Windows Server 2003: Designing an Advanced Computer Mathematics Classroom - Research Proposal Example

Your name Instructor’s name Course 31 March 2011 Windows Server 2003: Designing an Advanced Computer mathematics Classroom Introduction Over the year, it has been established there are crucial requirements needed in the endeavor to the achievement of education goals. Generally, the achievement of educational goals for students comes through the integration of a number of factors including usage of the resources available, personality character among others. In the recent year, much of the documented published work has shown most institutions have failed in delivering of their services to attain or rather achieve their set academic and educational goals. The implication of this is that there have been loopholes disconnecting links of the students with their resources. This disconnection might be in terms of human resource as well as other materials resources needed to facilitate learning and educational activities within the institutions/departments. Though the educational problems are numerous, sometime their effects are generally felt across all the institution’s units, hence being described as diffused, but at other incidences, certain in learning and educational hindrances are less diffused, meaning the problem is localized/centralized affecting a particular institution’s department, and to some extreme extends affecting a specific subject (Gunderloy, 17) Although there are numerous factors that contribute towards attaining educational excellence, much of contribution should be owed class management plan. The management of a class counts a lot in the provision and delivery of right content and services. However, without the right plan in place, it ultimately leads to confounding learning environment that derails the efforts put towards achieving of educational goals by the students and the entire learning institution body. It emerges that poor classroom managements is a strategic only adoptable and treaded by those destined to failure. The course to failure or poor performances at the end could be altered to become a course of success and academic excellence through the implementation of appropriate strategy for classroom management and improved environment. Thesis statement Many students whose educational and career goals had been anchored in the subject of mathematics and their closely related courses such computer mathematical work had ended up in ruin or wasted because of poor management of the students in class. Though many of the students in other departments enjoy the services of the new computer technology services in their learning, students taking the computer mathematics course still face numerous difficulties as they go through the course to completion. This has been an alarming matter considering that the computer mathematics department has been the fountain for many programs which have helped other departments to shift from the traditional classroom management and its environmental changes. In this view, it has come a time for action to be taken and shift from such unyielding practices of poor computer mathematics performances through the integration of the gained knowledge and experience in the use of computer technology and information transfer (Gunderloy, 54). Aim: To explore and provide a clear explanation of the use windows serve 2003 in the implementation of a strategic classroom management plan for the purpose of achieving learning and educational excellence within the computer mathematics class. Requirements Several things are required in the implementation of a strategic plan to enhance an improved class management and its environments. The requirements comprises of physical parts like computer hardware, printing equipments and their accessories, software bearers including floppy disks, flask disks and memory cards. In addition there is also need of the non-physical requirement in form of skills and knowledge which would be provided in form of labor for the restructuring of the class and installation of the new systems (Technology Brief, 3). The invisible parts of the project requirement further incorporates the software either already installed in the computer in the class such as the operating system software, and also those software borne in other external physical materials. Important software for this project is those supportive for use in browsing through internet as the overall results would be based in the ability of the user to connect and communicate with one another for greater efficient and effectiveness in the learning process. Why use windows server 2003 Windows server 2003 was chosen among the many programs that are available in the market due to a number of advantages. Being among the recently developed programs, it takes the advantage of compatibility with most of the other programs that are being used in the computer system. Following such, it may be said that the program is commonly and widely applicable in the developing and improvement of systems. The choice of the program in this project provides a considerable number of benefits in term of costs and expenses that the department may have to incur to make the class improvements. On the focus of this program, it is an advantage over the others in the sense that it allows the upgrading of the previously developed programs. Compatibility and commonness of the program therefore has special attachment in the reduction of labor as people with basic knowledge and experience in program installations will be able to make use of it in the implementation of project. Factor Considerations During the exploration of the deployment of windows server 2003 for this project, considerations were made on certain factors to avoid proposing or implementation of the wrong program. From such a standpoint, the program had to be implemented in a way that it would be user-friendly. This means that it simple one, while at the same time meets the users requirements and needs. Thus, the first factor to be considered was ease of use. Although most people are becoming familiar with the use of most of modern technologies available, the ease of use factor was a crucial one even when being applied in a unit dealing with matters of the technology advancements. The view for this matter was that even if the users, both instructors and students were having the basic knowledge of the neo technologies, they hadn’t been introduced to this kind of technology in the profession they were go through or anticipated to achieve as student. Having in mind that the project was made to promote class management and improve the overall learning environment of the students in the computer mathematics class, we believed that working on a complex system would kill the spirit of adopting the program, hence taking every effort to reduce every sign of complexity in the project. This fact is mainly reflected by the choice of using windows server 2003, which integrate major part of the past experiences in its installation and implementation processes. Cost and expenditure is the second factor that was considered. The initial cost or expenditure has been cited as one of the factors making individuals get worried or organization management team stranded on the implementation of their plans. The awareness of this would make everyone to consider it in every project that one intends to implement regardless of its magnitude. However, looking at the financial demands of the projects within the class situation, it was clear to everyone that the project would not posed unaffordable financial demands. The analysis showed that most of the requirements that were of financial threats due to their high costs were already in place, and a few of the requirements that were going to cost the implementation team. The computer hardware and a major proportions of the software were early on been made available through the first purchase for the installation in the computers