ScreenWatch is installed on the instructor station in the SILS Computer Classroom (Manning 117). The software empowers instructors with flexible control over the rest of the computers in the room, including the ability to project from any computer, to blank or freeze the screens of multiple or individual computers, and more.

Scenarios where ScreenWatch might benefit instructors:

Launch ScreenWatch by double-clicking the icon on the desktop.

This is the main interface:

The leftmost column has "Actions" that affect all computers in the lab. The middle screen is for controlling computers individually. The rows of computers (ILS-PC##) are displayed so that they exactly match the physical location of the computers in the lab.

 

Buttons for controlling actions for all computers are on the left-hand side of the screen, under "Actions":

Clear

Restores computers to their natural state, and cancels the "Freeze" and "Blank" actions

Freeze

"Locks up" all computers so that keyboard and mouse commands do not work. Here is an example:

Blank

Cuts off the display to each monitor so that the following is all that is visible:

Scan

Sends the display of each lab computer, in succession, to the instructor's computer (and projector if desired). These will cycle through according to the order and duration set in the Scan Settings:

This enables an instructor to virtually "walk around" the lab and observe each screen for a few seconds at a time.

Logoff, Reboot, and Shutdown

Be very careful with these options! These will predictably log off, reboot, or shutdown all computers in the lab. An accidental click of any of these during a class could be very bad. Use caution and discretion with using these actions.

Right-Click on any computer in the main window. A menu appears with the same "actions" that are possible through the icons in the left column ( [ http://sils.unc.edu/itrc/its/faq.php?id=5633#allactions ] see above step), these commands will apply to the individual computer selected.

The "Receive" option is very useful. This gives the instructor a remote view of any individual's screen. If the instructor's computer is connected to the projector, the instructor can project any individual's screen to the entire lab.

Thumbnail View

Right-Click on any part of the main screen and select View > Thumbnails. This allows the instructor to see small, live feeds of all the lab monitors all at once at the instructor station.

Capture

While in "Scan" mode, instructors can capture screen shots of individuals' monitors by clicking "Capture."

Blocks and Alerts

ScreenWatch can be configured to block certain applications or websites from being accessed from the lab computers, or alternatively, alert the instructor station when a program or website is launched from a lab computer. This functionality is currently very limited as it works only with Internet Explorer.