User interface
A brand-new user interface makes it even easier to find and use all of SoftLINK’s classroom management features. Co-produced directly with instructors, its intuitive layout in a ribbon bar format at the top makes completing tasks quicker without getting buried in extra unnecessary steps.
- Turn off additional confirmations when powering off/restarting or logging out of devices
- New ‘right click’ options to access features even quicker, plus a Delete option has been added to remove student icons on the teacher and tech console.
- Display PC name and logged-on username are both displayed on the icon when in ‘large icon mode’ making it easier to identify each student
- Show the logon name (rather than display name) in the student icons/thumbnails
- Add “Launch” to the tutor toolbar when in the reduced Chrome Mode
- Use keywords to block/approve access to all websites
- Configure the Tutor default start-up mode via the Tutor
- Use custom layouts in User Mode
- Customize the options on the minimized Tutor Toolbar.
- When a new update is available for SoftLINK, a notification will pop-up to notify you of any new features or updates that are available.
Keep Trainees on Task
In addition to already being able to blank all students’ screens, now, when a teacher is viewing one individual device (View mode), they can blank that screen so the student can’t see what the teacher is doing – available on Windows 10/11 (v 2004+).
If a student is running multiple monitors, icons are now displayed on the student thumbnail, allowing the teacher to switch between each monitor or view the whole desktop – handy for ensuring students are fully on task.
As well as launching a website or application, now you can also launch an associated file such as a PowerPoint or Word document – handy for getting the entire class working on the right document at the same time.
In the student toolbar, you can also hide an approved website in the list displayed on students’ screens.
The whiteboard can now be resized to fit the student’s screen, making it easier for the teacher and student to view and collaborate.
Within Feedback mode, more icons have been added for students to select, helping them to better represent their wellbeing/topic understanding.
Reduce energy costs
In addition to power on/off and log in/log out all classroom computers, teachers can also power off student PCs that are not logged on – perfect to help reduce costs on unused devices.
Connectivity Server
A list of servers known to the Connectivity Server is now displayed, allowing you to see at a glance how many students are connected, and any active sessions. A filter bar also allows you to search for students in the Connectivity Server Console.
In addition to displaying the client name, IP address, MAC address and Gateway key, the Gateway console now displays the description of the gateway key in use under the Clients section.
The Connectivity Server console window can now also be resized to make it easier to view.
Test and assess
In SoftLINK’s Testing tool, PNG images can now be added into the test, and a new question has been added, called ‘Highlight text’. Teachers can create a question and highlight the correct text in a statement.
The student must highlight the correct section of text to qualify as a correct answer – useful for providing more challenging ways to assess students’ understanding.
Two fake (incorrect) answers can also be added to the drag-and-drop question type, so students have to identify the correct answer before dragging it into the statement.
Plus, if there are any connection issues, you can recover in-progress test results. Teachers can also reward students with new animated stickers that will appear on the student’s toolbar. These can also be added to the student journal.
Distribute and collect work
In addition to sending files to students, you can now send folders/subfolders from the teacher to the student. Plus, in the File Transfer tool, you can also collect files from students and enable the student to choose which file to upload to the teacher (without needing to send them a file first).
To make access easier, in the tree view in the File Transfer and File Distribution windows, you can access the downloads folder to directly transfer files quickly and easily. In addition, folders that need to be accessed regularly can be added to a ‘Favorites’ folder in the Tree view.
Manage students and connections
From the Classwizard, teachers can select multiple rooms to connect to – perfect if students are spread across several classrooms. An updated reboot command can now be sent to all machines which ensures they reboot whatever their logged in/off state.
When in User Mode, you can use the ‘refresh list’ to re-connect to a student who has logged off/on or re-booted, plus any late joiners can now join a ‘Show’ that is already in progress by the teacher – preventing lost teaching time in getting that student up to speed.
In the student register, you can now save the Registration Report as a PDF file.
When a teacher sends a message to students, messages displayed that include any URLs are now clickable, making it even easier for teachers to point students in the right direction. Plus, all chat sessions between the teacher and student are automatically logged and stored – perfect for supporting evidencing requirements.
A viewable web url is also now available in students’ web history, making it handy for reviewing sites and their content.
Updated Tech Console
The Technicians’ Console now features a new user interface and uses a ribbon bar to make it even easier to find and use all of SoftLINK’s features. It includes a new ‘quick search’ function to help IT teams find students and teachers by user name, machine name, IP address, running application or website, for example – making it even quicker to provide support.
Further enhancements include the ability to stop the Client32 service from running, and being able to end the connection from a teacher’s console. In the reports section, the client version number is included, making it easier to see what version of SoftLINK is running on students’ PCs.
Expanded support for Android is also included, allowing you to connect to Android devices using the Tech Console.
Additional Group policy options
Even more Tutor Console Settings are now available to configure via a group policy.
CHROME STUDENT – V2
The latest update to SoftLINK’s Student Chrome Extension provides new features and enhancements to further support schools in monitoring and managing students’ Chromebooks – plus, deliver instruction with ease!
Enhanced Thumbnail View: Teachers (using Windows) can view all activity on the students’ devices within the thumbnail view – not just the activity taking place in the open browser window.
Student View: In addition to viewing student activity via the thumbnail view, teachers can now open a separate view session to discreetly monitor the student’s screen and take a closer look at activity – perfect for ensuring students are on task with their learning activities. (Windows only).
To view all the features available for Chrome, please click here.
