Technology boosts learning outcomes
White Glove Service saves Damascus College staff 20 hours per week
To encourage their students to connect and learn more autonomously, Damascus College in Ballarat, Victoria, began integrating technology into the learning environment of the college campus back in 2015.
Every student, educator and staff member was given a Microsoft Surface device to improve learning outcomes and increase engagement across the college. Devices were refreshed every three years – at Years 7 and 10 – but it was a program that was a challenge for the college to maintain.
Since 2016, Damascus College has collaborated with JB Hi-Fi Education to create a program in partnership with Microsoft Surface to allow students to use their own devices in the classroom to further their skills, education and learning abilities.
More technology created more support
To be truly transformative in the delivery of improved education, Damascus College realised that it needed to provide more technology. However, this inevitably led to needing more support. The success of their Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program created an increase in support requests from students, teachers and staff alike.
IT staff soon realised they needed an extra set of hands to help manage the hours they spent each week providing support to teachers and students, as well
as lodging and managing additional warranty and insurance claims.
Standardising the device program with Surface across the school has helped teachers to expand the learning opportunities for students while also arming them with vital digital literacy skills they need to thrive in tomorrow’s workplace.
While the right device was one important component of the college’s goal, to be truly transformative required a new level of support and maintenance for users across the school. Issues such as hibernation and batteries could lead to lost learning time and disengagement in the classroom if not addressed quickly.
“We have a great relationship with our account manager, who is a real partner to the ICT Department. They keep in contact to check how the program is going and to offer business solutions – they are not just pushing boxes.”
Adam Ratcliffe, ICT Manager,
Damascus College
On-campus support with the White Glove Service
To help the school tap into the full range of benefits of the program, JB Hi-Fi Education offered Damascus the White Glove Service. This program is designed to
improve IT support, repair and maintenance services, as well as shorten response times.
JB Hi-Fi Education’s White Glove Service is a specialised team of technical support people who work collaboratively with IT staff on campus providing various services, such as:
Damascus College is a Catholic co-educational secondary college in Ballarat, Victoria with more than 1200 students and 200 staff. Damascus College offers innovative and progressive learning and teaching that inspires and challenges students to become their best and to contribute confidently to the global community. Damascus College builds on 140 years of Catholic education in Ballarat.
The JB Hi-Fi Education White Glove Service has supported the ICT team to deliver on their commitment to education. By delivering end-to-end device procurement and preparation, JB Hi-Fi Education continues to save time for the school IT team, ensuring that staff and students have access to devices that are ready to go.
“The White Glove Service has allowed our ICT team to focus on providing immediate support to students, educators and staff. Before JB Hi-Fi Education we had ICT staff dedicated to dealing with device issues, warranties, and claims. Partnering with JB Hi-Fi Education has saved us up to 20 hours a week. As a result, our educators can teach, and our students can learn online with confidence.”
Adam Ratcliffe, ICT Manager, Damascus College