Using iPod-like media players for teacher training in developing countries

[Elephantium]

One of my coworkers was in Africa for a project earlier this year, and he wrote about it here:

http://blog.sewardinc.com/2011/09/13/a-tutor-in-my-pocket/

Basically, they handed out generic iPod Touch-like media players to teachers in a poor African country so they could all take the same training course without having the infrastructure needed for a typical Internet course.

I'm a little torn on this concept. On the one hand, it makes a lot of sense: Get better training for the teachers, and they become better teachers. Better teachers mean better educations for the kids in these areas, and better education generally gives you more options in life.

OTOH, the infrastructure is so primitive in these areas that you might call it "putting the cart before the horse". In the pilot project, they were worried about teachers being able to recharge the devices -- maybe that money would be better spent on setting up a generator and some power lines in those areas.

What do you guys think?

 

[Perfection]

This is one area where green technology can actually excel. Let's say we want to get these mobile devices up and running. We don't really need a huge generator and a system of transmission lines, we just need a number of small local generators like community wind and solar projects. Or even personal scale generation devices.

 

[Zelig]

Why do they feel the need to mention ipods in this thing that has nothing to do with ipods?

 

[mdwh]

Why do they feel the need to mention ipods in this thing that has nothing to do with ipods?

Hear hear! In fact I misread the OP at first, and thought he meant they were using Ipods.

The Apple product placement is bad enough even when their products are being used (note how the media will always list an Apple product by name, yet not for other products - "his laptop", "his Macbook", "phone", "iPhone", "tablet", "iPad" etc), without giving them free advertising when they've got nothing to do with it.

We already have perfectly good names for such devices - PDAs, Palmtops etc. Do they assume all their readers are stupid Apple fans who can't understand what something is without a reference to an Apple brandname?

ETA - No wait, I didn't misread. The title of this thread is false.

 

[Elephantium]

Why do they feel the need to mention ipods in this thing that has nothing to do with ipods?

The same reason a person will ask you for a Kleenex so he can blow his nose.

And for all you complainers in the thread, I've edited the title.

 

[Perfection]

Why do they feel the need to mention ipods in this thing that has nothing to do with ipods?

Because the ipod touch is the most well known thing with similar functionality.

 

[mdwh]

It will be a sad day when "Ipod" becomes a generic term for a mobile computer. But we're not anywhere near that. It's not at all the same - Kleenix don't have armies of fans telling you about their Kleenix every day. (And yes, I've never heard anyone ask for a Kleenix. Examples would be things like Hoover - but sorry, Apple are nowhere in that league.)

Because the ipod touch is the most well known thing with similar functionality.

It's only well known because it gets an obligatory advert in vast numbers of articles, whether it's relevant or not - it's a circular thing.

(And I'd argue not - the Ipod is known for being a music player. I'm not convinced that referring to a music player helps convey the idea of a handheld computer. They could just say, handheld computer. Hell, a mobile phone is just as close to this device as an Ipod.)

To me, "X-like" implies that it is specifically very similar to "X", and not simply a product in the same market. I would never describe Linux by calling it "Windows-like". But if someone wrote an OS that is a clone, "Windows-like" would be appropriate. (And see my sig - my game is "Civ-like"; but if it was simply a strategy game that had nothing otherwise in common, it would be meaningless to call it that.) Note that no other company gets this treatment - as I say, a new operating system isn't "Windows like" (unless it really is following Windows specifically). We don't hear "Android like" for phone operating systems, or "Nokia like" for smartphones/phones in general. People don't describe a new car by referring to the most popular make of car. So the argument made can't be true - no, it's something particular that people do for Apple. Indeed, even in the markets where the generic term is well known, and Apple aren't the most popular, I've heard people still doing it for Apple - yes, I've actually heard someone describe a phone by saying "iPhone-like device"(!)

So, is this device specifically more like the Ipod Touch than any other handheld computing device? The features listed don't really make it clear... Maybe this is the case, in which case, that would be a fair reason. But the argument put forward in the comments here don't really make sense.

POSTED ON MY MAC LIKE COMPUTER RUNNING A LINUX LIKE OS CALLED WINDOWS.

 

[Elephantium]

mdwh, your examples don't really fit the situation of this thread ... the device in question was basically a cheap ipod clone.

While amusing (and perhaps justified), your Apple hate isn't terribly relevant to this topic.

