IBM Case Studies IBM Connections software helps teachers improve instruction and enhance professional development

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	IBM Connections software helps teachers improve instruction and enhance professional development IBM

IBM Connections software helps teachers improve instruction and enhance professional development

IBM

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Applicable Industries	Education
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Human Resources
Use Cases	Remote Collaboration
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is the largest school system in Georgia, serving over 175,000 students across 136 schools. As part of its digital Content, Learning, Assessment and Support System (eCLASS) program, GCPS wanted to help teachers and school leaders collaborate more effectively on ways to improve curriculum and sharpen instructional skills. However, collaboration was limited to meetings, working sessions, and formal, in-person, professional development. To share information and ideas outside of meetings, teachers, administrators and support staff relied heavily on email and shared drives. As their inboxes and drives grew unwieldy, some teachers and leaders began using commercial social applications for professional online collaboration. Read More
About Customer	Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is located in the metro Atlanta area and is the largest school system in Georgia. The district continues to grow and its approximately 20,000 employees serve more than 175,000 students in 136 schools spread over 432 square miles. GCPS is transforming teaching and learning through a multiyear digital Content, Learning, Assessment and Support System (eCLASS) program. The electronic Gradebook program was an early success, allowing teachers to easily manage student grades and attendance records. GCPS leadership sought a collaboration solution to help teachers accelerate their professional development and make it easier to share ideas and resources aimed at improving curriculum and instruction. Read More
Solution	GCPS worked with IBM to deploy a “Collaboration tool” based on IBM Connections software. The IBM team created a “day in the life” demonstration showing how a science teacher could use IBM Connections social business software to participate in online discussion forums, track activities as part of a collaborative team, find and share resources, and connect with other educators through online communities. The district’s leadership agreed that Connections software had the depth and flexibility required and could be instrumental in supporting implementation of other eCLASS applications. The GCPS and IBM team deployed the Connections application to a pilot group of 30 schools before making it available district-wide. The team integrated it with the employee portal to streamline teacher access to online communities, forums, activities, and files and to facilitate seamless linkage of collaboration features with new eCLASS technology components as they became available. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Human Resources

Use Cases

Remote Collaboration

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is the largest school system in Georgia, serving over 175,000 students across 136 schools. As part of its digital Content, Learning, Assessment and Support System (eCLASS) program, GCPS wanted to help teachers and school leaders collaborate more effectively on ways to improve curriculum and sharpen instructional skills. However, collaboration was limited to meetings, working sessions, and formal, in-person, professional development. To share information and ideas outside of meetings, teachers, administrators and support staff relied heavily on email and shared drives. As their inboxes and drives grew unwieldy, some teachers and leaders began using commercial social applications for professional online collaboration.

About Customer

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is located in the metro Atlanta area and is the largest school system in Georgia. The district continues to grow and its approximately 20,000 employees serve more than 175,000 students in 136 schools spread over 432 square miles. GCPS is transforming teaching and learning through a multiyear digital Content, Learning, Assessment and Support System (eCLASS) program. The electronic Gradebook program was an early success, allowing teachers to easily manage student grades and attendance records. GCPS leadership sought a collaboration solution to help teachers accelerate their professional development and make it easier to share ideas and resources aimed at improving curriculum and instruction.

Solution

GCPS worked with IBM to deploy a “Collaboration tool” based on IBM Connections software. The IBM team created a “day in the life” demonstration showing how a science teacher could use IBM Connections social business software to participate in online discussion forums, track activities as part of a collaborative team, find and share resources, and connect with other educators through online communities. The district’s leadership agreed that Connections software had the depth and flexibility required and could be instrumental in supporting implementation of other eCLASS applications. The GCPS and IBM team deployed the Connections application to a pilot group of 30 schools before making it available district-wide. The team integrated it with the employee portal to streamline teacher access to online communities, forums, activities, and files and to facilitate seamless linkage of collaboration features with new eCLASS technology components as they became available.

Impact #1	GCPS now uses the Collaboration tool to coordinate formal staff summer training.
Impact #2	The eCLASS online communities provide an opportunity for new and veteran instructors to collaborate and share information with ease.
Impact #3	The district is using the Collaboration tool to keep in-service staff development sessions relevant during the school year.

Impact #1

GCPS now uses the Collaboration tool to coordinate formal staff summer training.

Impact #2

The eCLASS online communities provide an opportunity for new and veteran instructors to collaborate and share information with ease.

Impact #3

The district is using the Collaboration tool to keep in-service staff development sessions relevant during the school year.

Benefit #1	Within a year of solution deployment, the number of unique communities has grown to more than 2,000.
Benefit #2	Nearly all of the district’s 12,000 teachers and administrators have access to the Collaboration tool and communities specific to their roles.
Benefit #3	Among instructional staff members surveyed in one recent small field test, almost 90 percent read or posted to forums in the Collaboration tool monthly and 25 percent shared files at least once a week.

Benefit #1

Within a year of solution deployment, the number of unique communities has grown to more than 2,000.

Benefit #2

Nearly all of the district’s 12,000 teachers and administrators have access to the Collaboration tool and communities specific to their roles.

Benefit #3

Among instructional staff members surveyed in one recent small field test, almost 90 percent read or posted to forums in the Collaboration tool monthly and 25 percent shared files at least once a week.

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Overview

IBM Connections software helps teachers improve instruction and enhance professional development

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit