One Laptop Per Child (OLPC): Helping to Close the Digital Divide

      

      One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is one of the most revolutionary mobile learning programs in recent history for the advancement of education in the developing world. Based on the premise that a laptop is at its core an educational resource, OLPC sees its mission of bringing XO laptops to some of the world's most impoverished countries as a movement to advance education and opportunity - not just technology.

      The power of OLPC lies in its XO laptop’s design, which makes it more compatible than the average laptop for its intended users in the developing world. It is rugged (like many of the locations where it’s used), water-proof, solar-powered, and has a special screen that allows users to read from it in direct sunlight. With its embedded wireless technology and peer-to-peer connectivity features, it helps address the digital divide across some of the world’s most remote areas. In terms of software, it combines a wide range of educational features that serve as learning tools for students who would traditionally lack access to things like a camera, calculator, or a web browser. Because of this, the main beneficiaries of the OLPC program are children in the developing world (living in remote/ impoverished/ disconnected areas) and the communities in which the laptops are distributed.

      Yet, despite its functionality, the OLPC program is not without its challenges, most of which center on lack of technical support for the XO machines (once delivered). Ultimately, the sustainability of the OLPC program will be dependent on whether its main set-backs are effectively addressed; otherwise, OLPC will not be sustainable in the long term. Specifically, some of its main barriers to sustainability include: cost of the XO machines (which presently is still greater than the intended $100), and the lack of effective customer/user support services (software and hardware) necessary to keep the laptops working. These challenges can be overcome with increased support from the private sector, minor modifications to the design of the XO, and increased technical training for individuals in the communities where the laptops are being delivered.

Mobile Education in the Developing World

      In exploring how mobile technologies are being used in developing regions, it is evident that their use is being channeled in a number of areas ranging from business and commerce to healthcare. And although each of these areas plays a significant role in a country's development, none has the potential to impact national development like education. It is the one area that, if invested in properly and given adequate tools and resources to serve the population, can single-handedly help transform all the others. It is through education that individuals and communities are empowered and find a way out of cycles of poverty. It is because of this that education is so crucial in developing regions.

      At the same time, there is a serious deficit of technological resources available for education in developing countries, largely as a result of lack of funds and infrastructure.  This makes access to quality education a challenge in major urban areas, and essentially a non-existent option in rural communities. It is because of this that mobile learning is such a powerful concept and mobile devices a gateway into the future for countless children across the world. As we have seen with the One Laptop Per Child Project, in areas in the developing world where they may not be a quality school or children may not be able to reach school due to war and violence, if there is a mobile device (a cellphone, a laptop), there is the possibility of accessing education. In the words of Queen Rania (of Jordan)...

"Education through mobile devices can be a transformative force for good. In the face of disease, it can mean a clean bill of health; in an economic downturn, it can mean a skilled workforce ready to earn again; in a warzone, it can be the language of diplomacy and dialogue." - Queen Rania Al Abdullah (GSMA Development Fund Report, Nov. 2010)

Exploring App Design: FLVS meStudying

      Mobile design is crucial in the development of an effective mobile app. Before a concept or idea for an app can be effectively realized on a mobile device, it must first pass through a series of reviews for compliance with minimum operational standards to ensure optimal functionality. Some of these standards include: clarity, presentation, ease of navigation, interface effectiveness, etc. Ultimately, the goal should be to “develop multimedia learning content for mobile phones which is interactive, highly visual, engaging, and effective for the learner” (p. 159).

       An example of such mobile learning apps are Florida Virtual School’s meStudying apps (for Android), in its various subjects. The two images below are screen shots of two of the current versions out in the market, the apps for Algebra I and College Reading. Each app is designed to reinforce learning and studying habits outside the classroom (particularly given the web-based nature of Florida Virtual School). I believe the developer designed the app in a way that is generally simple, easy to navigate, and straight-forward in order to encourage students to access the content more often, without being overburdened with complex interface features or a very busy design structure.
       I think the meStudying apps have worked well because they rely less on visual information overload and more on their actual function which is to reinforce content and help prepare students for tests. The apps help accomplish this by making available a wide range of questions on each topic of a given subject. The app further allows the student to select the length of the quizzes he/she wishes to take, allowing them practice in whatever time they have available, whether it be 10minutes or an hour.
       Although highly functional as is, the meStudying apps could be improved by periodically increasing the number of content questions available on all subjects, and adequately updating the questions on the apps for Advanced Placement courses given the evolving nature of AP exams.

