Learning in the Cloud: SaaS and AWS EdTech Partners

With in-person classes being disrupted around the world, schools are under pressure to provide a high-quality virtual-learning experience. But many institutions are grappling with one-off tools that are hard to scale and often incompatible with other systems.

For schools looking to the cloud to solve these problems, leveraging software as a solution (SaaS) from AWS EdTech partners is an intuitive solution. Read below to explore the offerings that can increase institutional efficiency, safety, and student success.

Boosting Efficiency with ERP/SIS

Many schools prioritized student-facing software in the race to virtual and hybrid schooling. However, cloud-based enterprise resource management (ERP) and student information systems (SIS) programs can improve efficiency on the administrative level and free up time and money to support student success. ERP/SIS software simplifies and centralizes administrative processes like payroll, finances, human resources, workflow management, admissions, financial aid, and more. Features like simplified report configuring, data analytics to predict future hiring needs, document management for students and staff, and revenue tracking and forecasting all support day-to-day operations and future planning. Centralizing these systems allows them to sync with one another and easily scale.

For schools with staff members who are working from home for the first time, these flexible cloud-based systems are essential. Because these services live in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud, they easily flex from onsite to work-from-home based on ongoing health and safety needs. If you host your current ERP/SIS onsite, you should consider connecting with your solution provider to explore scalable, reliable options in the cloud.

Leveraging SaaS for Student Success

In today's hybrid and virtual classrooms, learning management systems (LMS) are key players in the fight to mitigate COVID-19 learning loss and support students and teachers as they adapt to the new normal. Over the past year, many instructors have leveraged ad hoc tools for collaborating, submitting work, and delivering video content. As these tools start to add up, though, it becomes very confusing for students and teachers to remember which apps, logins, and links match which classes. Easy-to-use LMS platforms pull all of these resources into a single place. Suddenly, students and teachers can find all of the tools they need—classroom pages, links, assignments, grades, and communication tools—in an intuitive platform with a single login from virtually any device.

Though many school systems used LMS programs before the coronavirus pandemic, these programs have now become a critical means of communication between students, teachers, and parents. As such, choosing the right LMS is essential. AWS EdTech Partners help schools implement and manage some of the most popular LMS solutions on the market, harnessing online learning innovation to improve student outcomes and integrate with mobile technology so students can learn effectively at home.

Prioritizing Student Safety during COVID-19 and Beyond

AWS EdTech Partners use SaaS to address three key modalities for school safety: data-based decision-making, emergency response, and day-to-day security concerns. If your institution does not have solutions that check these important boxes, AWS EdTech Partners can help make sure you're covered.

Decision-Making

When it comes to decision-making, AWS EdTech Partners provide intuitive data analytics platforms to support teachers and administrators. Which kids are tuning out during virtual classes or not attending at all? Who is falling behind? These programs measure student engagement—a top priority during this shift to virtual schooling.

Emergency Response Systems

Help teachers stay connected in times of crisis and streamline safety-response technology. This is valuable for ongoing safety protocols like lockdown procedures, natural disaster preparedness, and active-shooter drills, in addition to coronavirus/pandemic response. Some EdTech Partners even offer technology to help schools efficiently filter out students and staff members who should not enter class buildings during the pandemic due to COVID-19 risk and exposure.

Day-to-Day Security

Other SaaS offerings include classroom communication and content filtering applications that help teachers manage their students' mobile device usage to make sure that students aren't consuming dangerous or inappropriate content.

Many Modalities, One Goal

AWS EdTech Partners offer a wide variety of SaaS solutions to support schools during this period of change. From streamlining administrative processes to improving emergency response systems, these services provide ongoing flexibility, scalability, and technical support so educators and administrators can spend less time putting out fires and more time focusing on student success.

Learn more about how AWS EdTech Competency Partners can help you adapt and stay safe now and into the future.

Annie Chechitelli is Leader, US Education Business Development, at Amazon Web Services.