It started with a simple VoIP rollout, but Mount Erin Secondary College's converged network is driving a learning revolution by enabling new forms of collaboration among 1600 students on two campuses. David Braue reports.
Eternally tight budgets mean government schools haven't been traditionally noted for their early take-up of technology. At Victoria's Mount Erin Secondary College, however, an investment in a new Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system has paved the way for a dramatically improved converged network that has helped the college's new campus hit the ground running in its first year.
Snapshot
source: Mount Erin Secondary College
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Provides a full academic curriculum for students from Years 7 through 12, including a specialised programs through operations such as its Deaf Centre and Cisco Training Academy.
Several years ago, administrators at Mt Erin got fed up with a phone system that had long operated at its 1200-student campus at Frankston South, 40km south of Melbourne. -When the principal slams the phone on the desk and says 'this phone system is stuffed', you know you're in trouble," recalled network manager, Mark Humphries. -We then talked about the new technology, including VoIP, and that's where the ball started to roll."
Good things start with VoIP ...
Within months, exploration of the market options led the college to systems integrator Dimension Data, which worked with Mt Erin to plan an infrastructure that would use Cisco Systems VoIP gear to replace the college's archaic phone system. Cisco CallManager and IPFX for Call Manager, paired with appropriate IP handsets, would provide a fully managed VoIP environment across Mt Erin's network.
Seeking to make the most of the partnership, the college also took the opportunity to set up a presence as a Cisco Training Academy, delivering a progressive training program that has since allowed many students to leave school with formal networking qualifications as well as their VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education).
Although it was clear that VoIP would deliver a much better phone system, it also soon became clear that the college's existing network cabling was not going to support the kind of bandwidth necessary for VoIP to work properly. The scope of the project was quickly expanded to incorporate a major network upgrade which, it was realised, would also support greater use of Internet, voice and video based learning technologies -- -future-proofing our infrastructure", said Humphries.
The college's new network backbone incorporated a Cisco Catalyst core switch and 13 edge switches that distributed 100Mbps Ethernet connections throughout offices and classrooms around the college. Although the original design had called for just five edge switches, Humphries said -we only deal with around 80 handsets and knew we weren't going to be pushing the system very hard at all". The additional switches were added to provide a more reliable, scalable infrastructure that would also support a subsequently announced strategic expansion.
That expansion would see Mt Erin constructing a second campus at Somerville, some seven kilometres to the east, with an additional 400 students and 30 staff teaching students in years seven through 10. With its network rollout in full swing and VoIP already providing much improved phone services within the Frankston South campus, Humphries realised the establishment of the new campus would pave the way for novel learning capabilities that far transcended the simple delivery of VoIP.
... and end with convergence
The Somerville campus network was set up as a mirror of the Frankston South environment, with eight Cisco Systems switches providing full network coverage and some services replicated to increase redundancy and availability. During this time, the Frankston South campus was set up with full wireless LAN service during the Victorian Department of Education and Training's recent state-wide WLAN initiative, but setting up a WLAN on the Somerville campus will be done later at Mt Erin's own expense.
Although the two campuses aren't geographically far apart, the idiosyncrasies of Telstra's network infrastructure meant it was impossible to get a direct fibre connection between Frankston South and Somerville. Instead, Mt Erin ended up installing a 100Mbps microwave service between the two sites to provide a seamless Ethernet link that would carry voice and general network traffic. Both sites were configured with an ISDN failover service to ensure continuity of phone service in the event of a network outage.
-The basic infrastructure design at Frankston South and Somerville are mirror images of each other, so that when we have to manage it we don't have to think too hard," said Humphries. -This was all part of the original design structure."
The new network has provided Mt Erin with an easily manageable, full featured phone system that spans the two campuses and has relieved the considerable frustration staff experienced with the previous system. Transparent call routing between both sites is handled through a single shared receptionist, and use of unified messaging allows voicemails to be retrieved from Microsoft Outlook. Calls can be easily forwarded to follow teachers between campuses, with remote retrieval and online directory access making the new system light-years ahead of the old one.
The power of networked teaching
Where the network investment is really providing additional value, however, is in the new applications that have become possible for both Mt Erin teachers and their students. For example, TeamBoard Interactive Whiteboards recently introduced at the college combine computer projection with interactive mark-up capabilities that let students on both campuses collaborate during lessons.
Mark Humphries, network manager, Mt Erin
-Part of the challenge is how to keep modern-day kids interested and wanting to learn," said Humphries. -You've got to encourage the kids to be involved. The Cisco Training Academy was a huge buzz for them, because they could put their hands on the technology and feel it. With the electronic whiteboards, the kids are asking when they can have lessons with them."
The new network is providing benefits in other ways -- particularly in supporting innovative uses for video within the teaching curriculum. For example, a project is now underway to digitise the school's extensive collection of videotapes and make them available over the network as on-demand video. This could eventually be expanded into a multicast situation where content can be pushed to multiple PCs across the network.
Increased access to videoconferencing facilities between the sites is also expected to deliver significant benefits for the school's Deaf Centre, which provides hearing-impaired students with access to qualified teachers and sign-language interpreters. The Somerville campus will gain several hearing impaired students next year, but AUSLAN qualified teachers are quite difficult to come by. With qualified teachers concentrated at Frankston South, network videoconferencing will let hearing-impaired students at the Somerville campus access the same resources as their peers.
Video is even proving useful for relatively esoteric applications. For example, networked videoconferencing units run constantly in the teacher's lounge at both campuses, fostering community spirit by allowing the teachers to communicate casually, as if they were in the same room. -One of the biggest issues with multi-campus schools is this us-and-them syndrome," Humphries explained. -We're trying to lessen that as much as possible by using technology."