QR Codes: Unimpressive

      To be completely honest, I am quite unimpressed by QR codes and their so called "functionality", or lack thereof (in my opinion). I understand they're considered a “technological advancement” and all, but really, I think abbreviated URL links accomplish virtually the same thing as a QR code.

      So, what is a QR Code? QR codes are essentially barcode-like images which link to online web-content; basically, a visual shortcut for URL links. Or the more sophisticated description, according to EDUCAUSE:

“QR codes are two-dimensional bar codes that can contain any alphanumeric text and that often feature URLs that direct users to sites where they can learn about an object or place (a practice known as “mobile tagging”). Decoding software on tools such as camera phones interprets the codes.”

      After much reading about QR Codes, I can’t think of a way in which these could revolutionize teaching, or learning for that matter. And although I came across a number of websites linking QR Codes to education, I failed to find something that could truly be considered revolutionary. Many of the ideas suggested for their use revolved around increased instant access to specific online content related to classroom activities, but this is already possible through the use of social media and countless mobile apps.

      In terms of impact on how learning may occur, I guess the simplest way to think of it is that students could pick up a QR code posted virtually anywhere and it could take them to online educational content. Again, my opinion here is that this is already possible with the use of abbreviated URL links. Nonetheless, here is another perspective from EDUCASE on QR Codes' usefulness:

“QR codes link the physical world with the virtual by providing on-the-spot access to descriptive language and online resources for objects and locations. In this way, the codes support experiential learning, bringing scholarship out of the classroom and into physical experience. The greatest importance of QR codes could lie not in their specific use but in the opportunities they offer for moving away from keyboards as input devices in learning environments.” [EDUCASE]

      In closing, I would agree with the above statement about "bringing scholarship out of the classroom and into physical experience," if QR Codes were spread out across the world outside the classroom; if a student walking home could find a QR Code on a unique tree or animal, scan it, and instantly get information on the subject, expanding upon what he might have learned in science class. Last time I checked, QR Codes were nowhere near that ubiquitous.

Formative Feedback Tools = Virtual

      When analyzing the issue of formative feedback tools in education, it is essential to consider current trends toward mobile education and the increased digitization of educational materials, assessments, and instruction. In researching formative feedback tools, I repeatedly came across a common denominator among these tools. Nearly all, at least all of the ones that appeared to be most efficient, were based online. Despite the fact that I considered formative feedback tools in regular brick-and-mortar classroom settings and in virtual classes, the online component of the feedback tools remained constant.

      In the video below, Dr. Marilyn Rice, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX, discusses the importance of instructor feedback to online students and some of the forms said feedback can take. She also discusses how these tools can help inform decision-making for instructors.

       In terms of brick-and-mortar classes, there are a myriad of web-based programs which help teachers assess students’ knowledge and record data on their progress over time. One such program is Explore Learning Gizmos, an interactive program based on online simulations that drive students’ conceptual understanding in Math and Science. However, one of Gizmo’s key features is its formative assessments component with instant feedback for students in real-time. These formative feedback tools can also help to enhance the curriculum by providing teachers with relevant student data and materials to supplement classroom instruction and content delivery strategies.

      Unfortunately, this type of advantage isn’t being realized, or happening as often as it should, in enough learning environments. Part of the reason for this may be lack of funding or technical infrastructure in schools, hindering their ability to purchase needed software/ hardware and implement the programs/formative feedback models. Another major reason may be the time factor. Formative feedback activities/tools can be significantly time-consuming for educators and can place a strain on their ability to effectively juggle all their other duties including: delivering content, recording grades, and preparing lesson plans and exams.

Technology in Miami's Public School District

This video provides a great overview of the Miami public school district's use of technology both in and outside the classroom. Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the U.S., with over 345,000 students and more than 22,000 teachers.

Blocking Teacher Blog Sites: A Security Issue?

Last year, my office (at the local School Board) received a complaint from a teacher who's blog website had been blocked by our district's Information Technology (ITS) department. In my quest to help the teacher restore access to her site through our school computers, I was provided with a great deal of quite interesting information from our professional staff on the reasoning behind blocking sites. Below are some excerpts from the responses I received. 

      "Blog servers are particularly troublesome for the District because if they are not managed tightly, students can create inappropriate sites.  This is why Facebook and MySpace are blocked.  Specifically, we have seen an increase in the number of proxy sites being created and used by students on servers that were supposed to be only for blogging, and there has been an increase in proxy traffic recently.  As you know, proxy sites allow students to bypass the District’s Internet content filter. Our automated systems block sites that are generating proxy traffic, and this blocking occasionally extends to an entire blog server.

