This Is What Software Schools Use To Monitor Computers
With so many computer monitoring software options on the market, it can be hard to know what the best application is. The options on the market offer a wide range of features, including classroom management, screen locking, file management, control overhaul, and screen sharing. But what software do schools actually use to monitor students?
One of the best applications used by schools to monitor student computers is an application called Wolfeye Remote Screen. This discreet monitoring tool offers all the essential features teachers could need and incredible ease of use at an affordable price.
In this article, I’ll be explaining what computer monitoring software is and how schools use it to improve student focus. I’ll also be listing some of the most popular monitoring programs used by schools, explaining their essential features, and advising how you can use each program to help your students thrive.
What Is Computer Monitoring Software?
Computer monitoring software is a type of application that collects user data, such as screen recordings or key entry logs, to provide monitors with information about how people are using their devices.
Computer monitoring software is applied in a wide variety of situations. Parents enjoy screen monitoring software because it allows them to really see what their kids are doing online, while schools love that it allows them to help their students focus when researching on the web.
Best of all, there’s no shortage of computer monitoring applications to choose from. Many are tailored to be useful to teachers and school administrators, offering features like live screen monitoring and internet history archival.
How Do Schools Use Computer Monitoring Software?
Schools use computer monitoring software to directly see what their students are doing with their devices. This proves to be much more efficient than looking over the shoulders of students, since they can easily switch tabs as you pass by.
Most computer monitoring applications used by schools allow teachers to see every student’s screen simultaneously. They’re able to verify that most screens show students working away at assignments, and can immediately identify inactivity or distractions.
When teachers use this type of computer monitoring software, they’re able to identify a loss of focus immediately as it occurs. This allows them to encourage distracted students to focus effectively, while also allowing them to leave focused students to work peacefully.
What Are the Most Popular Computer Monitoring Applications Used by Schools?
Some of the most popular computer monitoring applications used by schools include Wolfeye, Insight, GoGuardian, ScreenWatch, and Kickidler. Each application offers a unique set of features and prices, ensuring that teachers can pick one that best suits their classroom.
Wolfeye Remote Screen
It’s easy to see why Wolfeye Remote Screen proves to be such a popular application for teachers and parents alike to use for monitoring. For a modest $97 for a 12-month license, Wolfeye Remote Screen offers powerful features like automatic screenshotting and live screen viewing that make monitoring simple.
That’s not all of Wolfeye Remote Screen’s features, either. Here are some of the best features offered by this incredible application.
- Wolfeye Remote Screen allows you to see activity on the computer as it happens. Unlike internet search history, which only allows you to see what websites were visited, the automatic screen recordings produced by Wolfeye will allow you to see what was done on each and every website.
- You can access Wolfeye’s live monitoring from anywhere. Since the screen recording is directly uploaded to a private web address, you can access the monitoring from anywhere as long as you have the link.
- Wolfeye Remote Screen is completely invisible. Once the program is configured to boot on startup and included as an exception in the monitored device’s antivirus settings, the application is almost completely indetectable to users.
- Wolfeye Remote Screen can be configured to automatically take screenshots or record internet history. You will need to send an email to kontakt@wolfeye.de with the subject “Activate archiving” to activate this powerful feature, but once you do, you’ll quickly see how much it improves your monitoring experience.
Faronics Insight
Aside from Wolfeye Remote Screen, many options prove to be both powerful and versatile. Insight has become popular with schools due to its incredible multi-platform classroom management tools.
Here are some of the essential features that make Faronics Insight worth considering.
- Faronics Insight has incredibly powerful features for controlling student devices. Opening a webpage on every student’s device can be completed in just a few clicks. Likewise, if you notice anything you don’t want a student to be doing, you can directly close the tab from your device.
- Insight offers useful classroom features, including test and poll features. Since the tests and polls are created directly in the application, administrating them is incredibly simple — you can push the tests and polls directly to student devices using integrated features.
- Faronics Insight has powerful built-in chat features. You don’t have to worry about installing or licensing any other programs if you use Insight. The application has standard built-in text and voice communication options, so helping students collaborate is a simple process.
- Insight offers real-time screen monitoring. As long as you’ve installed the application on each of your student’s devices, you can see what each student is doing across the course of the day. This is the best feature of the application without a doubt, as it lets you know when you can relax and let your students work — and when you need to step in to help them focus.
GoGuardian
One of the most popular monitoring applications on the market for teachers is GoGuardian. This powerful application offers a wide suite of features that makes monitoring students easy — and if you’re interested in smart analytics, you won’t be disappointed with the sheer amount of features and power that GoGuardian has to offer.
Here are some of the most compelling features offered by GoGuardian and how you can use them in your classroom.
- GoGuardians allows you to view all of your students’ screens at once in a large panel view. This allows you to see everything that all of your students are doing during class. With so much information on what each student is working on, you’ll have the opportunity to address distractions as they occur.
