Impero

Company Overview

Impero started life in 2002, with a single software solution designed to address network and digital classroom management in the education sector. As demand increased so did the business and, having outgrown several premises along the way, they arrived at their current Loughborough-based head office. Situated in the heart of the UK, all Impero’ s technical development, support functions and commercial operations take place in-house.

Classroom management

The digital classroom, online learning environment, ICT suite, learning lab, whatever you want to call it, can you manage it? The fast growth of digital learning has turned the traditional classroom upside down and, as education establishments try to keep up in the way they support this environment, it’s important that a classroom management solution has been carefully considered.

So as the traditional classroom walls are broken down, and lessons become increasingly accessible from a range of technologies, how can you ensure you keep a control of the classroom?

Impero Classroom Manager is a suite of classroom management features, designed to enable the effective control of every pc, mac, laptop (we will come to iPad later) and individual user on a network, safely. The creation of multiple network ‘groups’, using any specified criteria, gives teachers real-time visibility of classroom activity in one central view.

The well-designed and easy-to-use interface, with single click buttons, places classroom control firmly into the hands of teachers, giving them the power to remove the distractions associated with computer-based learning and focus attention on the task at hand. That’s why Impero Classroom Manager digital classroom management software is the first choice for so many schools and places of education, both in the UK and around the world.

Key features include:

e-safety

Are you doing all you can to keep your students safe online?

As schools embrace the opportunities afforded by online learning and students, born into a technical world, become increasingly confident in front of a computer and navigating tablets, the issue of e-safety in schools has never been more critical.

Viewing unsuitable content, giving out personal information, accessing indecent images, cyberbullying, grooming, identity theft – this list goes on, and we’ve all heard the horror stories. Technology use and e-safety go hand in hand, and Ofsted’s ‘Inspecting e-safety in schools’ (Jan 2014) report highlights the vital importance of preparing and supporting both staff and students to use digital resources responsibly.

Impero Classroom Manager digital classroom management software is designed to protect students from the risks of online working, while promoting responsible behaviour that will transfer beyond the school’s network. With a focus on monitoring, as opposed to simply blocking, Impero Classroom Manager prompts students to make good decisions online.

With key word detection and the use of blocks and filters, localised concerns can be scanned for and acceptable boundaries can be imposed. Real-time alerts and close monitoring will highlight violations, usually proving enough of a deterrent to prevent these instances occurring in the first place.

Another feature of the system, and important tick in an Ofsted box, is the Confide button. This allows students to anonymously report concerns, regarding either themselves or other students.

• block and allow functionality
• pre-populated and bespoke keyword detection
• violation capture and reporting
• violation viewer
• advanced policy engine
• Impero Confide engine to report incidents anonymously
• force Google safe search and YouTube Edu redirect

Impero’s real-time computer monitoring software now available on iPads

In October 2014, Impero announced they are leading the way in education with the release of their new iPad functionality. Thanks to a technological breakthrough, teachers are now able to remotely view iPad screens in real-time using our computer monitoring software; a first in the education world.

As tablets become increasingly commonplace in the education sector as a great supplementary learning device, it’s vital that young people are kept safe when navigating the web using these devices. Impero are constantly innovating to ensure that their software stands the test of time. They recognised the rise of the tablet in education and the need to keep students safe when using iPads to aid learning, and that’s why they have stepped up the functionality of their computer monitoring software on iPads.

Jonathan Valentine, our CEO and founder, comments: “There’s no doubt that the tablet is a fantastic learning resource – iPads now play an essential role in wider educational initiatives such as developing basic maths skills.

“But they also give students easier access to the internet and therefore the dangers associated with it. Prior to this technological breakthrough, schools had no way to guarantee the online safety of their students because it was not possible to monitor the use of iPads in the classroom. Without this ability, children are at a much greater risk of incidents of cyberbullying and can easily access inappropriate websites. This breakthrough will keep students safe online as that is our main priority.”

In addition to real-time monitoring of iPads, using the computer monitoring software, teachers can broadcast their screen to the class and students can share their iPad screens with their peers. With access to a live thumbnail view of all iPad screens, teachers can closely monitor their students’ activity in real-time to ensure they’re not accessing inappropriate or harmful content before it’s too late. Teachers can also ssend messages, end exams and open websites across a group of iPads, helping to break through the traditional boundaries associated with the digital classroom and bring learning to life. There’s also a clever list of all applications running, so even if your students don’t have it open on the screen, they can’t hide a thing!