textbook-on-a-wall eduboard. a proposed low-cost architecture for a novel smart whiteboard: the...
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Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
A Proposed Low-cost Architecture for a Novel
Smart Whiteboard: the “Textbook-on-the-
Wall” project
Jean-Paul Van Belle<[email protected]>
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Context
Developing countries: 2 billion under-15 year olds 100+ million classrooms
Sub-saharan Africa: 120+ million kids at primary school age
South Africa 7.4 million learners in primary schools 4.0 million in secondary schools more than 300 000 classrooms
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
The Interactive Whiteboard
= laptop + projector + screen (input)
Advantages well-researched Prohibitive cost for 3rd world
environment Computer literacy
requirements
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
The EduBoard:An interactive “textbook-on-a-wall”
Hardware: Smart paper Embedded CPU Flash RAM Solar power Minimal I/O
Software: Full curriculum for
grade or subject Minimal OS hypertext browser XML data storage
(cHTML, XMLbasic) Utilities
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
The EduBoard
no power – no maintenance – low cost – customizable – intuitive interface
Supports teacher empowers where insufficiently trained enhances & supports where knowledgeable
Learners motivated (more diversity) quality assurance
Governments QA minimal standards increased standards Fasttrack educational policies and strategies Open source content
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Smart / e-paper
Electro-phoretic displays use “electronic ink” (E Ink) – microscopic capsules
Bi-chromal bead technologies: Gyricon’s SmartPaper™ bi-stable low power
high contrast
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Screen Specs
1.2 by 1.6 meters 2 mm pixels => 600 x 800
resolution low refresh rate (1 or 2 Hz) 4 / 16 levels of grey scale durable embedded hardware flexible backplane electronics
(mylar & amorphous silicon)
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Other Hardware Components
embedded CPU ARM, DragonBall™, XScale wireless, USB & video support
Flash RAM I/O = wireless or USB Minimal keypad input Power supply options
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Curriculum
Text is marked up with annotation tags headings, key concepts, hyperlinks & formatting.
Hierarchically structured content with a relative small granularity around the concept of individual pages.
Pages can be combined into, and addressed as, one single logical structure (a “presentation”).
All information can be hyper-linked The actual physical storage structure is invisible to the
user - different logical navigation options Easily compressible by 50% or more Additional information content can be added by the user.
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Sample information content stored in memory Minimal Typical
Operating (control) system and content browser < 5MB < 5MB
Additional useful executable applications – possibly interpreted source code e.g. Java or Basic
< 5MB 10-50 MB
Grade 5 school curriculum, mostly in marked-up text. (7 to 12 subjects) x (2500 to 8000 pages/subject) x (1000 to 2500 characters/page). This includes examples, exercises and tests.
40 MB 60-100 MB
Vector-based drawings : maps, science drawings, time lines and a few animations GIFs/ JPEGs if space allows.
30 MB 50-100 MB
Reference works eg dictionary, encyclopaedia, formulas, periodic table, world atlas, body charts, literary works, …
20 MB 50-200 MB
Multimedia content: animations, slow video & sound files NA 30-200 MB
Free space for additional content such as presentations, lesson plans and illustrative web material
10 MB >50 MB
Total amount of memory required 128 MB 256-512 MB
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Curriculum Development
Traditional commercial educational content providers, such as textbook publishers and educational software providers, through “bulk license” or “teacher materials” leverage.
A (country-)specific EduBoard curriculum development project in sync with an envisaged roll-out plan. Funded by the government or private agency.
The educational community (teachers, other educationalists and interested stakeholders) in an “open curriculum” network organised (similar to OSS).
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Other Software
Operating System Linux Window CE Palm OS Linux: QNX, LynxOS, …
Browser (e.g. Opera) Must support HTML & XML & graphics
Customizable Minimal input / navigation
Security & Authentication Utilities
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Economics
Total cost $150-$250 (?) for the display board
(2006 cost price of $4-$6 for a hi-res A4) $50-$100 for the electronics $50 for the power system $50 for the distribution (shipping, setup and
teacher training)
mass production/ technology maturation: 50-75% reduction?
Possible economic models
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Project Plan
Phase 1: Proof of concept (2005/6)
Phase 2: Early Prototype (2006/7)
Phase 3: Full prototype (2007)
Phase 4: Test Roll-out (2008)
Phase 5: Full Roll-out (2009)
Maturation (2010+)
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Open Research Issues
HCI Commercial model (& IP) Funding Input system Acceptance and adoption issues
(teacher & learner) Research partners needed!
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Some resources
What the research says about interactive whiteboards. Becta ICT Research Report. http://www.becta.org.uk/research/ictrn
http://www.eink.com http://www.gyricon.com www.kentdisplays.com
Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard
Asmal, Kader 2002. Fifth Report on the Provinces to the President from the Minister of Education . Department of Education, SA Government: 1-May.
(Becta) 2003. What the research says about interactive whiteboards. Becta ICT Research Report. Bryant, JM 1995. The Paperless Book. IEEE Review 41,6: 245-247. Daniel, JH; Krusor, BS; Chopra, N et al. 2004. Amorphous Silicon Backplane with Polymer MEMS Structures for
Electrophoretic Displays. Proceedings of The Material Research Society Symposium 808:A.10.8. Ditlea, Steve 2001. The Electronic Paper Chase. Scientific American 288,11:245-247. Doane, JW 1998 A Comparison of Display Technologies Suitable for E-Books. Future of Print Media Jl, 17-Nov-1998: 1-8. Doane, JW; Huang, XY; Khan, A et al. 2004 Paper-Like Displays for Electronic Books. www.kentdisplays.com/ E Ink Corp 2003. Press Release. 12 May 2003. http://www.eink.com/news/releases/pr69.html Gyricon LLC 2004. http://www.gyriconmedia.com Hayes, RA and Feenstra, BJ 2003. Video-speed electronic paper based on electrowetting. Nature 425:383-385. Joseph Jacobson 1997. The Last Book. IBM Systems Journal 36,3: 457-463. Kennewell, S. 2001 Interactive whiteboards – yet another solution looking for a problem to solve? IT in Teacher Education,
39:3-6. Philips Research 2002. Electronic Paper; E Ink. http://www.research.philips.com/ Press, L 2000. From P-books to E-books. Communications of the ACM 43,5:17-21. Rogers, JA; Bao, Z; Baldwin, K et al. 2001. Paper-Like Electronic Displays: Large-Area Rubber-Stamped Plastic Sheets of
Electronics and Microencapsulated Electro-Phorethic Inks. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences 98,9:4835-4840. Schreiner, K. 2000. E-Books: It’s All in the Resolution. Multimedia, IEEE 7,2:15-17 Sheridon, N. Gyricon Displays and Electric Paper. Proceedings of Society for Information Display, San Jose, 1997. Smalley, E 2003. Flexible Display Slim Down. Technology Research News, 21-28 May 2003. UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2003. School life expectancy, percentage of repeaters and survival rates.
http://www.uis.unesco.org WagnerZip 2004. ZipVision™ eSignage Reader Board. http://www.wagnerzip.com/zipvision/product.html Werner, KI 2003. E-Paper in Business Briefing: Wireless Technology 2003:127-128. Wilson, Ruth 2003. Displaying Digital Information on Paper-like Devices. Joint Information Systems Committee TSW 03-01.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/