...the founder of MIT's Media Labs, announced the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program at the World Economic Forum. The concept was simple and appealing. Innovate a $100 laptop and distribute it to children in the developing world. No one can argue the power of getting kids access to computers/internet, and hence, access to a virtually limitless store of information, connectivity to the world and educational software. And for a technology optimist like Negroponte, the payoffs were obvious. But as the OLPC program has found out over the years, there is more to the success of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in Education, than just handing out computers to kids, and expect it to works its magic on its own. To begin with, the premises and approach of OLPC program as articulated by Negroponte are fundamentally flawed. OLPC stipulates that laptops be owned by children over the age of six rather than by schools. Efforts to reform curricula and assessment are viewed by the program as too slow or expensive, and teacher training as of limited value due to teacher absenteeism and incompetence, so laptop implementation must proceed without them. The program also believes that in the end, "the students will teach themselves on how to use the laptop. They'll teach one another, and we have confidence in the kids' ability to learn". The other flaw in this program is that the poorest countries targeted by OLPC cannot afford laptop computers for all their children and would be...
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...business practices used to augment the solution for one laptop per child: While now costing $200 per laptop, the OLPC XO-1 contains an impressive array of technology Advances that are not found in the most expensive commercial laptops. Each advance is Tweaked to facilitate the constructionist goal of children’s collaborative learning. Sugar Learning Platform The laptop user interface, the software that children navigate to interact with the computer is called Sugar. It doesn’t look like Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, or any flavor of Linux, but it is Open Source software, where any user can customize the code. based on the Linux operating system, Sugar’s every aspect is designed to encourage collaboration. It starts with a circle of activities, not programs, and promotes the sharing of the activities both online and through the physical interaction a child has with the computer. Take the classic computer game Tetris. Sugarized, for the XO-1, it is now called Block Party, a collaborative spatial manipulation learning tool where multiple Players work in concert to place irregular-sized blocks in congruent, solid lines. Mesh Networking To facilitate this constant collaboration, OLPC is implementing a new wireless Internet protocol called 802.11s, which allows each XO-1 to directly and instantly connect with another. This mesh network eliminates the need for a traditional central computer router each laptop automatically becomes a router - and allows every computer...
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...One Laptop Per Child I am currently taking an information systems class in my post-secondary education, day dreaming away, when suddenly the professor puts on your companies mission videos. If I look around the campus I realize one thing, it is that the vast majority of our population is taking for granted many of the opportunities that are given to us. Just by being born into certain countries we have the chance to seize many opportunities that others do not. Education, health care and technology are all assumed as necessities for the youth of first world countries. When did our minds become so distorted that we let it go unnoticed that these aren’t needs but rather privileges that we are granted. One Laptop per Child has donated 2.4 million laptops, constructed to withstand some of the world’s harshest climates. So not only developed countries, but third world countries as well, have the ability to learn not only about what is happening in their country and local environment/government, but all around the world via the web. The world is in an unpredictable state, but putting educational tools in the hands of youth will help give them a better understanding of what is happening, to prepare, study and even forecast future economical recessions, weather outbreaks and many other crisis’s. Giving laptops to kids who have never had more than $5 to their name is not only a heart-warming act, but an opportunity to change their lives and the lives of their future children. As...
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...Quanta Computer and the One Laptop per Child Initiative Quanta Computer is a company based in Taiwan, China. They manufacture and design products for many major tech companies such as Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, and Sony, just to name a few. What turned Quanta into one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world? To start off Quanta is strategically positioned in Taiwan, which just like many other Asian countries has gained significant ground in the computer world since the 1970’s. With Taiwan's competition in the industry being so high it kept their margins and prices low, which is very appealing to many major computer companies. Component designs within computers also became simpler and more standard which made it easier for companies in Taiwan to produce. (2.) Based on the Network Readiness Index for 2013 Taiwan ranks 10th out of 144 countries poled. If we look at the GIT report for 2013 Taiwan scored 6 out of 7 for local competition giving them a rank of 3rd out of 144. With accessibility to digital content also scored high with 6.3 out of 7. Factor in their math and science education ranking 6th overall, it is easy to see why Taiwan is home to a major company like Quanta Computer. (1, p.268) Quanta’s competitive strategies were geared towards having the company become a market leader in almost every aspect of business it entered. We see Quanta recently move towards vertical integration by controlling many of its procedures ranging from shipping...
