Six internationally agreed education goals aim to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015. (Courtesy of UNESCO)

Goal 1
Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children

Goal 2
Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.

Goal 3
Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes

Goal 4
Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.

Goal 5
Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality.

Goal 6
Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

Document management software is used to track and store electronic documents and images of paper documents. This software can be used by administrators, teachers and other educators to ensure that they keep their work organised and to facilitate rapid retrieval of useful documents and resources. It makes it easier to perform tasks such as searching for and retrieving documents, and thereby can be used as a tool to improve workflow and efficiency.

Document management software is necessary in order to address the issue of data proliferation. Data proliferation is problematic for several reasons:

• Difficulty and time required to find and retrieve information;
• Data loss and legal liability when data is disorganised, not properly replicated, or cannot be found in a timely manner;
• As data proliferates, more manpower is required to manage data storage resources.
• Slower networks and application performance due to excess traffic as users search and search again for the material they need;
• High cost in terms of the energy resources required to operate storage hardware.

Document management software commonly provide storage, versioning, metadata, security, as well as indexing and retrieval capabilities. Document management software will typically cover some or all of the following areas:

• Location and Time;
• Retrieval - Mode? Time? Technology?
• Filing - Organization? Strategy?
• Security - Protection against loss, tampering or destruction of documents? How to deal with sensitive information?
• Archival - Readability? How can we protect our documents against fires, floods or natural disasters?
• Retention - What to retain? Length of retention? Removal?
• Distribution - People? Cost of distribution?
• Workflow - If documents need to pass from one person to another, what are the rules for how their work should flow?
• Creation - Number of people and logistics of collaboration?
• Authentication/Approval - How do we provide needed requirements for legal submission to government and private industry that the documents are original and meet their standards for authentication?

Some examples of using document management software in education are listed below.

Scenario: Ms. Mara is a teacher would like to keep her students electronic work in an orderly and easily accessible way. She installs document management software and uses the software to store the work so that it is easily retrievable.

Scenario: Mr. Banaag would like to set up a digital library at his school. With the help of the librarian and some students, Mr. Banaag has compiled a large collection of digital documents. Using document management software, he creates meta-tags and organizes the documents so that they can be accessed easily and quickly.

Further information:

• Web Tools for Educators CD-ROM

Related links:

• Document Management System – Wikipedia
• 21st Century Document Management
• Document Management Solution Helps to Support Qatar’s National Education Reform
• Blue Valley Unified School District
• Data proliferation – Wikipedia
• The paperless office: Accepting digitized data
• Counting Costs of Digital Preservation

Textbooks have long been crucial to providing the content of education because they organize information and make it convenient and manageable for learners. The printed textbook, however, is becoming overly expensive for students, not to mention the world’s poor -who desperately need better learning. Also new information is being added to human knowledge so rapidly that a textbook may be out of date by the time it appears in print where digital online textbooks - downloaded from the Internet - can be regularly revised and updated.

Clearly, traditional printed textbooks alone will not be adequate to meet the world’s educational needs. Fortunately, powerful new technologies can greatly overcome those limitations. The first electronic textbooks arose through the convergence of print, video, sound, film and graphics with a variety of delivery media including cell phones, digital radio, TV and wireless Internet connections. These will converge and the resulting educational instrument may in a decade cost as little as ten dollars.

This article, published by G. Parker Rossman in his three-volume online book on the future of lifelong education, explores the potential of online textbooks, which can be tailored to the needs of each individual learner.

Read more: Future of online ‘textbooks’ and modules

Once a year Global Teenager Project coördinators meet to evaluate and receive training.
This event is called Johan Kooij Fellowship; the JKF 2008 takes place in The Netherlands. About 28 Country Coordinators representing almost 32 countries are meeting to evaluate past performance and strategise for the coming year. In 1999, IICD and MediaPlaza set up a fellowship in memory of the late Johan Kooij, a Dutchman who firmly believed in the power of education to unite people. The Johan Kooij Fellowship (JKF) provides the Country Coordinators with an annual network event somewhere in the world. The Country Coordinators provide continuous support and guidance to all the GTP schools, teachers and pupils in their respective countries.

A short inventory of known projects related to ‘low cost ICT user devices for the developing world’, with special attention to the education sector.

The projects and products included in this idiosyncratic list run the gamut from small research projects at universities to field-based experiments run by NGOs to commercial products from small start-ups and large multinationals. Products are in various stages of development; while most are still in the prototyping and/or beta-testing stages, some are already in the market (and some, it should be noted, have been discontinued).

