-in/check-out status of an item. Perhaps most important, the software promotes communication among every stakeholder involved in the lifecycle of your assets, increasing accountability across the board.

Whether a preschool, high school or university, educational budgets are limited. Education tracking software maximizes the lifecycle of their investments and helps keep them in good working order for the benefit of students for years to come.