The I-slate, an electronic version of the hand-held blackboard slates used by millions of Indian children, is an innovation that will eventually be solar-powered for use in classrooms that lack electricity. It is being developed by researchers at the Institute for Sustainable and Applied Infodynamics (ISAID), a joint program of Rice University and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore.
“Our study clearly shows the I-slate is an effective learning tool for all students, regardless of their learning ability,” said computer scientist and I-slate creator Krishna Palem, director of ISAID, a Nanyang Visiting Professor at NTU and Rice’s Ken and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing.
Palem first conceived the power-saving educational tablet in early 2009. And late last summer, Palem’s Rice-NTU team began working with the Indian nonprofit Villages for Development and Learning Foundation (ViDAL) to test I-slate prototypes in a class of 10- to 13-year-olds at Mohd Hussainpalli village, about 70 miles southwest of Hyderabad.
Using a series of sophisticated measures, the ISAID team analyzed each student’s performance and improvement. Students were also surveyed about the features of the I-slate that were most and least useful. Palem said the tests and surveys confirmed the I-slate was effective and provided the ISAID team with valuable information needed to finalize the I-slate’s design.
“We know more than 90 percent of what we need to know at this point,” Palem said. “We’ve settled the hardware questions, and that is central to the manner in which the lessons are taught and the manner in which the students interact with the I-slate.” Palem further adds that, “the first production I-slates will be pre-loaded with lessons for mathematics, science and social studies.”
Palem and his fellow creators of the I-slate are preparing for full-scale production now that tests have shown that the device is an effective learning tool. When mass-produced, the solar-powered I-slate is expected to cost less than $50.
For more information: Rice University News & Media Relations