that were being used in the class. Most of these were in the store in form of software back storage systems. The only major purchase would be made in the acquisition of browsing software to be used with the windows server 2003 in the systems. Procedure The plan for increased improvement on the classroom management is approached in two broad ways. Using the new technology of windows server 2003, it’s made possible to have increased interactivity and engagement of the instructor with the students by physical and virtual approaches. Virtual approach In the first part of the projects, it involved the setting the computer systems in the right conditions for use. At this level, the computer software were systematically installed in the hardware beginning with operating system software, which happens just after performing the proper formatting of some of the hardware, drive disks in particular. The Microsoft operating systems are upgraded using the windows server 2003, which allows the performance of several other activity of connectivity of the computer with the neighboring other computers (Mike, 2). The installation of the browsing software is then accomplished with insertion of certain specification and commands that allows computer user to connect and communicate other user within the same locale and also those at distant areas. The procedure adopted demands that in the connection of the computers, the application of coding which determines the identification of the users being served, or from the main server, i.e. proxefence serve. What that implies is that anybody within the network is able to when another user in any part of the room is available. The virtual way takes dual dimensions, where users gain access materials from the local network and more so from the broader material resources. This is achieved through use of local area network (LAN) wide area network (WAN) respectively. The fact remains users are exposed to explosion of information resources that in one way or another might be relevant to the subject being taught. Proper functionality of the LAN and WAN systems depends on the control measures such that no individual users denied access of relevant learning materials (Gary, 7). Physical approach Instrument and equipment arrangements The physical approach entails some sense of virtual elements, which means the approaches are somewhat integrated, or rather they inseparable. During the installation and giving of certain networking commands, it was important to select the connectivity arrangement of the computers. Certainly, star topology of the computer network was selected. This is type of computer networking in which each of the computers is directly connected to the server, and it’s viewed as advantageous over the loop topology. In the first place, individual clients are not adversely affected by collapsing or changes in closing of any of their neighbors’ systems, thus, it physical discourages the bad effects and malicious intentions purported by the neighboring users against them. Furthermore, obscurity is also another major challenge that limits the communication between individuals. Similarly, obscurity may be as result of distance or barriers obstructing communication between nearby individuals (Gary, 3). In a premise like classroom, great involvement in any given event/activities would be discouraged and to extreme extend be thwart with the introduction of barring materials. The computers and their associated accessories such as printer would act as barriers to user engagement in certain occasions. As per the current project considerations, these objects and other itemized materials included were suggested to be kept under special ways. It was conceded that the above mentioned physical barriers should be housed lowly in compartmentalized shelves rather than being conservative of the traditional culture which let such materials to rest on top of the desk. Physical Sitting Arrangement While considering the need for increased classroom management, the idea of sitting arrangement was kept high among those factors which would mitigate such a challenging issue. The setting of the computer hardware and the associated accessories were not just thought to be placed arbitrary, however, it involved the use logic to establish the way they should placed. The columnar arrangement used for the computers acted as guidance for sitting arrangement of parties in the room (Mike, 4).The reason behind the adoption of this type of arrangement was similar to that led to placement of the computer hardware at low level degree. For mainly reason for that purpose was sight. Other important feature included in the projects procedure was the spacing between columns of computer work surfaces. Unlike the traditional way of arrangement, the new arrangement was thought such that there were adequate passages between consecutive columns for users of the move freely without being obstructed. A projector was also provided for projecting presentations on the four white wall surfaces of the premise, which eliminated the use blackboard by substituting them with the whiteboards. Discussion The installation of the windows server 2003 in the computer systems permits users to get connected and communicate through it at without necessarily having to move from one point to another. This saves time and energy of the users which can be utilized to achieve more beneficial things like searching for more reading materials. Through its ability to support other software particularly those used in connection and browsing work, it virtually breaks the physical barriers hindering the connections between individuals, and subsequently lessening the effects of individual engagement in certain constructive work. Looking at the described program in the deployment of using windows server 20003, one understands that it bring many changes which allows the management of numerous things in a new effective way. For instance, in class situation, it eliminates the time limits of the availability of learning materials by allowing instructors/tutors to make them available at a central place to all the class students to access. Whether there is enough time for the instructor to avail physical in class or not, instructors are relieved of such stresses, and the students are not left to squander their time idol or in ruining activities. As by installing the widows server 2003 in the computer systems bring changes in the ordering of the sitting arrangement, it thus permits greater interactions between instructors and students. This is accomplished by giving enough room to instructors to roam around the class, assessing progress of activities and assignments being done by the students. Similarly, the large spaces left are important in that they allow enough movement of the students when requested to participate in a given tasks within the class, may it be presentation and demonstration of certain mathematical work using the projectors to other students or projecting their own queries to the instructor and the entire fellow students. Conclusion Windows server 2003 is software that has the ability to bring a change in the learning systems. It does so through indirect application in the computer systems. In a class situation, windows server 2003 influences the learning process of the students by mitigating the way of classroom management. The improved way of class management is accomplished through increased duration which the instruction would spend with the students physically and virtually using both the local area network and the wide area network to handle the issues and matter of the students singly or as group. Works cited Gunderloy, M. Absolute beginner’s guides to Microsoft access 2002. Indianapolis, Que Publishing, 2003. Mike, M. Designing a computer classroom. Saint Louis University, Technology Brief. Network installs, Apple computer inc., 2003 Gary, W., Installing windows server 2003 as Domain controller, Microsoft TechNet, 2004 Read More