'Tech Genius' students set up College IT help-desk

'Tech Genius' students set up College IT help-desk

A group of Weston College Computing students are assisting with a variety of IT problems after setting up their own IT desk at Knightstone Campus.

The 'Tech Genius' help-desk is operating in the College's LibraryPlus facility and although it was set up to provide support and solutions for fellow students, staff members are now coming forward seeking help.

The help-desk aims to solve a range of computing problems; everything from virus issues to Sims cheats. For the students themselves, it's as much about learning the techniques of customer service and satisfaction as it is about using their IT knowledge to help others.

Louise Hutson, Weston College's Learning Technologist, was responsible for introducing the concept, with the help of HE Computing tutors Janice Castle and Belsam Attallah.

She said: "I went to a conference about getting staff more involved in IT and I came across the concept of 'tech buddies'. I was thinking about support for Weston College students and so this idea of having your peers mentor you developed.

"We've made Tech Genius part of a work experience module for HE computing students, giving them experience of running an IT help-desk and so far it's working brilliantly. There is a lot of computing talent at Weston College and it's great to see it being put to good use."

Although the Tech Genii cannot do hardware repairs they have been called in to solve a wide range of software issues and other IT-related problems.

"It was set up for the students but now we're finding the staff calling in for help," said Louise. "It's proved popular and we're hoping it will run next year too."

Dan Fay, 19, of Weston, is one of the genii. He is studying a Foundation Degree in Applied Computing.

He said: "We're dealing with a wide range of issues and questions, everything from sorting out laptops to fixing viruses. The students seem comfortable bringing their IT problems to fellow students so in that respect it is working well."

Josh Worth, 20, of Weston, is on the same course. He said: "Word of mouth has spread about the service and we're getting queues at the help-desk. So far, we haven't come across anything we can't handle in terms of repairs or advice, and it's great experience for the future if I decide to go for a customer-facing role."