Access to high-quality, relevant information is absolutely foundational for a quality education. Yet, so many schools across the developing world lack fundamental resources, like textbooks, libraries, electricity and Internet connectivity. The SolarSPELL (Solar Powered Educational Learning Library) is designed specifically to address these infrastructural challenges, by bringing relevant, digital educational content to offline, off-grid locations. SolarSPELL is a portable, ruggedized, solar-powered digital library that broadcasts a webpage with open-access educational content over an offline WiFi hotspot, content that is curated for a particular audience in a specified locality—in this case, for schoolchildren and teachers in remote locations. It is a hands-on, iteratively developed project that has involved undergraduate students in all facets and at every stage of development. This talk will examine the design, development, and deployment of a for-the-field technology that looks simple but has a quite complex background.
Laura Hosman is Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, holding a joint appointment in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and in The Polytechnic School. Her work is action-oriented and focuses on the role for information and communications technology (ICT) in developing countries. Presently, she focuses on ICT-in-education projects, and brings her passion for experiential learning to the classroom by leading real-world-focused, project-based courses that have seen student-built technology deployed in schools in Haiti, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Samoa, and Tonga.
Information Science Brown Bag talks, hosted by the Program on Information Science, consists of regular discussions and brainstorming sessions on all aspects of information science and uses of information science and technology to assess and solve institutional, social and research problems. These are informal talks. Discussions are often inspired by real-world problems being faced by the lead discussant.
Similar a SOLARSPELL: THE SOLAR POWERED EDUCATIONAL LEARNING LIBRARY - EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT A BROWN BAG WITH LAURA HOSMAN (20)
SOLARSPELL: THE SOLAR POWERED EDUCATIONAL LEARNING LIBRARY - EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT A BROWN BAG WITH LAURA HOSMAN
1. Becoming a Practitioner Scholar
in Technology for Development
(And Involving Students!)
Dr. Laura Hosman
The Polytechnic School &
School for the Future of Innovation in
Society (SFIS)
6. My Big Questions
What happens when ICTs are introduced
where they haven’t ever been before?
Can they improve people’s Quality of Life?
How can we do things better? (And how will
we know?)
How to fight the “technology as the magic
bullet” syndrome?
What do my students & in-field partners get
out of this?
12. IIT Empowering Haiti Project
Approached by OLPC Haiti
Challenge: Develop a low-cost solar system
Work on project for semester, traveled post-
semester to deploy on-site
Bring student work/innovations to the field,
build professionalization skills, etc.
19. Offer Unique Courses…
Multidisciplinary Team-Based, Project-
Oriented, Real-World Challenge-Focused
Cross-Cultural, Experiential, International
Service Learning
Multi-Partnered
1 Main Point: You will never have all the
skills needed to address complex problems
in the complex real world
24. Successes & Lessons Learned
3 Student Trips to Haiti (some
students came alive!)
2.4 KW DC Solar System
installed
Internet Connectivity at school
2 Yr contract
Charging system
Fundraising, PR
Communication bottleneck
w/ Partner
No local capacity-building:
for MoE or teachers
Local community & parents
not interested in
involvement
President cuts program
32. Introducing the:
Weeklong Hands-on Workshop at U Guam in
Long-Distance, Solar-Powered WiFi
Team travels to Chuuk, FSM
Installation of Long-Distance Solar WiFi link
Deployment of Solar-Computer-Lab-in-a-Box
Work with Dept of Education, PREL
Form & Solidify Partnerships
62. …Leads to…the Solar Digital
Library!
How to get content out to every school, no matter
the infrastructural challenges?
Even more simplified technology (use devices
already present and locally owned)
Not waiting for Electricity or Internet to reach
schools
Builds Internet-related skills
Avoids connectivity costs & ongoing fees
Avoids unsafe/distracting surfing, viruses
63. Adding Peace Corps Volunteers
The key to addressing the teacher training
challenge!!
Augmenting work that’s already taking place
Going out to schools exactly like these
Across the Pacific: The Mission is to
Teach English
Use Technology when possible
Help in school/community as requested
Spoke with Peace Corps FSM and Vanuatu—now
also Samoa and Tonga
91. What just happened here?
Focus shifted from solar PV system to
computer lab to library
Never got things right the first time
Involving students: always challenging, always
rewarding
Most (students, funders, anyone…) will miss
the amount of work that is hidden: esp:
content, fundraising
(Take things for granted)
92. Other Points
Magic Bullet/tech shortcut mentality never
goes away: But it is ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE
Peace Corps partnership, e.g.
Partnerships: It takes a team!
100. Priorities: Share! Bill of Materials,
Content, Appearance,
Progress/Deployments & How to
Build It!
101.
102. What’s next?
1. For SolarSPELL: Keep improving the library!
Keep improving website (search, add content)
Add new content, especially collecting from local
partners. Class at Poly next semester! (You’re
invited!)