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.