Design for Isolated and Inexperienced user base

[Susan Addington]

Is there a plan on how the schools will use these computers? Or will  
it just be left to the teachers?

My observations on what teachers in the US often do with computers is  
not too inspiring:
keyboarding (=typing), programs like MathBlaster for drill in  
arithmetic, teaching kids to do high-level plagiarism in PowerPoint.

On the other hand, I recall a news report that told about an Indian  
enterpreneur who put internet-connected computers out on the streets  
(embedded in walls) in a destitute neighborhood just to see what kids  
would do with them with absolutely no instruction. They learned  
enough typing and English on their own to surf the web.

Is anyone planning to do observations and research on what happens  
with this project? (If not, maybe I'll volunteer.  ;-)   I'm semi- 
serious--I was involved for some years in an ethnomathematics project  
in Alaska, developing math curriculum based on traditional Yup'ik  
skills.)

Electric power: solar? stationary bicycle? I'm dreaming of the hand- 
cranked $100 laptop that the MIT gang is trying to produce.

On Mar 14, 2006, at 10:18 AM, Jonathan D. Proulx wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Forgive me if this isn't stricly a "devel" question, but it's a bit
> long for IRC and there's apparently not a "users" list for Edubuntu
> that I can see at least.
>
> I have a bit of an unusual system design task. I need to create a
> software environment to be used for school children in remote Fijian
> villages see http://tig.csail.mit.edu/twiki/bin/view/TIG/TaveuniFiji
> for some sparse background.
>
> Basicly neither the student nor the teachers are expected to have any
> exposure to computers.  The school houses don't even have electricity,
> so the hardware platform is IBM Thinkpads with extended batteries and
> they will need to be taken to an other location by the teacher for
> recharge.
>
> Edubuntu has a simple install and a nice kid centric GUI and defaults
> to having the right software set, so seems like a very nice fit.
>
> So my questions or areas of uncertainty are what UI changes to make
> (if any) for peopel with absolutely zero prior computer contact and no
> recourse to anyone who does or the internet, and what issues I might
> run into running hte system without network connection.  The
> applications, particularly the KDE Edutainment suite, are very
> transparently networked, to the point I didn't realize quitte howmuch
> of the kstars data was nonlocal.
>
> I'm a little blind as I don't have direct knowlege of the population
> this is to serve and my experience is with rather overly experienced
> users, I also won't be able to tweak the systems once they're in the
> field so there's a bit of pressure to get it right the first time.
>
> Any pointers would be most welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> -Jon
>
>
>
> -- 
> edubuntu-devel mailing list
> edubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
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Susan Addington
saddingt at csusb.edu, susan.addington at earthlink.net
Math Department, California State University, San Bernardino

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