A Proposed Low-cost Architecture for a Novel Smart Whiteboard: the “Textbook-on-the-Wall” project

1. Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

2. A Proposed Low-cost Architecture for a Novel Smart Whiteboard: the “Textbook-on-the-Wall” project Jean-Paul Van Belle <jvbelle@commerce.uct.ac.za> Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

3. 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

4. The Interactive Whiteboard • = laptop + projector + screen (input) • Advantages well-researched • Prohibitive cost for 3rd world environment • Computer literacy requirements Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

5. Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

6. Smart / electronic paper forsmart signs & electronic books Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

7. 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 The EduBoard:An interactive “textbook-on-a-wall” Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Open Research Issues • HCI • Commercial model (& IP) • Funding • Input system • Acceptance and adoption issues (teacher & learner) • Research partners needed!jvbelle@commerce.uct.ac.za Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

19. Cheap alternative for… + Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

20. www.diyprojectorcompany.com + + + Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

21. 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

22. 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/ Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

23. Questions? Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard

24. Electrowetting Textbook-on-a-Wall EduBoard