Studying online and staying safe

If you study an online tutor led course with us you will be given your very own Microsoft 365 Account. This account will give you your own student email address, access to Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Office. All "classes" will be virtual in an online classroom through Microsoft Teams and any homework will also be set in there. You will have the ability in teams to talk as a class and with any other learner that has a SAFL Microsoft 365 account. We give this to all of our students to let them study in a safe and controlled way when they are not in a physical classroom.

 

For some classes, you may have group work to complete or you may want to work with others to help you study or to ask questions. It can be tempting to use instant messaging services such as Whatsapp for its convenience. However, Microsoft teams also has a phone app and can be used in the same way as Whatsapp for talking with class-mates, and you can have chats with students on a one to one basis. When using Whatsapp for example other people in your class then have access to your telephone number which can then be used to harass, scam or to search on social media to find your Facebook or Instagram profiles. At this stage they may then have access to your friends list, photos of you or of your family and more personal data about you, your work, your family or even where you live.

 

Although, apps like Whatsapp may be familiar and easy to access it is worth taking the time to get to know the software we have provided to keep our learners safe. Tutors will give everyone an induction to the Microsoft 365 platform to help you be able to use it. They are always there to help with any ongoing help or advice you may need.

 

Your personal information is personal and it should stay that way and this is how we are trying to help do that.  

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