N4L launches MyN4L, aiding NZ schools in online management

Network for Learning (N4L) has commenced the rollout of its new self-service platform, MyN4L, across schools and kura in Aotearoa New Zealand.

MyN4L, developed in collaboration with educators, aims to provide greater oversight of schools' online environments and make it easier to engage with N4L products and services. The platform's initial release features control over six key areas: Guest Access, Network Monitoring, Web Filtering, Email Protection, Device Registration, and Online Activity. Future updates promise additional tools to meet the evolving needs of school principals, teachers, and IT providers.

MyN4L allows schools to access information and self-manage network activity. It also enables school staff and external IT providers to have varying levels of access based on their roles and requirements. One of the first schools to be onboarded is Te Maire St Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Canterbury. Principal Jo Earl expressed satisfaction with the new system, highlighting its user-friendly interface.

"The MyN4L interface is really easy to use; it's simple," said Earl. "I would definitely encourage other schools to take up MyN4L, as you get more control over what's happening."

At St Francis, the school utilised the Guest Access tool to manage Wi-Fi access for visitors, a process that Principal Earl asserts has now become easier and safer. "In the past, we'd handed out our Wi-Fi credentials to anyone who needed them, and we had no control. Now, we're able to create unique Wi-Fi keys for our guests to use the school internet. We can also manage the duration of access and multiple devices for each guest," she explained.

Michael Walding, a System Engineer at Fusion Networks, manages a team assisting 16 schools across Christchurch, including St Francis. He said MyN4L has made troubleshooting network issues more straightforward.

"It's really straightforward," noted Walding. "For example, if a network or Wi-Fi access point is offline, the school can check those details, call us, and we can see the same information they're seeing. This saves us time and enables us to take action and quickly fix the problem."

He added that the platform's ability to switch between different schools using a dropdown menu has simplified training and operations. "Information about each school appears in the same format every time, so when I'm training new team members, that's much easier than training people for multiple different sites," Walding remarked.

N4L has announced that the MyN4L rollout will continue throughout the coming year, aiming to provide as many schools as possible with access. The platform is free for all state and state-integrated schools.

N4L CEO, Larrie Moore, said, "Initial feedback from school principals confirms that MyN4L is saving time and enhancing the management of schools' online environments. We're thrilled to have embarked on this journey and are committed to evolving the service with the continued support and collaboration of school principals and teachers."