The products listed here come in many form factors: Some look like conventional PCs or laptops, others look more like PDAs or phones, and some are somewhere in between. The lines are blurring between many categories of device. We have deliberately excluded from this list devices that most people would call a ‘PDA’ or a ‘phone’, even though mobile phones are perhaps the ‘low-cost ICT device’ in widest use. We have also not included various examples of ‘probeware’ (purpose-built data collection devices), even though this category of low-cost ‘computing device’ is increasingly being found in many educational settings, nor various types of ‘e-book readers’ (with one exception).

Please note that this list is for informational purposes only; inclusion here does not suggest any endorsement by infoDev of the value or viability of any project, program or organization. The list is meant to be representational, and is by no means comprehensive. In many instances, specific countries of deployment are linked to specific initiatives; this information comes from published press reports and has not been independently verified by infoDev. In some instances, products listed here are currently only available in developed country markets; the inclusion of such products here is meant to draw attention to various types of low-cost devices that might be relevant to or available in developing country markets in the future.

Related briefing sheets:
- Quick guide to some alternative models to provide connectivity in low- and no-bandwidth environments
- Quick guide to prominent initiatives promoting the development of low-cost computing devices for developing countries
- Quick guide to government-sponsored “Cheap PC” Programs

A List of Some Known Organizations and Products (not exhaustive)

• Aleutia E1
  Commercial [Africa]
  Low-power, ruggedized desktop running Linux, meant to be designed/optimized for use in rural Africa.
  
• Alphasmart (Neo, Dana)
  Commercial
  AlphaSmart makes two portable, battery-powered keyboarding devices. The Neo is essentially a word-processor and was designed for use in schools. The Dana can run Palm OS applications and can be connected via wi-fi.
  
• AMD Personal Internet Communicator
  Commercial [Mexico, other countries] (discontinued, assets sold in 2007 to Data Evolution, maker of the Cathena and Clio, successor device known as decTOP)
  AMD’s Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) was the first product to emerge out of its “50×15″ initiative (50% of the world connected by 2015). The PIC was meant to provide managed Internet access for consumers to access e-mail, browse web sites, etc. , running a version of Microsoft Windows.
  
• Chang Feng
  Commercial [China]
  A ruggedized ‘rural PC’ from Beijing Science and Technology Commission utilizing Red Flax Linux that links farmers to agricultural information networks; it also ships with educational, health and karaoke software. (Chang Feng means ‘Strong Wind’).
  
• Computador Popular (Popular PC)
  Status unknown [Brazil]
  Computador Popular was an Internet appliance without a floppy, hard disk or CD-ROM drive primarily meant for Internet access in Brazil. Also known as the Popular PC (PPC) and the ‘Volkscomputer’, it was supported by the government’s Fund for the Universalization of Communication.
  
• Cowboy
  Protoype [Brazil]
  Code name for an “ultra-portable” computing device (between a PC and a PDA) running a modified version of Windows CE being developed by Brazil’s Unesp (State University of São Paulo “Julio de Mesquita Filho”) with a price-point of US$250.
  
• decTOP
  Commercial
  Successor to AMD’s PIC, Data Evolution’s decTOP is a rugged, low-cost computing device runing Linux or Windows CE.
  
• Desert PC
  NGO, pilot [Mali] (operational)
  From GeekCorps Mali, a computer built using using locally-available, off-shelf hardware components and free, open source software able to operate in high heat, high dust environments with low electricity and provide affordable Internet access, based on VIA’s Mini-ITX.
  
• Digital Textbook
  Commercial [South Korea] (currently pilot, plans for national roll-out by 2011)
  The Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has announced that all Korean students will use a ‘digital textbook’ from Fujitsu (Stylistic ST5030) utilizing the Windows XP Tablet PC. The estimated cost is approximately US$100.
  
• eBox
  Commercial
  Series of fanless, very low-power PCs from Taiwan’s DMP Electronics.
  
• E-DUC Projeto Caderno Digital (”digital notebook”)
  Commercial [Brazil]
  Linux-based, low-cost PC project for the education sector in the Brazilian state of Paraná.
  
• Eee PC
  Commercial
  Low-priced, Linux-based laptop from Asus with no moving parts.
  
• EELS (EduVision E-Learning System)
  Pilot [Kenya]
  EELS is an end-to-end content management system utilizing open source software to distribute digital educational content to an ‘eSlate’, tablet device into which data is input via a stylus or buttons. The eSlate is connected wirelessly to a base station which receives content via satellite radio.
  
