Enhancing Education with MultiSeat Linux

Enhancing education with multiseat Linux virtual desktop school computers for students and teachers

Userful provides a cost-effective Linux-based computer solution for schools, with hundreds of free software applications for students and teachers. That's why more than 50,000 schools in 100 countries are using Userful to provide millions of students with computer access.

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Making school computers affordable with Linux

The Linux operating system, and open source application software, provide free, secure, and customizable alternatives to the Windows® operating system, and proprietary application software.

Because of the stable and secure design of Linux, less intervention by IT support staff is required to resolve virus issues and keep the computers running properly. This reduces support costs, and frees up staff time to focus on other tasks, instead of repetitive maintenance. As well, there are less system problems, minimizing computer downtime.

The most popular Linux distributions among schools are Ubuntu, and it’s derivative specifically designed for educational programs targeted to students 8 – 18 years of age, called Edubuntu. Edubuntu comes bundled with education applications for subjects including: Astronomy, Chemistry, Languages, Mathematics, Planning, and more.

Regardless of what type of Linux operating system schools choose, there are hundreds of free, open source, end-user and education-specific applications available, such as:

Ubuntu OS
iTALC classroom management tool
Atutor teacher assignment tracking software
OpenOffice.org office suite
GIMP graphics suite
GCompris educational games suite
Firefox web browser
And many more!

Users worried about switching to Linux can rest easy: virtually every Windows® application has a free equivalent for Linux.

Turn 1 school computer into 11

Userful enables up to 11 students to use a single PC at the same time, each with their own monitor, keyboard, mouse and applications. Educators and administrators will appreciate the significant combined cost savings that Linux and Userful’s multiseat computing solution offer. It is easy to set up, use and maintain, and provides teachers with the tools they need to give their students a high quality computer-based education.

Top 12 Things You Can Do With Userful MultiSeat:

1. Let each student enjoy a personal computing experience.
Userful MultiSeat software gives users a sense that each has their own independent computer -- while in reality just one PC supports multiple independent stations.

2. Provide an account to every student.
Each student can have his/her own account, assigned by a teacher or administrator. Students are able to bookmark favorites in the web browser and customize the start menu.

3. Easily manage student accounts.
An administrator or teacher has full control over user accounts and can create/delete accounts and change passwords.

4. Easily share files, videos, and more among students – and teachers, too.
Students or teachers can easily share their files or entire folders with other users by simply putting their files into a shared folder.

5. Create private folders for students to save their private data.
Userful MultiSeat gives students the option to save their private data in a personal folder. No other users have access to this folder -- except the teacher, if so required.

6. Watch videos or listen to music and podcasts without disturbing everyone else.
With two-way audio support, students can enjoy music with no disturbance to others.

7. Install an application once and see it appear automatically on all user stations.
With Userful MultiSeat, you don't need to worry about installing applications on every station.

8. Easily monitor the system.
Administrators and teachers can monitor and manage user stations easily. It’s simple to view how many stations are being used, see which student is using which station and determine whether hardware is connected properly.

9. Get updates and patches through Ubuntu/Userful support team.
Updates and patches are available through Ubuntu or other open source operating systems.

10. “Leave a message” for someone who is away from his/her station.
If a user is out for lunch and a visitor comes in his/her absence, the visitor can leave a message on the desktop.

11. Use USB storage devices securely.
Userful MultiSeat supports individual USB storage devices at each station, and students can transfer files from their stations to flash memory.

12. Last but not the least, a school can save money!
There is no server fee, no Client Access License (CAL) fees and no license fee for the operating system (Ubuntu etc), or application software.

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