[IAEP] Classroom research project in Indiana

[Edward Mokurai Cherlin]

I have been offered funding for a research project on XOs, Sugar, and
OERs, and I would like to get information on similar projects.

The funding would cover XOs and other equipment (power, WiFi, server),
teacher training, and testing, at least, for one classroom, preferably
in an inner-city school in Indiana. We would also try out some OERs
from the Sugar Labs Replacing Textbooks program and from FLOSS
Manuals, and write some more. I have asked the Indiana University
eLearning Center and the Indiana DOEd eLearning people for their views
and possibilities for collaboration.

Indiana has a law allowing computers to be purchased from the textbook
budget. So if we could get a statewide OER project to replace all of
the textbooks, we could afford computers for all students at a net
savings.

The first question is how to get the hardware for this project, since
the usual minimum purchase is 10,000 units. Obviously there are
projects at education schools that have gotten past that obstacle.

I would like to gather data on all existing classroom projects in the
US in order to write a report on them for prospective partners. I
would share it with this community, of course. Perhaps there are
opportunities for collaboration between projects, as well.

I assume that many such projects have developed materials that would
be of use in this project, whether software, teacher training
materials, lesson plans, or any other.

The question of testing is a vexed one, as any of you know who have
seen the nonsense published about the Peru study. Opponents of our
work ignore improvements in cognitive skills, among other issues. More
broadly, none of us entirely know what else we should be measuring. In
general, in scientific inquiries, a good question is worth thousands
of ordinary answers.

I have also been approached for a very different OLPC project in
another country which I will write about when I know something more
definite. Well, I can say that there is involvement from an
international foundation, and possibly UNESCO, and that there is talk
of an international conference. But so far it is just talk.

-- 
Edward Mokurai (默雷/निशब्दगर्ज/نشبدگرج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Replacing_Textbooks