• Elonex ONE
  Commercial [UK]
  A sub-£100, Linux-based laptop out of the UK aimed at the education sector.
  
• FonePlus
  Research prototype/concept, commercial
  From Microsoft Research, a prototype mobile phone-based computer to be connected to a television display and a keyboard, for use in emerging markets.
  
• Fulong Mini-PC (also known as “Longmeng”, “Lemote Box”, “Loongson Box”)
  Commercial, prototypes shipped [China]
  An inexpensive, light-weight, Linux-based laptop utilizing a Godson-2 (Loongson) processor developed at an institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), designed for use in remote areas of China. Marketed by Jiangsu Lemote Technology Corporation Limited, a joint venture between Jiangsu Menglan Group Corporation and the Institute of Computing Technology at CAS. (note: ‘Longmeng’ means ‘dragon dream’.)
  
• gPC
  Commercial
  Low-cost, low-power PC from Everex sold through Walmart (sometimes incorrectly, and misleadingly, referred to as the ‘Google PC’).
  
• HP 441
  Commercial (discontinued)
  The Linux-based HP 441 desktop solution allowed for four independent users to simultaneously use a single PC. This product, which has been discontinued, was born from HP experiences in a pilot project in Mogalakwena, South Africa.
  
• InkMedia Computer
  Commercial (availability unknown)
  Low cost laptop with no moving parts meant to sell for under $300.
  
• Ink PC
  Commercial, not yet available
  A ROM-based laptop computer utilizing open source software.
  
• Intel Classmate (Eduwise)
  Commercial
  Intel’s low-cost laptops for the education market; utilize flash memory instead of a hard drive and run Microsoft Windows XP.
  
• Intel Community PC
  Commercial [India, China]
  The umbrella term for products and initiatives related to ‘ruggedized’ PC from Intel and others designed to operate in remote communities with challenging environmental conditions (weather, unreliable power). Many of these computers are expected to be used in Internet “kiosk” centers in villages in India. Wipro’s ”SuperGenius Bharat PC” is one example. In China, this has a few incarnations, from the “Happy Family” PC (JiaJiaLe), produced by Intel and Haier to the Chang Feng (see separate entry above), to the Shandong Rural Worker’s PC, in which Microsoft is also involved.
  
• Inveneo
  Pilot [Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Mali and Guinea-Bissau]
  The Inveneo Communications System is meant to provide computing, Internet Access and VoIP telephony for places with little or no access to electricity or affordable communications. The Inveneo System, which utilizes open source software and solar power, is specifically designed to meet the needs of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), local governments, private entities and the communities they serve.
  
• iT (ATM1088(L))
  Commercial [Brazil]
  Compact portable device from Aisatotal.net running Windows CE meant to be distributed free of charge to end users, through the support of sponsors (who ‘own’ various hotkeys on the device that directly connect users to specific web sites).
  
• ITP-C
  Commercial [Spanish/Portuguese language education markets]
  Portable ‘everything in one’ (todo en uno) touchscreen PC device running Windows.
  
• IQ PC
  Commercial [India]
  Low-cost education PC from Microsoft and AMD for the Indian market, in partnership with Zenith and Wipro.
  
• Janata PC
  Commercial [India]
  Low-cost computing device from Wipro, HCL and India’s Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAIT) running Linux.
  
• Jhai PC
  Pilot [Laos, Navajo Nation (USA)]
  A low-power, ruggedized PC utilizing localized open source software applications, designed for use in remote villages and other challenging environments.
  
• Kindle
  Commercial [USA]
  The Amazon Kindle (from Amazon.com) is a wireless e-book reader currently only available in the UNited States, where it retails for $399.

• Leapfrog Clickstart
  Commercial
  Labelled by many an ‘educational toy’, the ‘ClickStart My First Computer’ was designed especially for learners between ages 3-6. Connected to a TV, it is meant to introduce computer and preschool skills.
  
• Mecer Education PC
  Commercial [South Africa]
  Low-cost education PC for the South African market running a Via processor.
  
• Mobilis and SofComp
  Commercial [India, Brazil]
  Low-cost, Linux-based devices from Encore Software with no hard drives. Originally sponsored by a grant from India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
  
• Municator
  Commercial, not yet available [China]
  An inexpensive Linux-based computer from YellowSheepRiver China, designed for Chinese markets utilizing the Godson-2 (Loongson) CPU.
  