      In one case, a site being used by some teachers for class work called blogspot.com had multiple proxy sites, probably created by students, and needed to be blocked. In addition, our filter service occasionally blocks a server without our being aware of it.  That is what happened to the edublogs.org server. Currently, we are getting between 50 and 100 new requests a week to unblock/block sites, and each must be reviewed for the appropriateness of the request before taking action, which takes time and staff resources.

      As an alternative to using the edublogs.org site, the District has free collaboration sites set up in the Portal to allow classes to work in a blogging environment.  This capability will soon be upgraded as we go to the latest version of Microsoft SharePoint.  In addition, ITS is working with other departments to create a list of approved/ recommended blog sites to avoid the kinds of issues described above.  Specifically, we need to find sites that will prevent students from adding inappropriate content or creating sites with inappropriate uses, like proxies."

[This was the official response provided by the District Director of ITS]

This was a more informal response from a member of the District's ITS team: 

      "Section I–E of our district policy specifically discusses our required compliance with the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).  CIPA itself provides for the loss of federal funding, including E-Rate, if we are found to not be in compliance.  We have had E-Rate auditors go to a school, sit down at a computer in the media center and try to go to a site that should be blocked, so we know they are watching. 

      There are other reasons besides objectionable material for sites to be blocked.  Game sites, hacker sites, sites providing download capabilities (especially for copyrighted material, like MP3 audio files and MP4 video files), sites known to be infected, and sites with streaming video or audio (like YouTube), which consume an inordinate amount of bandwidth to the point that access for everybody slows to a crawl. We cannot afford to provide unlimited bandwidth. Sites like Facebook and MySpace are also blocked, even for teachers and administrators (at the Police Dept.’s request).

      We use a service that maintains a list of sites that should be blocked, but we do have a process to request that a site be blocked, or unblocked.  Users can to send an e-mail with a link to the site and their request will be evaluated.  We can also turn on minimum filtering for specific computers when there is a business or educational need.  For instance, some members of the Police Department need to be able to view sites that contain information about explosives which would normally be blocked."

Security Issues in Mobile Education

      Internet security and privacy issues in schools have become significant concerns for teachers and administrators in recent years. With mobile learning becoming a new reality in education, many school districts have had to develop comprehensive policies on how to address issues of security and privacy. In my local school district (Miami-Dade County, Florida), school officials have created and updated network-use policies to address specific modern-day activities such as blogging, instant messaging, and video/audio/photo downloads (see pg. 5). 

      Yet, despite the wide-ranging potential of the internet and mobile technologies for education, security and privacy concerns can often become roadblocks for educators and learners. There is such a fine line between facilitating access to the myriad of resources the internet and mobile devices have to offer, and school district's liability and concerns for student and teacher safety and privacy. Because of this, it is imperative that school districts not only develop, but update, comprehensive internet technology policies on a regular basis to effectively govern and regulate the use of mobile technology in the classroom. As an example, the Miami-Dade Public Schools district recently updated their policy on Network Security Standards earlier this year to emphasize, among other things, “that the standards apply to all equipment, including personally-owned equipment connected to the District’s network” (such as personal laptops and PDAs). [Specifically, pg. 9 speaks to personally-owned devices, pg. 10 to downloads and use of the internet, and the bottom of pg. 14 to portable devices.]
      A common roadblock experienced by teachers and students utilizing school computers is often the issue of blocked websites. These often times include teacher blog sites and other webpages in line with academic instruction. In a subsequent post, I will provide an example of one such case and how the district administration responded to complaints about their practice of blocking access to certain sites.

      Despite these issues, mobile learning is present in my local school district through a number of targeted and varied initiatives; one of them being our Anytime, Anywhere Learning Project podcast site, which contains instructional lectures and materials on a number of subjects and for students at different grade levels. We also have teacher professional development content which is delivered via iTouch devices to teachers in select schools. There is also a new high-tech school model unveiled last year called iPrep, where students are assigned Mac laptop computers to take home and the curriculum includes virtual learning components. Another major mobile learning initiative is the Get Connected, Go Global Broadband USA initiative, which is increasing access to broadband internet service and training to students and parents in some of the county's most impoverished areas.
      At the end of the day, the main barriers to mobile learning in my community and local school district are related mainly to issues of security and access. Programs like Broadband USA have helped us to address the issue of access, providing mobile learning services to a larger population, but issues of security remain a work in progress, as district staff continuously monitors adherence to federal standards for internet access in schools. From an administrative perspective, some of the things that could help promote and encourage more mobile learning include: increased funding for broadband technology and mobile devices as well as increased teacher training.