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...Case Analysis of Marketing the “$100 Laptop” The idea of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) was brought by Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and director of the MIT Media Laboratory. Nicholas Negroponte created and developed a stir --“$100 Laptop”—in the personal computer industry. OLPC aims “to provide each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop” (www.one.laptop.org) Nicholas Negroponte has a vision to launch the education movement that would help alleviate poverty by connecting children in developing countries to the rest of the world. Therefore, he described OLPC “is an education project, not a laptop project” (Quelch, 2008). Problems facing by OLPC OLPC offers a laptop which is low power requirement, preventing water or sand or dirt damage, open source software, unique interface, and possibility for solar power and hand-crank powering lost cost (Quelch, 2008). These terms for an innovative, unique laptop seem bound for success (Davison, 2008). The $100 laptop should be experiencing growth in developing countries. However, some developing countries are reluctant to develop OLPC laptop, and some have cancelled planned purchases (Kraemer, Dedrick & Sharma, 2009). Meanwhile, the OLPC organization (www. olpc.com) struggles with key staff defections, budget cuts, mission disillusionment, high cost of OLPC laptop, difficult to sell to developing countries and unexpected aggressive competitors’ threats. These obstacles faced by OLPC indicate OLPC might not provide a...
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...emergence of the first personal computers in the 1970s (Beekman and Beekman, 2012), to smart phones today that make earlier computers look like dinosaurs, technology has come a long way. It is so ingrained in our lives it is almost unimaginable to fathom living in a world without it. And yet, some still do. It also begs the question that if ever connectivity was lost would it cause the western world to devolve and become 2nd world countries, or even third world. This paper explores the Digital Divide as it is defined today, the areas which are most affected by this divide, and focuses on Africa, and solutions implemented to try to close the gap. The term “Digital Divide” was coined some time in the 1990s, evolving from a number of definitions. One of its earlier definitions was by Woolinksy, defined as the lack of access to computers (Gunkel, 2003). It has since evolved to be known as the social concern that various groups in the world have a lack of access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT). However, it is not just limited to the lack of access. It is also about the socio-economic inequalities that exist within countries, ability, access, gender, ethnicity, culture, age, language, educational level, income and connectivity to the Internet (OECD, 2001 and Economist Intelligence Unit, 2012). Most importantly, it is the divide in the level of skill and proficiency in...
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...Introduction OLPC is a relatively new project. Nicolas Negroponte first announced his idea of a low-cost laptop to be used by children at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2005. Although this was the culmination of decades‟ worth of work from Negroponte, as far back as distributing microcomputers to school children in Dakar in 1982, the first XO deployment only took place in February 2007, with mass production beginning in November of that year. The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, they need people who believe in what they’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege. The root cause of the rapid change, digital technology, also provides a solution. When every child has a connected laptop, they have in their hands the key to full development and participation. Limits are erased as they can learn to work with others around the world, to access high-quality, modern materials, to engage their passions and develop their expertise. What children lack is not capability, it is opportunity and resources. The tool with which to unlock their potential is the XO. Put this ultra-low-cost, poweful, rugged, low-power, ecological laptop in their hands and contribute to making a better world. In the first years of OLPC They have seen two million previously marginalized children learn...
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...| Education and Schools: Supporting Positive Outcomes | The Role of Education in Addressing Global Threats-EDUC-4012-1 | | Regina Haney | 7/27/2014 | | Your perspective on the role that education plays in supporting healthy development and well-being for all children in our diverse world. Our children are the future. It is very important for ALL children to have the necessary education so they can grow up fit, strong, happy, and secure. There are so many issues that need to be addressed, not only in our country, but worldwide, as well. One such issue is to encourage equality between the sexes and allow women more power. There has to be opportunities for both boys and girls to acquire the needed training and instruction that is the basis which is needed for the aims and objectives for continual growth. The rate of boys and girls attending school is very unbalanced; for every 100 boys not in school there are 117 girls who are in the same position. These figures represent the unlikelihood to form the understanding which is crucial to wipe out destitution, starvation, squalor, fight diseases, and guarantee balance within one’s surroundings. (UNICEF, 2014). As of 2001, about 115 million children who are of primary school age, the majority, girls, are not attending school; teaching girls ensures an increase in growth for everyone. When this happens, more females are able to exist, properly nourished, and better educated. When young girls have received the necessary...