• Norhtec MicroClient JrSX & New MicroClient, Gecko
  Commercial [Thailand]
  Norhtec’s small, low-power, low-noise MicroClient JrSX retails for US$85, uses flash memory and features a low-end AMD processor. The more expensive New MicroClient contains a 40 GB hard drive and twice as much RAM (256MB). The sub-$300 Gecko laptop is meant to run a flavor of Linux and utilize a Via processor.
  
• Nokia N770 Internet Tablet
  Commercial
  A small palmtop wireless Internet appliance operated with a stylus running Linux for wireless Internet browsing and e-mail with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of Flash.
  
• Nova Net PC & Nova Net TV
  Commercial [India]
  Novatium produces the Nova Net PC, a low-cost network computer, and the Nova Net TV, a low-cost home entertainment computing device.
  
• Ndiyo!
  Pilot [South Africa]
  An ultra-thin-client computing solution utilizing open source software developed in Cambridge (UK). (note: ‘Ndiyo’ is the Swahili word for ‘yes’).
  
• OfficeStation (PC Expanion)
  Commercial
  Low-cost thin client solution from nComputing of Malaysia.
  
• One Laptop Per Child ($100 laptop, Children’s Machine 1, CM1, XO) (OLPC wiki)
  Not yet available [Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uruguay]
  The most famous of the initiatives seeking to provide low cost computing devices for the developing world, a Linux-based, low-power laptop meant to connect wirelessly to broadband using mesh networks and featuring an innovative display mechanism.
  
• Open Book project
  Hardware specification (proposed)
  An initiative to develop an open source hardware and software specification for future products.
  
• PCtvt
  Pilot, discontinued [India]
  A low-cost, wirelessly networked personal computer developed at Carnegie Mellon University. (note: PCtvt stands for “PC, TV, Video and Telephone.)
  
• Simputer
  Commercial [India]
  The first high profile initiative to provide low cost computing devices for the developing world, the Simputer is a small handheld computer utilizing the Linux operating system. (note: ‘Simputer’ stands for ‘Simple, Inexpensive and Multilingual People’s compUTER’). Versions manufactured by Encore and Amida (PicoPeta).
  
• Sinomanic
  Commercial not yet available [China]
  Based on the Godson-1 (Loongson) processor, this series of low cost laptop is from Sichuan Guoxin Technology. The Tianhua GX-1C and GX-1C sub-notebooks are meant for Chinese schools; the Tian Yan GX-2 will use a Tv for display and is meant for rural farmers.
  
• Sirius
  Commercial [Pakistan]
  A low-cost handheld computer between the size of a PDA and a sub-notebook, the battery-powered Sirius uses the AlephOS and features zero moving parts, a full QWERTY keyboard and can interface with ohter peripherals Iincluding mobile phones and PCs).
  
• SolarLite PC
  status unknown
  Based on Open Hardware concept, SolarLite PC designs are meant to be provided royalty free so that individual countries or large organizations can manufacture low-cost computers for themselves in perpetuity.
  
• Solo
  Commercial, not yet available [Nigeria]
  The Solo is meant to be an ultra-low power, transportable computer designed to operate from a number of different power sources, including solar panels and lead-acid vehicle batteries.
  
• Teachermate
  Commercial [USA: Chicago schools]
  A handheld computer designed for pupils in the first years of primary school.
  
• Terra/PHD
  Commercial, not yet available [India]
  The Terra/PHD systems designed by the Taiwanese firm Via are meant to be low-cost, energy-efficient computing appliances (some meant to run on car batteries). (note: PHD stands for “Power Heat & Dust”). These systems are part of Via’s PC-1 Initiative.
  
• VillagePDA (link courtesy of the Internet Archive)
  Commercial pilot, discontinued [Kenya, Sri Lanka]
  The sub-US$25 VillagePDA was meant to offer wireless access to villagers and fisherman in rural Kenya and Sri Lanka.
  
• Zonbu
  Commercial
  Low cost, energy efficient laptop from Everex running Linux; initial price is subsidized if user purchases a monthly maintenance subscription plan. (Lower cost desktop version also available.)

Please note:

• Recyled PCs are another low-cost option. Prominent organizations providing used PCs internationally include Computer Aid, Digital Links and World Computer Exchange.
  
• For the most part, ‘e-book readers’ (purpose-built devices for the display of so-called ‘e-books’) are not included on this list. A useful list of some of the major e-book readers can be found on Wikipedia.
  
