This is part of a regular series of articles exploring some of the terms used in e-learning (view other articles in the series).  We’ll do our best to break down the jargon and explain what things are from a basic perspective.

This article continues our look at some local Sheffield Hallam terms by explaining what we mean by Remote Desktop.  The Remote Desktop is an online tool which allows you to log into a similar environment to what you would see when working at the University, but from the convenience of your home or other remote location.

Remote desktop window with its own start menu

By going to the tool website and logging in, it opens a new window where you are logged into a remote computer with the University desktop on it. This allows you to access information and programmes from the University from your home computer.  Inside the Remote Desktop Window, you will see a new Start Menu and desktop, but you should retain access to your own desktop too.

Why would you want to use the Remote Desktop? 
The Remote Desktop allows you to use any applications you would normally get on a networked computer at work, such as Outlook, Office and other programmes.  If you don’t have those programmes at home, then you can access them via the Remote Desktop with all of the functionality you would have at work.  The Remote Desktop also gives you access to your F drive and G drive, so you can use files that you created at work.  Websites or tools that you only have access to when on campus are also accessible when using the Remote Desktop.

The Remote Desktop is a powerful tool for facilitating staff working outside of the office, and can be valuable during activities such as research, preparation and marking when you may not be in the office.  We recommended that you have a high speed internet connection when using it, but it should work on a variety of computers and with most browsers.

To access the Remote Desktop for staff, please visit: https://staff.ts.shu.ac.uk. For help with the Remote Desktop, please see the instructions page on the staff intranet.