Novell, the world`s leading provider of directory-enabled networking software and services, has announced the upcoming release of Web Lessons, an Internet-learning software application that keeps students safe from harmful or distracting Web sites while focusing them on relevant material chosen by the teacher. Web Lessons lets school teachers manage the vast resources of the Internet by allowing them to prepare and deliver tailored lessons using specific, selected information on the World Wide Web.
Through a point-and-click Web-based interface, teachers can develop innovative Internet lessons that incorporate specific Web pages or sites while eliminating distractions that interfere with students` learning by denying access to all Web sites except those chosen by the teacher. Web Lessons is a cross-platform, Java-based software application and the only comprehensive curriculum assistant that allows teachers to harness the educational information on the Internet for use in daily lessons.
According to Novell channel and distribution manager Martin Bawden Web Lessons is the kind of Internet tool that educators have been asking for. "With Web Lessons, teachers can easily author and integrate into the classroom the rich resources of the Internet in a safe way. In a nutshell, Web Lessons has the potential to turn the Internet into a virtual planet library."
Novell`s first packaged software application for the education market, Web Lessons takes advantage of Novell`s industry-leading directory technology, Novell Directory Services (NDS), and its powerful security management suite, BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3. The comprehensive software walks teachers through the development of new lessons and also enables them to edit existing lessons. In addition, Web Lessons allows educators around the world to share prepared lessons.
With Novell`s BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3, Web Lessons gives teachers and students fast, secure access to the Internet. Teachers can block access to irrelevant information on the Internet, keeping students focused on the lesson at hand. The ability to give students access to only those Internet sites in a specific lesson while denying access to all other sites is unique to Web Lessons. Through NDS, teachers can designate which students have access to what lessons, thus enabling the teacher to easily create a variety of lessons designed for different students.
"As education becomes one of the most important issues facing the nation today, Novell is pleased to offer teachers, students and parents a product that gives them control over the wealth of information available on the Internet. Web Lessons is an example of the kinds of Web-based solutions Novell has and will continue to develop and market. With the natural support of such core Novell technologies as NDS and BorderManager, we plan to deliver additional software applications designed for specific vertical industries," said Bawden.
Web Lessons offers teachers and systems administrators a combination of ease-of-use, safety and focus, speed, and quality teaching benefits in developing, editing and accessing Internet lessons. An easy-to-use, wizard-based interface makes Web Lessons simple to set up, use and manage. Because of tight integration with NetWare, NDS works almost transparently to ensure students have access to only the lessons intended for them. With an intuitive lesson planner, Web Lessons helps teachers organise Internet content and incorporate it into their curriculum.
Web Lessons gives teachers control over which Web sites their students are allowed to visit, completely blocking out irrelevant or objectionable material. Web Lessons includes a "deny all" feature, preventing access to online information outside of the designated Internet lesson. This feature works like a "virtual book," allowing students to work on the current lesson using relevant Internet resources. Therefore, students remain focused on the current task.
Integration with BorderManager Enterprise Edition 3`s caching technology allows Web Lessons to help teachers and students quickly access information on the Internet, thus making the most of time spent online and ultimately increasing the productivity of both teacher and student. Selected Web pages are stored on the local server where students can access them instantly, even if the site server goes down. Schools with less bandwidth will also benefit because BorderManager`s caching capabilities provide speedy access without additional lines or bandwidth.
By integrating the wealth of resources on the Internet into their curriculum, teachers create a richer learning environment and enhance their students` educational experience.
For more information, visit http://www.novell.com/weblessons or phone Novell toll-free 0800 23 24 25.
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