Q1: What functionality does SchoolWeb Provide the user?
* Personal and public storage space for all users
* E-mail account
* Personal intranet web page
* Proxy/cache server for high-speed web page access.
* Librarian, a search engine for finding information in the cached web content.
* Intranet and Internet server, for a school's internal and external web sites.
* URL filtering to prevent user access to undesirable web content.
* Automatic on-line backup - a complete backup of all files is automatically performed each night.
* Redundant storage system -if the primary disk is lost, operations can immediately resume on the backup system without loss of time and work.
Q2: What is cache?
Cache is storage. Very fast access to web pages can be achieved by caching content to the school's server.
Q3: What are the caching types?
There are two types of caching - dynamic and policy.
Q4: What are the differences between dynamic & policy caching?
Dynamic caching automatically stores web pages to the server when they are accessed on the Internet. Policy caching allows pre-determined web sites and pages to be stored, catalogued, and regularly updated for a user-defined time period.
Q5: What are the advantages of policy caching?
* Whole websites can be stored via one request
* Cached pages are catalogued and searchable
* All pages are refreshed regularly
* The content is updated for as long as the requester specifies
Q6: How is information cached?
Whenever a web page is accessed from a networked computer, it will automatically be cached (this is dynamic caching). If a teacher wishes content to be cached and indexed for permanent or semi-permanent use, then she/he would use policy caching. To policy cache, web pages or sites are requested through the SchoolWeb interface at http://uvic.advancedinteractive.com/ These web pages are then downloaded to the school's server overnight.
Q7: Who can cache?
All users of the local network can dynamically cache content. Only teachers, librarians and principals can policy cache. There is a login procedure provided at the Ordering Site - http://uvic.advancedinteractive.com site for this function.
Q8: What is Librarian?
The Librarian is a search engine provided on the SchoolWeb server to allow searching on the cached content.
Q9: Do you have to cache every page of a site?
No. Dynamic caching only caches the pages that you look at, but you can cache a whole site via policy caching, i.e. through the "order a site" interface on http://uvic.advancedinteractive.com.
When you are ordering the site, you can specify how many pages 'deep' you wish to have cached (recursion level).
Q10: How do we share files with the kids?
The SchoolWeb system provides a number of methods for this to be achieved - via the intranet, via a public folder, or via the external website. Your school administrator will decide how best to set this up.
Q11: How do you know if a site has already been cached?
The easiest way is to logon to the Ordering Site http://uvic.advancedinteractive.com and look at Requested Sites and then click "Details"
Q12: Can I post a site from home or do I need to be on the school network to
order a site?
You can order a site from home providing you logon to http://uvic.advancedinteractive.com and have the school username and password.
Q13: Can I search a site in the School Librarian from home or do I need to be on the network to search?
Yes you can search from home. Normally you would go to your School's website and click on a button that says SchoolWeb Librarian; this page is open for anybody to search.
Q14: How long does it take for a site to be cached?
This depends on the size of the site and how many other requests the main server is processing; it is best to allow 24 hours. Caching takes place overnight.
Q15: How long does it take for a site to be searchable?
This depends on the size of the site and how many other requests the main server is processing; it is best to allow 24 hours. Indexing of the sites for searching purposes is a separate process and always takes place after the daily download into the cache.
Q16: With my username and password, can I see what the other schools have cached in a designated group of SchoolWeb installed schools, or do I only have access to the sites my school's posts?
Yes each school in a designated or designed cluster can see each other's cache (it may be called a common cache). The benefit is that one persons cached site can be shared by others.
Q17: Can the Description of the cached site be changed?
No, because the Description is generated by the Head End server as it scans the site; however Grades, Notes, Dewey classification and Type can be modified.
Q18: What kind of files can be indexed by the Head End Server?
Only files with these extensions - \.html|\.htm|\.shtml|\.txt|\.rtf|\.ps|\.text|\.tex. are currently indexed. Files with extension .asp will be cached on the next upgrade of the Search Engine software.
Q19: What are the other companies partnered with the SchoolWeb system
* HP-Compaq - Equipment Provider
* WorldSpace - Satellite connectivity to Africa Europe and Asia
* InfoSat - Satellite connectivity to North America
* Commonwealth of Learning - Strategic alliance
* Global e-Text - Text-to-speech features for learning-disabled students
Q20: Where have you installed SchoolWeb?
SchoolWeb is installed in more than 80 schools in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Switzerland and Kenya.
Q21: What was the role of CANARIE in the development of SchoolWeb?
CANARIE sponsored the initial test installations in British Columbia.
Q22: What is the difference between SchoolWeb and SchoolNet that is run by Industry Canada?
These are two different projects. SchoolNet belongs to Industry Canada. SchoolNet's original mandate was to work in partnership with the provincial and territorial governments, the educational community and the private sector to connect Canadian schools and libraries to the Internet by March 31, 1999.
Q23: Can teachers and students conduct collaboration projects?
Yes.
Q24: Can students take distance education courses using the SchoolWeb system?
Yes, but we do not provide content. Some school districts are offering them. However, we are constantly upgrading our product offering, and we shall be adding content as this product matures. Content offerings may be based on a pay-as-you-use basis or other suitable sales models as offered by our content partners.
Q25: Could organizations and teachers that are developing content partner with you since you have the "gateway" to schools in other regions?
Yes, we welcome such partners. Our model is based on a revenue-share model. You can contact us by sending an email to info@advancedinteractive.com.
Q26: Some students require special attention e.g. learning English as a second language. Can SchoolWeb help in this area?
Our partner Global e-Text provides software for the learning disabled that can be loaded on the client machine. Students can therefore point at any text, and the content would be read to the student. At the same time the word read would be magnified. This helps those that have sight impairment. As well this help those that wish to learn languages. At a later date we shall be offering ESL courses through the SchoolWeb distribution channel.
Q27: Can students play video games or listen to MP3?
Yes, as long as the client machine has a sound card and speakers. We do not supply this content, nor are we responsible for any installation, policing and maintenance of video games. We may, however, at a later date provide such content, but right now we do not.