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...Nicolas Negroponte – Contributions to HCI and a Bid to “Save the World” In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte addressed the World Economic Forum with a computing idea to “save the world”. (1) Less than three years later, the One Laptop Per Child initiative (OLPC) launched into distribution with unprecedented cooperation of the United Nations, corporate funders, and governments organizations. Though it is early to review the success of Negroponte’s OLPC initiative, it provides us with an opportunity to explore the implications for rethinking the roles and responsibilities of individual researchers as key ethical players in the equitable design and distribution of technology. With corporations seeking new consumers to distribute technology and bridge the rapidly shrinking digital divide, it’s valuable to ask these questions while there is still time for researchers to contribute their leadership, vision, historical perspective, and critical thinking to ethically inform and guide this process. This paper will review Negroponte’s contributions to HCI and explore linkages to historical figures of the field. In addition, this paper aims to critically review Negroponte’s influence as an advocate for universal usability and the OLPC project. Architecture Machine Group In 1967 Negroponte founded the Architecture Machine Group at MIT. Researchers in the group invented new concepts and developed new approaches to human-computer interaction. Inspired, in part, by Ivan Sutherland’s Sketchpad...
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...and evaluation of the situation concerning XO Computers. Included in this analysis are marketing objectives, product adaptation, promotion mix, channels of distribution, and price determination. Although the main use of these computers was meant to be sold to schools for a low price, our company has found that these computers can be successfully sold in other markets as well. In Colombia, we can market our XO computers to both the rich and the poor. We will aim to target children of Colombian coffee farmers who strive to learn but cannot afford expensive technology. In fact, there are 618,199 households in the coffee-growing region of Colombia. In addition, there are 653,471 children aged between 5-19 years old (average of one school-aged child per household) in these areas. About 39% of the population in the coffee-growing region (made up of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío regions) did not finish primary school and/or secondary school. So, we believe that there is a large market that would be interested in our product. The price will be set at $250, which we believe is a reasonable price. Based on the average income of a Colombian worker, we believe that our product will be well received in the Colombian coffee regions. We believe that the adults will want to invest in their child’s future, as well as buying a well-made piece of technology for an inexpensive price. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Part 1: Market Audit and Competitive Market Analysis The Product...
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...world laptop for real world change. The IQRA laptop will be designed collaboratively by experts and industry to combine innovations in technology and learning. IQRA Notebook, Net-book and Notepad are standard durable, functional, energy-efficient, responsive, and fun. . As the pace of change in the world increases dramatically, the urgency to prepare all children to be full citizens of the emerging world also increases dramatically. No one can predict the world our children will inherit. The best preparation for children is to develop the passion for learning and the ability to learn how to learn. The most important cause of the rapid change in digital technology also provides a solution. When every child has a connected laptop, they have in their hands the key to full development and participation. Limits are erased as they can learn to work with others around the world, to access high-quality, modern materials, to engage their passions and develop their expertise. Roughly 2 million children and teachers in Latin America are currently part of an OLPC project, with another 500,000 in Africa and the rest of the world. Largest national partners include Uruguay Peru (our largest deployment, involving over 8,300 schools), Argentina, Mexico, and Rwanda. Other significant projects have been started in Gaza, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Mongolia. We aim to undertake this similar project “One IQRA Per Child (OIOC)” in KSA like UNICEF – One Laptop Per Child...