- GoGuardians supports classroom announcements and one-on-one teacher-to-student chats. The announcements feature is perfect for easily distributing important information and assignments as they become relevant. The teacher-to-student chat feature, meanwhile, is perfect for allowing students to ask questions and providing you with a direct avenue to work with each student at their own pace.
- GoGuardians has a tab monitoring feature that allows you to identify a student who is falling behind. If you’ve assigned several web pages to go through, you’ll find this feature particularly useful. It shows how long each student viewed each page in a convenient timeline view. If you notice that one student is spending an unusually long time on a page, you can directly reach out to help them with the material.
- GoGuardians allows you to directly control the tabs on a student’s device. You don’t have to worry about browser games or off-topic websites distracting your students during class, since you’ll have a convenient feature to block any website you like. In fact, GoGuardians can even be used to prevent your students from accessing any other websites during test times.
- You can use the scenes feature of GoGuardians to quickly get all your students to the same point. If you’ve ever instructed your students to type in a few web addresses, you’re probably familiar with how slow the process can be. GoGuardians provides the perfect workaround, since you can instantaneously open a selected group of tabs on every student’s device with just a few clicks.
ScreenWatch
While ACS’s ScreenWatch might not be as glossy as some other computer monitoring applications, it packs all the essentials in an easy-to-use package — making it a great option for any teachers who want to keep monitoring simple. The application is best for simultaneously monitoring student screens, since it allows you to see every screen side-by-side and expand your view on particular screens as desired.
Here are the most notable features that make ACS Screenwatch an excellent choice for use in classrooms.
- ScreenWatch gives you the option of immediately turning every screen blank. If you’ve ever struggled to compete with devices for the attention of your students, you’ll love this feature. Once you press the blanking button, every screen is immediately darkened until you deactivate the setting.
- You can monitor your students’ screens with ScreenWatch. The application provides a direct recording of each screen in a large panel, allowing you to monitor every student simultaneously. If you want to watch a particular screen, you have the option of expanding it to make it easier to view.
- You can block websites and programs of your choice. As you might know, students are incredibly talented at finding things they aren’t supposed to do — and keeping them from finding games on the web can feel like a difficult game of whack-a-mole. ScreenWatch makes the process much easier, since it allows you to blacklist websites and programs. You also have the option of configuring ScreenWatch to notify you when students access particular websites.
- You can control whether computers are logged in or powered on. If you have computers that stay in your classroom throughout the day, this is an incredible feature to have. Instead of having to open each device and log out manually, you can use the ScreenWatch controller to instantly refresh all of your devices.
Kickidler
While Kickidler is generally used as an employee monitoring program, it’s safe to say that it serves as an incredibly powerful tool in the classroom, too. When you use Kickidler to monitor your classroom devices, you’ll be able to see every screen at once — and address distractions as soon as they occur. Whether you intend to use it in the classroom or for remote learning, there’s no doubt that the powerful suite of features offered by Kickidler will improve any classroom.
Here are some of the best features offered by Kickidler and how you can use them to support your students through traditional or distance learning.
- Kickidler allows you to see all of your students’ screens on a side-by-side interface. Monitoring what your students are doing on their devices becomes a simple process when you use an application like Kickidler, since students don’t have the typical option of switching tabs when you walk by. With this application, your surveillance is constant.
- Kickidler has incredible streaming performance. One of the biggest issues with certain screen monitoring software programs is that they lag. If you’re using the program to monitor distance learners, this problem is unfortunately only worsened by the poor Wi-Fi connection at many students’ homes. But with Kickidler, you don’t have to worry as much about connections — the program effectively balances performance and quality to deliver you the best experience.
- Kickidler automatically saves recordings of what your students are doing. You don’t just have to rely on your memory if you need to address a serious device use issue with a student — the program automatically saves and records the last 24 hours of screen activity.
What Is the Best Computer Monitoring Application for Schools?
The best computer monitoring application for schools is Wolfeye Remote Screen. While Wolfeye might lack many of the frills of other monitoring applications, it makes up for it with its simplicity, power, ease of use, and affordability. It’s no wonder that Wolfeye proves so popular with teachers.
Luckily, if you’re interested in trying out Wolfeye Remote Screen in your classroom, the installation and setup process is simple. Once you’ve downloaded the free trial version of Wolfeye, all it takes to set up the program is following this short tutorial. With these resources, you’ll be ready to monitor your students’ screens in no time.
Final Thoughts
One of the best ways you can help support your students in the classroom is to use computer monitoring software. Since applications like Wolfeye Remote Screen let you see what your students are doing at every moment, they allow you to identify distractions and struggles as they occur. When you use these insights to help your students, it won’t be long before you see huge improvements in their performance.
Sources
- Time Doctor: What is Computer Monitoring? Tips and Tools for the Workplace
- Wired: Kids Are Back in Classrooms and Laptops Are Still Spying on Them
- Wolfeye: Homepage
- Faronics: Classroom Management Software
- GoGuardian: How to Utilize GoGuardian Teacher for E-Learning
- Educational App Store: Classroom Computer Monitoring Software For Schools
- Kickidler: Using Kickidler to Supervise Computer Classes