IT HELP DESK
PROPOSAL FOR VIDEO CONFERENCING
For Career Center Interview Rooms
OVERVIEW
    The FSU Career Center’s IT Help Desk is pleased to submit this proposal for services to support the FSU Career Center in their request to provide video conferencing services to Masters and Doctoral level student candidates. These candidates are conducting counseling sessions and the video needs to be stored in a HIPAA certified manner as well as be accessible to the students, the instructors, and evaluators. They need the simplest and easiest manner for the students to interact with the software so as not to be intrusive to the patients during the counseling sessions. The Career Center’s IT Help Desk believes it has found a preferred solution to the request and submits the following proposal to management for their review of the proposed software and equipment. 

The Objective

•    Need #1: Update Career Center video conferencing software.
•    Need #2: Replace computer equipment with appropriate new equipment.
•    Need #3: Ease of use by instructors, students and evaluators.

The Opportunity

•    Goal #1: Install all software and computer-related hardware by the time Summer 2020 semester starts.
•    Goal #2: Train all potential administrators and instructors on software before the start of the Summer 2020 semester.

 

The Solution

Recommendation: The IT Help Desk proposes the use of an online software service called GoReact. This software provides a clean, easy to use interface for both the instructor, student, and evaluators. 
•    GoReact provides several tools that we think will be useful for instructors working with the students to improve their interviewing skills. 
•    GoReact also has little in the way of technical needs for both the end-users and the IT aspect-end of the service. 
•    GoReact has an active and healthy Help Desk of their own that can be utilized by not only administrators but instructors and students. 
•    They provide plenty of documentation that is easy to follow and be up and running quickly and efficiently. 

 

Rationale

•    GoReact is a web-based software. There is nothing to install or maintain.
•    GoReact just works. There is little in the way of configuring to be up and running quickly. 
•    Videos allow for time-stamped comments by instructors that students can go back and read at a later time. 
•    Easy to create a program administrator who then adds users without the IT Help Desk having to know anything about the individual’s classes, all students are added by the instructors at the beginning of the semester.
•    GoReact requires a computer and a camera. There is no need for additional hardware or software to be installed, just a web browser and a camera. 
•    If need be, GoReact can be interfaced with Canvas in a couple of ways. The best way would be as a stand-alone service though, with invitations for each student.
•    The College of Education is already going this route of using GoReact and been happy with what they provide. We can piggy-back off their account and get a discounted rate. Instructors and Admin are free to use, students cost $39.99 each per semester. 
•    Also, GoReact is fully HIPAA compliant from the start. There is no need to configure anything. Videos are stored by HIPPA rules and regulations via a web-based cloud service. At the end of each semester, the choice to delete all recorded videos is available. 

 

Execution Strategy
Our execution plan includes using course administrators to manage courses, instructors to manage students and students to manage their interviews. We believe that this simple structure is key to minimizing disruption to the interviewing process. We will incorporate a laptop and OWL camera into each room that the student would log into their respective account and simply start recording counseling sessions just as they would with a school media account. An administrator can log in from anywhere and have the ability to create individual courses for instructors at the beginning of the semester, and then the instructors will invite each student and evaluator to their class. How this is to be set up will need to be further discussed and planned with the course administrators and instructors so that everyone is on the same page. Evaluators would be able to log into any account that they have been invited to evaluate and students will be able to log back into their account and see the feedback left for them. 

 

Technical/Project Approach
We plan on using Lenovo laptop/tablet hybrids mounted in the room with an OWL camera plugged in via USB. The videos are recorded via the web to a HIPPA compliant server from GoReact that can be deleted as required at the end of the semester. An IT Help Desk administrator will be assigned to be able to get in touch with GoReact but would have no part once set up in creating courses and no access to student's videos. A course administrator will set up courses inviting instructors to their courses and those instructors will invite individual students to their respective classes. GoReact offers online video training that they recommend each participant watch before using the product. There are videos for administrators, instructors, and students. 

 

Resources
We will be using the same rooms previously in place from the last conferencing system. In place of the complicated hardware and software set up will be a simple laptop, secured to a wall or desk, and an OWL camera. Nothing else is needed for deployment of GoReact. 

 

Timeline for Execution
We will plan on this new system in place and ready for instructors to invite students by the beginning of the Summer 2020 semester. Due to the current situation though, it may be the summer before it is physically in place, but we can be set up with GoReact before the end of the Spring semester. 

 

Supplied Material
The following materials are needed to complete the project on time. The due dates are the best guess due to circumstances and subject to change:
Materials to be supplied by Client’s Company
Due Date*
Lenovo laptop (already in possession of)    
OWL cameras     End of Spring 2020
Wall or desktop laptop security stands or mounts    End of Spring 2020

EXPECTED RESULTS
We expect our proposed solution to the Career Centers request will be:

 

Financial Benefits
•    Result #1: The Career Center will only be paying for what it needs at a given time. The ability to expand is based only on budget
•    Result #2: Software is free of charge and always up to date from GoReact        
•    Result #3: Laptops are relatively cheap without the need for many of the current components used in the recording room. 

 

Technical Benefits
•    Result #1: Students log in and their videos are automatically kept in their folders.
•    Result #2: Administrators and evaluators can log in and leave timestamped comments on videos.
•    Result #3: Nothing for IT to maintain and keep track of as GoReact handles everything.

 

PRICING
The following table describes pricing details. This is subject to change depending on final numbers of licenses, number of cameras, and which laptop wall mount we go with. 
Services Cost Category #1
Price
Laptops    Already own
OWL cameras (4, one per room @ $799 each    $3196 +taxes

Secure Laptop Stands (4, one for each laptop @ $100 each)    $400  approx.
Each student cost; $39.99 @ 60 students for a year    $2399.40 quoted from GoReact
Total Services 
$5995.00
    

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we suggest that GoReact will provide an answer to the Career Center’s needs and requests. While not all requests were possible, such as automatic filming, or use of Outlook to auto-schedule meetings, we feel that what GoReact does offer is a competent, easy to use package that all administrators, instructors, and most importantly, students will find easy to use. Tasks are broken up into easy to digest pieces that each person responsible at the particular level of use can comprehend. Files are securely stored via HIPAA compliance. Instructors can easily see what their students are accomplishing and comment on videos in a manner that is easy to comprehend with their timestamp feature. There is little to no need for IT to be involved in moving files around, as they are kept in each student’s folders respectively. All videos are dated at the time of recording making them easy to find at later dates when necessary. 
Compared to other products we looked at, this is the most useful, feature-filled solution with the least amount of hassle and compromises. While no solution is perfect when it comes to a prepackaged deal, we feel that GoReact offers the best deal out there for the what is needed. They have multiple tools for instructors, a simple interface for students, and little for IT to get in the way of the Career Center accomplishing its goals of recording students in their quest to improve their counseling skills. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Andrew Pannelli
Career Center Intern
Career Center IT Help Desk