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...Movers And Shakers In Education There are individuals and happenings both in the near and far past that have molded the current tutoring system. The arrangement has had conversions in an endeavor towards the finest condition. The individuals made imperative steps in this effort. The events had both unwanted and desirable consequences on education. To have an enhanced perspective on the arrangement, one has to assess the milestones that have in wholesome totaled up to the current outlook of the education scheme. This essay will describe some of the undertakings and individuals who instigated the milestones that have had a noteworthy bearing on US education system. The Meriam Report The report was emanated in 1928, and it gave insight into the devastating existence circumstances of Natives during that period. Most importantly the educational challenges facing the group were addressed, and it was starting point for the matters related to learning for the community to be prioritized (Webb et al., 2010). Besides schooling, the said report also gathered information on other aspects of the health of the Indians, family and community life, legal issues, missionary activities among Indians and the economic facet. It gave insight into all aspects of their life, and it’s the reports’ recommendations that instigated educational transformations for them as well as other beneficial policies for the community. The effect therefore of the report was the furtherance of educational contexts...
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...and develop notebook computers.” (1) However at this time the desktop computer industry was growing due to the fact that Taiwanese manufactures quickly captured global market shares in computer components such as keyboards, computer mice and computer monitors. (2) This made it easy for Quanta to get into these manufacturing companies at a low price. During this time firms such as Dell, IBM, HP and Apple were undergoing fierce competition and were looking to offshore their expensive manufacturing from the United States to somewhere else. This is when they started to outsource assembly and design to Quanta; in 2008 the main customers of Quanta were HP, Dell, Apple, Acer and Lenovo. (3) By 2011, Quanta manufactured all 13.4 million of Apple’s laptop computers that were shipped for that year. (4) And Quanta had a 35% worldwide market share of notebook computers. The main issues that Quanta had with all of the companies that offshored to it were primarily tied to competition. Price competition was very intense in Taiwan because of all these companies trying to cut costs that margins for profit were being consistently lowered. Quanta took a different approach and “focused more on the design-intensive work to escape the low-margin trap becoming an early leader among Taiwan’s ODM firms.” (5) This led Quanta to focus on design to put together notebook computers that were more streamlined and able to achieve some significant design wins. However even though they were able to gain some...
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...the following evidence and information about: - How the strategy is based on the principles of marketing. - How sources of primary and secondary marketing information will be used in relation to the product. - An analysis of how the impact of the external environment will affect the marketing decisions of the product to be launched. - An analysis of the marketing context and decision on an appropriate strategy. - A developed coherent mix of strategies to meet consumer needs. - An evaluation of the reliability of the different marketing models used. I have chosen to base this marketing strategy on a new laptop. I have decided to launch a new laptop (The PowerBook 4000), which will feature a computer chip for wireless networking and longer battery life. The company developing this new laptop will be Apple Macintosh and it will be a revolutionized development of the PowerBook G4. The Principles of Marketing Marketing is the process of learning about your customers and competitors, so that you can provide the right products at the right price in the right place, promoted in the right way to achieve your business’s objectives. Therefore, in order for Apple’s marketing strategies to be successful, its market knowledge must consist of the following elements: - To understand customer needs. - To understand and keep ahead of competition. - To communicate effectively with its customers to satisfy...
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...Smart! But can it make your child learn better? by Karan Khemka [->0] Schools are turning to education technology to provide better teaching. Yet, despite strong growth, many edutech companies face challenges for sustainable growth With exploding affluence in emerging markets like India and Brazil, governments are unable to keep up with the demand for high-quality education among the growing middle class. Families are turning to private schools, and enrolment has grown, for example, in China by 12 percent and India by 8 percent per year in recent years. Entrepreneurs are opening private institutions at unprecedented rates: In India, the current 70,000 private schools are expected to double in the next decade, with an astonishing 20-30 schools set to open daily. Two new private schools are opening in Sao Paulo each day. | The rapid growth of these markets is generating intense competition among private schools. Unlike other consumer offerings, schools are both highly localised and experiential; urban families have breadth to be choosy, and schools must deliver reviews and results before families will opt in. It is no coincidence that top schools and universities—Oxford, Harvard, Eton, Andover—are also the oldest schools in their countries. Our findings show that 20 percent of Brazilian private schools and 25 percent of Indian private schools have been in operation less than five years. This creates a challenging set of circumstances in which new schools must differentiate...
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