ICTworks by Inveneo

Over the last 5 years, several low-cost laptops were introduced expressly for educational systems of the developing world. Starting with the XO-1 laptop from One Laptop Per Child, and expanding to include the ClassmatePC, these computers then spawned consumer netbooks like the Asus Eee-PC, which could also be used for education. Now we have tablet computers like the Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad that also can be used in educational settings. In fact, there is a whole plethora of low-cost ICT device options for educators.

So which one of these computing platforms is the best for education? Which form factor can help students learn better and allow teachers to reach greater educational outcomes in the classroom and across school systems? Is there a single laptop that works better than the rest?

Let us first learn more about the four main types of low-cost computers that are widely used in education

Which one is the best?

This is a great loaded question as there isn't any one device that is best for every situation. In fact, experts in ICT for education (ICT4E) deployments have come up with six success criteria for educational ICT projects that should be considered long before choosing the hardware:

1. Infrastructure:
   ICT4E projects require a significant infrastructure in order to run effectively. This infrastructure need doesn’t just include technical aspects such as the availability of electricity and Internet access but also logistical aspects such as how to efficiently and reliably distribute hundreds of thousands of laptops in some of the remotest regions of the world.
2. Maintenance:
   Regardless of how robust an ICT device or software solution is there will always be issues with a certain percentage of them. This is especially true when computers are deployed in rugged environments, which are dusty, hot, and humid, and the main users are young children. As a result processes and solutions need to be developed to address how to repair broken equipment.
3. Content and curriculum:
   One of the core requirements for ICT4E projects is appropriate e-content and e-curriculum that enable the technology to be used as a tool for learning. Simply scanning in existing books and making them available digitally doesn’t come close to utilizing the full potential of a digital and connected device such as a laptop or mobile phone. Hence interactive learning content the supports the local curriculum, and supplemental materials such as digital multimedia libraries, need to be developed to effect learning, regardless of the hardware chosen.
4. Community inclusion:
   One component that often seems to be underestimated in ICT4E projects is the importance of community inclusion and the buy-in from key stakeholders such as teachers, parents, principals and administrators. Grassroots support is the main requirement for enabling initial adoption, daily project support, and long-term sustainability.




5. Teacher training:
   Using a new tool and approach is always hard, particularly when we’re talking about something as complex as learning and education. Therefore it is vital that teachers receive adequate training on how to efficiently and effectively use ICT such as laptops as a tool for education. Training people is both very resource-intensive and complex, yet without it ICT4E projects are very likely to fail.
6. Evaluation:
   Last but not least, evaluating the impact that ICT4E has on learning, and the broader society, is a key criterion. Unfortunately, appropriate baseline data is difficult to acquire in many cases, hampering the project evaluation process. Evaluation is often an afterthought that only receives attention once technology implementation has started. This is too late to gather baseline data. Ideally, evaluation is started in early project stages as well as a continually used toolset to refine and improve a project.

Recommendation to policy makers

Note what is not listed in the six criteria for success: the actual hardware form factor or its unit cost. In fact, research on the cost of ICT interventions in education by Vital Wave Consulting found that hardware was not the main cost in ICT4E activities:

Governments need to consider the entire cost of school computing solutions, rather than merely the initial expenses. A total cost of ownership model takes into account recurrent and hidden costs such as teacher training, support and maintenance, and the cost of replacing hardware over a five-year period.

Support and training are recurrent costs that constitute two of the three largest costs in the total cost of ownership model. They are greater than hardware costs and much higher than software fees.

So it is my continuous recommendation to policy makers to focus on the educational ecosystem, and support the change management that is required when introducing a new tool. Because no matter if it's a "$100 laptop" or a magical iPad, the success (or failure) of ICT interventions in education is directly related to the supporting investments in teachers, administrators, community leaders - people not devices.

While I am debunking iPhone Lite hype, I might as well give my opinion on the new Samsung NC215S, which is marketed as a "solar powered laptop". Liliputing says:

Samsung has confirmed that it will offer a solar-powered netbook in the US as well as Africa and Russia. The Samsung NC215S will be available in the US the week of July 3rd with a suggested retail price of $399.

