ePals Corporation, an education technology company and safe social learning network, today announced that its LearningSpace® 2.0 social learning platform now provides embedded access to third-party applications -- starting with Microsoft Office Web Apps and Google Docs. Enabled by ePals' innovative SchoolSafe functionality, schools and districts gain the ability to extend LearningSpace 2.0's enterprise-grade platform by incorporating leading applications and productivity tools of choice within a safe, school-controlled, K-12 appropriate environment. The SchoolSafe functionality is now offered as part of the ePals platform, and access to Google Docs and online companions of Office's Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote have been included in RFPs for the 2012 eRate season.
ePals' patent-pending SchoolSafe functionality helps schools and districts to customize the rules and policies that determine which groups, classes and projects have access to third-party applications. In addition, ePals LearningSpace automates compliance with regulatory frameworks, such as COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) while also enabling collaboration for real-world learning. The SchoolSafe functionality in LearningSpace 2.0 allows seamless use of third-party applications like Microsoft Office Web Apps and Google Docs in conjunction with LearningSpace's other industry-leading features, which include online learning workspaces, smart groups, and Web 2.0 community tools (blogs, wikis, etc.) optimized for use in elementary and secondary schools.