 

[Perfection]

So, is this device specifically more like the Ipod Touch than any other handheld computing device?

that's pretty much my argument. Mobile phones have phone stuff, this thing doesn't. I don't know of a well-known device with more closely matched functionality.

 

[wolfigor]

that's pretty much my argument. Mobile phones have phone stuff, this thing doesn't. I don't know of a well-known device with more closely matched functionality.

What they need is something similar to the Amazon Kindle: simple, (relatively) cheap, limited energy consumption, highly readable, and with good connectivity.

I do have professional experience dealing with network operators (carriers for US friends) in Africa, and I'm not really optimist about the proposed scheme.

However the main problem is really the bad infrastructure in Africa.
It's true that a wireless (GPRS/EDGE in this case) connectivity is easier to establish than a cabled connectivity, however that's far from well available in Africa outside the main urban centres.
A GSM tower can be easily mounted and powered by solar electricity, but:
- Maintenance is a killer-cost in most of African climates
- Minimum (insufficient) number of people with necessary skill-set for setup and maintenance is available
- Infrastructure get routinely stolen or destroyed
- Devices need maintenance, replacement, and periodical powering (villages may not have any electricity).

Yes indeed is a no starter... just to don't mention that the connectivity network needs to be built in the first place to reach where the training is really needed: local governments or local companies are unlikely to foot the bill in the first place (until economically viable).

Without the connectivity you can simply use a printed book: much less "cool" but much more effective.

 

[Perfection]

Well, I'm not sure such pessimism is warranted. You're presuming that some sort of wireless connectivity is necessary for such a thing to work, but that could well not be the case:

1. I'm not convinced at the uselessness of a learning tool that lacks connectivity. I would certainly agree that connectivity is quite important, but to dismiss it as useless if it lacks it is a mistake

2. There are alternative connectivity methods to GSM and wired infrastructure such as satellite service and sneakernet

3. People are treating Africa as if it was homogeneous here, to make this device useful and a good idea it doesn't need to be available to all Africans or even most. The metric for usefulness is if it works in situations better than other solutions.

 

[wolfigor]

Well, I'm not sure such pessimism is warranted. You're presuming that some sort of wireless connectivity is necessary for such a thing to work, but that could well not be the case:

1. I'm not convinced at the uselessness of a learning tool that lacks connectivity. I would certainly agree that connectivity is quite important, but to dismiss it as useless if it lacks it is a mistake

In the OP the target is to bring (remote) training to people and places that cannot be reached by internet.
This, by definition, exclude the most developed areas and main urban centers.
You probably also want to distribute data (the training material) cheaply and quickly.
Thus you don't want people traveling around to bring updates on memory cards (else there is very little difference from traditional methods.

Without connectivity, well, thus usefulness of such devices is only to bring multimedia material for people that can't read... again the idea here is to bring learning material to teachers that are "on the ground" and not to each single individual.

2. There are alternative connectivity methods to GSM and wired infrastructure such as satellite service and sneakernet

Satellite is even more expensive than GSM (devices cost, consumption cost, more training to use, etc).

Sneakernet force people to travel around, they could get the training directly when they move isn't it?

3. People are treating Africa as if it was homogeneous here, to make this device useful and a good idea it doesn't need to be available to all Africans or even most. The metric for usefulness is if it works in situations better than other solutions.

Sure, some places are worst than others, and the effect of such project may vary.
However creating an expensive project for a very small community only is not scalable and will not bring any large scale advantage.
Instead of fancy solution, sometimes easy and cheap solution may bring huge value to millions of people.

For example a very low-tech and inexpensive crank radio is a much better idea:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953281/ns/world_news/t/bringing-radio-rural-africa/

is not as cool as talking about ipod-like devices connected to internet but fit the bill for cost, scalability, and maintenance.

 

[Elephantium]

For example a very low-tech and inexpensive crank radio is a much better idea:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953281/...-rural-africa/

is not as cool as talking about ipod-like devices connected to internet but fit the bill for cost, scalability, and maintenance.

Well, dynamo radios are pretty cool, but ... how do you play video on them? The whole point of the project was to make sure that a bunch of rural teachers all got the same training, without the expense and hassle of gathering them in the capital for a conference. A large part of that was video.

Instead, they had the expense and hassle of distributing the media players , but the logistics for having a small team doing some travel to 30 places are much easier than bringing 30 teachers in to the city.