The US model features a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel matte display, 1GB of RAM, and a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor. The key feature that sets this netbook apart from the crowd though are the solar cells built into the lid.

Samsung says you should be able to get an hour of battery life for every two hours of charging time. Under ideal conditions Samsung says you should also be able to squeeze about 14 hours of battery life out of the netbook, but my guess is that day to day performance will be a little lower than that.

The press release says that the NC215S comes with a USB-port Sleep-and-Charge which can charge portable devices even if the computer is in sleep mode or turned off, and even if the battery is depleted, by using the solar panel.

Now solar powered gadget ideas are many, from laptop bags to mobile phones to all manner of electronics all with photovoltaics integrated into the device. Yet none have really caught on so far as external solar power sources are much more common and easier to manage in off-grid locations.

I don't think the Samsung NC215S will be any different. I can't see someone who is wealthy enough to buy a laptop wanting to leave it out in the sun for 2-3 hours during the workday to recharge. In rural areas, it would be better to buy a Classamte PC and get ruggedness that can be recharged by a solar entrepreneur with real solar power resources.

In an effort to get folks coding games that will run on netbooks, Intel ATOM Developer Program is sponsoring a Best Netbook Game Contest for netbook games created with either DarkBASIC Professional or Dark GDK, less than 250MB in their compressed state, not require an 'installer', and run at 1024 x 600 resolution.

While I cheer for the next Doom, here are the 4 categories. There will be one winner in the Best All Around Game Category and and 3 winners from the other categories.

1. Best all around netbook game: We are looking for either a unique or overall gaming value for a netbook.
2. Best graphics for a netbook: Looking for beautiful utility for a netbook game. Like a meandering garden path, it serves to get you from point A to point B, while pleasing the senses.
3. Best game play for netbook: Graphics or no graphics this category looks at the game play experience for netbook.
4. Standout Game Element: Perhaps it was the best explosion, death scene, sound effect, or unique use of zombie. This category wins by just doing something we could not help but like.

Now the prizes are interesting - 1st Prize is an all expenses paid vacation not to exceed US $5,000. Who knows to where. Int he categories, 1st Prize is US $1,000, visibility and recognition via a feature in the Intel Atom Developer Program Community and Campaign as well as the TGC community.

If you want to enter, you best be quick: deadline is October 3, 2010.

Imagine reading a computer screen in bright African daylight that has 3x better resolution that what you're looking at right now. A screen that reflects light, just like paper, with similar high contrast and ease on the eyes. And when in that reflective mode, adds over an hour to your netbook battery life.

This is the promise of Pixel Qi's new dual mode 10-inch netbook display, the 3qi.

Mary Lou Jepsen & 3qi Screen

Based on the OLPC XO-1 dual mode screen, the 3qi can go from full color to black and white reflective mode at the flip of a switch. In that reflective mode, the laptop screen's back light is turned off, which greatly reduces power consumption and in the case of 3qi, greatly increases resolution and therefore readability. Here's a comparison with other screens.

In interview with Mary Lou Jepsen, she revealed that the 3qi screens are going into production in December. This means we should be seeing dual screen laptops for sale in early 2010. But she also said that 3qi screens can be retrofitted into standard 10-inch netbooks that use 40 pin LDDS connectors in about 10 minutes.

While Pixel Qi isn't set up to sell individual screens, she was intrigued by the idea of a distributor selling just the screens, which could herald a flourishing of hardware experimentation. No longer would designers need to worry about sunlight on their screens. They would now welcome direct light on their displays, and the next Maker Faire Africa could have a whole new look.

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Is this Netbook strong enough for a 24/7 job, substituting my computing needs on a 90% desktop, 10% mobile basis? Yes!

The performance of this Intel N270 Atom CPU @ 1,6GHz with 2 GB of RAM and a simple Intel on-board graphics solution is said to be somewhere close to 5yr old Pentium-M processor notebooks. A geekbench I was once did scored something like 935 points (old HP nx8220 15,4″ 1,86 GHz single core laptop = ~ 1200 // new HP 6930p 14,1″ 2,26 Ghz Core2Duo = ~ 3060 points) and it sure isn’t the fastest machine, but it also hasn’t failed to deliver performance for most of my tasks so far.

using a netbook as your daily computer