Last year, a unique new educational device was tested with a group of school children. The device was the I-slate, an ultra-low-cost tablet computer that is being developed by the Institute for Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics (ISAID), a joint venture of Houston's Rice University and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. The 10 to 13 year-old children were students at a rural school near Hyderabad, India. The tablet is designed for use in such impoverished schools, as each unit is expected to sell for less than US$50, and future models will run on solar power. Now that the field tests are complete and the results have been analyzed, the I-slate is set to go into full production.
The present version of the I-slate is powered by a traditional battery. Thanks to an extremely low-power chip created by project leader Krishna Palem, however, the tablet should ultimately receive all its power from built-in solar cells, much like those currently used by calculators. Such a feature is of vital importance, if the I-slate is to be used in locations where electricity is sporadic at best.
Along with the tablet itself, ISAID has also been developing the educational software that will run on it - because of the relatively low amount of power provided by the solar cells, not just any programs can be used. In the 2010 trials, students' math skills were appraised before and after a period of using a mathematics program, that provided students with feedback and tips regarding wrong answers. According to Palem, the tests confirmed that the I-slate was effective.
Utilizing data from such tests along with direct feedback from the students, lessons for mathematics, science and social studies have been created, and will come preloaded on each tablet. There are also plans for social-networking software, which will allow students to collaborate on writing projects.
A production version of Palem's chip is currently in development, and should be appearing in the first solar-powered I-slates by the middle of 2012. In the meantime, approximately 50 battery-powered I-slates equipped with the new-and-improved software will be heading to India for finessing.
There is no word on when - or if - the I-slate might become available to consumers in First World countries.
The following video provides an overview of the project.
The idea was to get input and ideas from as many people as possible to figure out ways to stop the alien probes, while also drastically improving literacy and education.
Making e-textbook tablet computers so cheap and ubiquitous should have such an effect, no malevolent alien space probes required. ;)
The ignorance fostered by repressive regimes is enough reason to use this method of getting around them.
It might be good to combine what Google and others have done with some web sites in offering them in a multilingual format. See the big shot camera building site. Accessing sites similar to the Khan Academy could also help in teaching complicated subjects (like trigonometry) with simplicity. Using the very best and most productive teachers for each grade level is useful, especially when using auxiliary \"teaching technicians\" for individual help.
Accessing sites like Books should be free, or similar ones might also be advantageous.
The price seems a little on the high side though. Volume worldwide distribution should help lower this, even with the added memory capability mentioned. Are you listening UN? Don\'t give a man a fish, teach the man to fish.
I agree. A pull cord, or crank charging system would be better.