PARs vs Lesson Monitor

[TechMonkey]

SMT are aiming for all lesson registration from September so we have been looking at registration modules. Contenders are Pars and Lesson Monitor. We've had them both in and although the demo guy for pars was a bit pants, I thought the system was really good. I always have a niggle in the back of my mind about SIMS modules, so I'm trying to get over that as others are leaning that way due to it's simplisity and a deal we could get for it.
Any opinions on here? Horror or love stories?

Many Thanks

[broc]

We have been using Lesson Monitor for > 2 years. It is a lot more stable now than it was when we first went live with it. It is not particularly quick when all staff try to open lesson monitor at the same time.

It will however expose any weaknesses in the basic ICT competency of your teaching staff, especially if you are using laptops for registration; you would be amazed at how many calls for support we still get from users who have not carried out basic checks like having a working network connection before attempting to synchronise LM data. Comments like ' I thought I only needed the network cable to access the Internet' have been heard from time to time!

I would say it is one of the better SIMS modules, for what that is worth. I cannot speak about any PARs or other registration packages.

[webman]

@broc: Do you think the Lesson Register module is easier to use than LM?

[broc]

@webman, re Lesson Register vs Lesson Monitor

Quite honestly I have no idea. I keep my distance from SIMS. I officially support the network, client workstations and server infrastructure. We have a 'Data/Office/Admin' manager who gets paid more than me so she has to worry about how SIMS.net works & how it is used, although I do help out when it gets beyond her. I try to make sure I am around when our LEA MIS team come in to do things to the SIMS server too.

If they want me to look after SIMS applications too, then they will have to pay me more!

[webman]

I see what you mean, don't blame you at all. To me (from the little I've seen) Lesson Register seems that much more simple for the user and doesn't load up a separate application. But I don't think you can do it offline & synchronise like you can with LM.

[asmith]

Dear Users
I have worked in a school that uses lesson monitor and am currently working in a school that uses PARS. We use PARS for both attendance and all our behaviour logging. To be honest i find PARS alot more flexable and easier to use. Upgrades take seconds, installs take seconds and the staff find it so easy compared to SIMS modules. I very rarely have to train staff even new staff for more than ten mins before they have picked it up.
I found that lesson monitor to very very rigid and when problems occur they seem to be quite complex to repair.

Hope this helps by all means you can come and see our system.

[kiran]

We are using Lesson Monitor 7 - which is the new Lesson Register - we have tried to use this rather than v6 for a long time and staff do find it easier.

The way we promote is with the use of the timeline!!! They only need to double click on their lesson which is on their timeline on the homepage.

I don't like v6 but Version 7 is fantastic and would recommend it - and it does look like Pars !

We are in the process of moving everything to Sims - therefore another application like Pars would go against the idea.

[Hecate]

We use PARS because when we introduced electronic registration it was better than SIMS Lesson Monitor but we are finding issues with having some pupil data in SIMS and some in PARS and if we were doing it now would probably go for lesson monitor

[tsim]

My school has been using PARS for a number of years. We looked at a range of electronic register providers & felt that PARS was the most user friendly. Over the course of time we have added to the use of PARS, for examples including Rewards & Behaviour as part of the PARS system.

In the past year PARS has been fantastic in terms of training and support. Jenny has visited the school and spent hours being enthusiastic about the product which has helped to motivate the staff to embrace electronic registration. Only a few weeks ago Jenny spent the day training staff and support staff on PARS. I would certainly reccommend you at least look at the product.