• You may also be interested in a new resource from the Inter-american Development Bank (IDB), which seeks to centralize specialized information on skill and knowledge development related to one-to-one and ubiquitous computing models that are relevant to education in Latin America and the Caribbean: One-to-One Computing Models for Children in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  
• Laptop Magazine maintains a ‘low-cost laptop cheat cheet’.
  
• ZDNet published a very useful article in early 2008 on “Low-power computing: a tech guide” that examines eight products.
• Perhaps the most comprehensive listing of ‘low cost ultra portables’ available in developed markets can be found at the useful Liliputing blog.

Links change! Given the constantly changing nature of the Internet, we suggest that you copy the organization, product or web site title (as appropriate) into your favorite search engine to locate the current home of a given site on the Internet.

Related briefing sheets:
- Quick guide to some alternative models to provide connectivity in low- and no-bandwidth environments
- Government-sponsored “Cheap PC” Programs

Suggested citation:
Trucano, Michael. 2008. Quick guide to low-cost computing devices and initiatives for the developing world. An infoDev briefing sheet. Washington, DC: infoDev / World Bank.

As part of a new “Knowledge Communities” project, UNESCO Office in Bangkok has launched an online ICT-in-Education community: an interactive forum which welcomes educators, teachers, administrators, policy makers and others to share their ideas and opinions on topics relating to the use of ICT in education.

The purpose of the online community is to foster discussion of topics relating to the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. Topics will cover areas such as:

• ICT for Policy Makers,
• ICT in Teaching and Learning,
• ICT in Teacher Training, and
• Free and Open Source Software in education.

Members of the online community will have the opportunity to share their knowledge about the use of ICT in education, to discuss recent developments and announce events and conferences. They will also be able to review and exchange teaching materials, such as lesson plans, training guidelines and toolkits with other participants.

Participants will also benefit from the possibilities of expanding their networks, meeting interesting people and building partnerships through the forum.

The Knowledge Communities project and the online forum are supported by Japanese Funds-in-Trust.

Everybody interested in the field of ICT in Education is welcome to join the online community. Registration and participation in the forum is free. To become a member, simply register on the forum website.

How do ICT in education initiatives contribute to the Millennium Development Goals?

Educators and policymakers alike agree that information and communication technologies are of paramount importance to the future of education. ICT in education initiatives that focus on the following areas are most likely to successfully contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals:

Increasing access through distance learning
ICTs can provide new and innovative means to bring educational opportunities to greater numbers of people of all ages, especially those who have historically been excluded, such as populations in rural areas, women facing social barriers, and students with disabilities.

Enabling a knowledge network for students
With knowledge as the crucial input for productive processes within today’s economy, the efficiency by which knowledge is acquired and applied determines economic success. Effective use of ICTs can contribute to the timely transmission of information and knowledge, thereby helping education systems meet this challenge.

Training teachers
Large numbers of school teachers will be needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals for education. The use of ICTs can help in meeting teacher training targets. Moreover, ICTs provide opportunities to complement on the job training and continuing education for teachers.

Broadening the availability of quality education materials
Network technologies have the potential to increase the availability of quality educational materials. Their interactivity and global reach allow for customized sharing of knowledge, materials, and databases, quickly and cheaply over long geographic distances. Furthermore, online resources offer teachers access to a vast and diverse collection of educational materials, enabling them to design curricula that best meet the needs of their students.

Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration and policy
New technologies can help improve the quality of administrative activities and processes, including human resource management, student registration, and monitoring of student enrollment and achievement.

For more information see ICT and MDGs: A World Bank Group Perspective (2003).

Head teachers from schools taking part on the project have Basic ICT Skills Training starting on 10th August 2007 to 15th August 2007. This training program is designed to aid the school heads appraise their skills in computing. It’s also hoped that by the end of training, the heads will realise how important ICTs are both as tools for processing of information and communication.

This first phase of the training involves heads from six (6) schools. The other heads will be included in the second phase of the training, whose dates will be announced soon.

Mtandao Afrika 2007 challenge has started. Winners in the previous contests should use their accumulated experience to raise the caliber of their websites; new comers to the contest should draw on their enthusiasm and add extra flavor to Mtandao Afrika!

Registration will be open soon.

The Global Teenager Project Zambia launched it’s website today. Users will find useful information such as student and teacher resource packets, news, programme information and links to our partner organizations.