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= Educational Toolkit for OLPC = |
= Educational Toolkit for OLPC = |
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{{ Task |
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| name = Educational Toolkit |
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| duration = Months |
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| category = Software |
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| status = Started |
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| contributors = Deepank Gupta, David Goulet, Ross Light |
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}} |
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== |
== Motivation == |
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There was a nice project done in Chile using Ipacks: the "teacher" would pose a problem and the children would formulate an answer. Then they'd gather in groups of four and pool their answers. Each group of four would then reach consensus on an answer they thought was correct. All of the group answers would be shared with the entire class. Then a class discussion would ensue: why did Group A come up with that answer? The role of the computer and the teacher was to facilitate the discussion among the students and to focus discussion around problem areas that revealed themselves in discussion. A nice use of collaboration that has nothing to do with taking control or "all eyes forward". - Walter Bender |
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As the laptop will be used in the education of millions of children all around the world there is a need to have features that will radically change the way education is being imparted. With the introduction of a digital medium for imparting education, the teaching and testing procedures will also undergo an overhaul.Thus we need to have an educational toolkit for OLPC. |
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== Description == |
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The objective of this project will be to create a platform over which development of educational tests will be very easy. It will use the Python for development. After its development, even a simple rural teacher with no particular experience in programming/computer usage will be able to teach his/her students in new ways. |
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The educational toolkit is a software to facilitiate discussion in classroom with the help of technology. The software will aim at providing teachers and students with a tool to pose problems and then compare and discuss solutions. It will also be used as a formal testing tool for class tests and provide a better gauge of a student's progress to the teacher. |
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The software will be developed in Python with emphasis on easy User Interface and will aim to act like a tool which does not take over the job of teaching, but promotes natural class environment and will aim to fit in the classroom environment. The choice of Python as a programming language gives us the power of Object Oriented Design and Implementation along with lots of libraries and easy integration with Sugar. |
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== To Do == |
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1. Development of an easy to use tool for the development of new educational tests using Python. |
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2. Provide tutorials and examples to get a newbie started and make new tests in the matter of minutes. '' |
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== |
== Features == |
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#Formulation of a problem statement with the help of a few clicks into which images and text can be embedded. |
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#Simultaneous distribution of the problem/test to every student with the facility for typing and marking answers. |
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#Automatic Checking of objective answer sheets and manipulation of results. |
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#Demo mode from the teacher's device useful during a class discussion. |
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#Usage of DBus to communicate with other applications such as browser and calculators. |
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== Technology Choice == |
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#XML to share the data for which an XML schema has been defined. |
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1. Mr.Sharma is a geography teacher and wants his students to fill in the names of the states of India: He adds a map of India onto the drawing surface, Puts Fill in the Blanks and provide the right answers.Then he gives out the test to his students, they then submit their answers and the software checks their answers and reports their marks to Mr.Sharma. |
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#PyGTK for the frontend of the application. |
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#Using DBus Tubes for sending/receiving data and calling methods. '' |
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2. Mr.Sharma is a language teacher and wants to test the vocabulary of his students. He prepares a set of MCQs containing various meaning to a difficult word. He sends out his test to his students who do it in a specified time and return their answers. The tool calculates results and report to Mr.Sharma. |
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== Useful Links == |
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* http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.dom.html |
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* [shared sugar activities] |
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== Various Components == |
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* [tubes tutorial] |
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* http://www.w3schools.com/schema/default.asp |
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# Support for adding the following types of questions within few clicks : |
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## Fill in the Blanks |
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## Multiple choice Questions |
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## Match the following |
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## True/False |
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## Image based Questions. |
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# Support for entering answers to the questions by the teacher. |
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# Porting a question paper for the laptops of students. |
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# Ability to send and receive filled question papers. |
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# Automated Result Generation. |
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For component 1 and 2, easy to use GUI will be developed and libraries over PyGame API will be written which will make developement of quizzes a child play. |
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For components 3 & 4, a simple module for sending the files over the network would be written using send-and-relay protocols. For component 5, the results will be stored in a database in xml or crossmarks format which a teacher can use furthur too. |
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Future work will involve the development of a feature to allow a teacher to send his feedbacks to the students which will be preferably kept using CrossMarks or XML. Apart from that, new features would be developed in the future. |
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:Another feature would be to allow monitoring/restriction of time constraints and of use of other features of the laptop - specifically, communication, calculators, and browsers. Not all tests should be "silent, closed-book", but definitely some should be. Similarly, the honor system is great, but it works a whole lot better when there's a credible threat that enforcement would be possible if the honor system broke down.[[User:Homunq|Homunq]] 15:33, 31 July 2007 (EDT) |
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== Contact Me == |
== Contact Me == |
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My name is Deepank Gupta. Please feel free to add your valuable comments, criticism and ideas in the discussion page and contact me at - deepankgupta@gmail.com |
My name is Deepank Gupta. Please feel free to add your valuable comments, criticism and ideas in the discussion page and contact me at - deepankgupta@gmail.com. |
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Revision as of 21:35, 23 March 2008
Educational Toolkit for OLPC
Motivation
There was a nice project done in Chile using Ipacks: the "teacher" would pose a problem and the children would formulate an answer. Then they'd gather in groups of four and pool their answers. Each group of four would then reach consensus on an answer they thought was correct. All of the group answers would be shared with the entire class. Then a class discussion would ensue: why did Group A come up with that answer? The role of the computer and the teacher was to facilitate the discussion among the students and to focus discussion around problem areas that revealed themselves in discussion. A nice use of collaboration that has nothing to do with taking control or "all eyes forward". - Walter Bender
Description
The educational toolkit is a software to facilitiate discussion in classroom with the help of technology. The software will aim at providing teachers and students with a tool to pose problems and then compare and discuss solutions. It will also be used as a formal testing tool for class tests and provide a better gauge of a student's progress to the teacher.
The software will be developed in Python with emphasis on easy User Interface and will aim to act like a tool which does not take over the job of teaching, but promotes natural class environment and will aim to fit in the classroom environment. The choice of Python as a programming language gives us the power of Object Oriented Design and Implementation along with lots of libraries and easy integration with Sugar.
Features
- Formulation of a problem statement with the help of a few clicks into which images and text can be embedded.
- Simultaneous distribution of the problem/test to every student with the facility for typing and marking answers.
- Automatic Checking of objective answer sheets and manipulation of results.
- Demo mode from the teacher's device useful during a class discussion.
- Usage of DBus to communicate with other applications such as browser and calculators.
Technology Choice
- XML to share the data for which an XML schema has been defined.
- PyGTK for the frontend of the application.
- Using DBus Tubes for sending/receiving data and calling methods.
Useful Links
- http://docs.python.org/lib/module-xml.dom.html
- [shared sugar activities]
- [tubes tutorial]
- http://www.w3schools.com/schema/default.asp
Status Update
The coding for the project has started and soon it will have a repository of its own.
Contact Me
My name is Deepank Gupta. Please feel free to add your valuable comments, criticism and ideas in the discussion page and contact me at - deepankgupta@gmail.com.