NCVPS and Virtual Desktop - a status report for fall 2010

Virtual Desktop is really a hot topic. Virtualization has been hot in Information Technologies for several years now, and that is moving into the education arena .... fast! Since my blog post in April of 2010, much discussion about virtual desktop solutions for students has gone on in the face to face and virtual school ecosystems. Race To The Top funding has only feed this fire. States such as North Carolina have been granted the resources to revolutionize their computer infrastructure to educate a new generation of students, and Virtual Desktop is seen as a cornerstone in the base foundation.

So, let’s see where North Carolina Virtual Public School stands in the Virtual Desktop realm. What did we want to do, what have we done, and where do we see ourselves going?

Timestamp: April 2010:
What were our objectives in terms of the virtual desktop project?

1. Provide a simple to use system for students.
2. Supply a standard version of software applications to students.
3. Get a volume price break on software by combining the needs of the entire state's virtual student population.
4. Build the tool as a web-based technology (no client install), thus minimizing the set up for school tech support and home based users.

Update for November 2010:

1. The system interface prototype is done. The system is a simple icon based interface with quick, double-click access to applications. From the point of view of our technology staff, we have meet our initial goal.
2. We have installed a standard desktop for every user. Microsoft Office and SAS Programming tools are available on our virtual image, now. This system has been deployed to teachers and the system is being fine-tuned for student activity beginning in January 2011.
3. The volume discount has not yet been fully realized, since only a pilot of 60 students have been planned for the field test. However, the time sharing aspects of the virtual desktop in itself has allowed us to only purchase 50 licenses for Microsoft Office, allowing up to 50 users at any given time per day. So, if you have high school students in four periods, daily, then you can serve 200 students at the cost of only the 50 licenses, saving money even after the technology overhead it considered.
4. The Virtual Desktop is entirely web driven. The URL is provided to the school/user for the purpose of opening their filters to the URL. From then on, no downloads are required with the exception of occasional Java updates.

Where do we want to be in Spring 2011?

1. So we have satisfied ourselves... who cares? This is all about the students, so until they are successful in the environment, the end has not been met. So, our future plans are to test this interface on students beginning in January of 2011. There will be approximately 60 students involved in a field test of the NCVPS Virtual Desktop tool. We will be watching this usage of this tool closely, and looking for student feedback, usage, and overall success of the students in the environment.
2. Further software applications will be added to the Virtual Desktop tool as it expands. If NCVPS courses require specific applications, consideration will be given to them providing them through the virtual desktop to reduce procurement and hosting costs for schools.
3. Volume discounts, by definition, yield more savings the more users you have. Therefore, when this project moves out of field-test mode and begins to grow, then more savings will be realized. Also, with RttT projects, we hope that this project will serve as a proof-of-concept for the infrastructures designed for the state’s cloud services initiative, thus, saving the state thousands of dollars in software license fees.
4. The tool will continue to be web driven, as client downloads can be very difficult to manage in certain secure environments. As long as the URL is open and the version of Java is kept up-to-date, no further requirements are levied against the technology provider.

The technology staff at NCVPS is excited to move toward a Virtual Desktop solution in the future. The SAS Computer Programming course is our first foray into the Virtual Desktop. NCVPS hopes to support more courses in this environment in the future, as the Virtual Desktop tool proves to be successful and beneficial for our students.

NCVPS and Virtual Desktop as a Service

It has been about a year since NCVPS Technology started an e-learning community called the Technology Advisory Committee, or TAC for short. Through the TAC, the NCVPS tech team has spoken to many technology leaders and advocates in North Carolina school districts and charter schools. The feedback they give us is extremely helpful in planning our technology strategy. Their feedback gives us much to think about when planning the technology future at NCVPS.

One idea that was introduced and discussed in the NCVPS TAC was a Virtual Desktop Service. After some discussion in the TAC meeting, we explored the possibilities of hosting a pilot Virtual Desktop for NCVPS students. We are happy to say that we expect to roll out a pilot of this service this year, and hope to expand to multiple school systems in time.

As most technology folks know, there are as many definitions of virtual/cloud technology as there as technology folks. So, let me define what we are planning, how we plan to do it, and why.

What? Our Virtual Desktop project is an application delivery system accessed by a Internet browser. It is not a Remote Desktop connection and an RDP session is not required. To use the system all you need to do is open an internet browser then go to a specified URL where you would see a webpage that looks like a standard icon based desktop. Users click the icon of the app they want to use and the it launches in a new window. Simple enough, right?

How? Our objectives are simple:

1. Provide a simple to use system for students.
2. Supply a standard version of software applications to students.
3. Get a volume price break on software by combining the needs of the entire state's virtual student population.
4. Build the tool as a web-based technology (no client install), thus minimizing the set up for school tech support and home based users.

Why? Well, the advantages are quite obvious....

The technology requirements for NCVPS users are limited to a computer that has an Internet browser and an Internet connection. The cost to support NCVPS in the schools and districts are minimized due to volume licensing options and centralized hosting solutions. Staffing help! We can stop having 115 districts doing the same job of tech set up for NCVPS, and let 1 entity do it. Finally, this all comes down to one thing, students! This technology gives us a more efficient way to provide students with the technology they need when they need it.

NCVPS is on it's way to establishing a Desktop Service. We have high hopes that we will be able to partner with all schools and districts in the state to give our students the tools they need to be prepared for the 21st century that awaits them.

For questions, email Chanin Rivenbark at chanin.rivenbark@ncpublicschools.gov