Is Classmate PC the king of touch?

Something we love about the latest Classmate PC is the addition of a touchscreen.

One of the strongest "form" messages we get back from the various m-learning trials we run, is the appreciation of "touch" as an interface. That and easy access to multimedia features (like cameras, voice recording, speakers etc)

That - and the ability to work together, sharing devices.

PDA-style devices, like the many HTC / WindowsMobile gadgets have always scored really well on these, and looking at this interview with one of the classmate researchers, they are taking the message to heart with their latest version

Are touchscreen UMPCs the pen and paper for students of the future?

 

This may well be a critical addition, enabling Intel’s Classmate PC to emerge as leader of the pack out of the swamp of chaos engulfing OLPC at the moment ...

Come on OLPC ... don't give up just yet ...

MoleNET lives on ... £4m available for mobile learning in 2008/09

The LSC have just this second announced a further round of funding for the MoLeNET project ... £4m to support new projects, or to bulk up existing ones.

 

The same constraints apply as last time:

- consortia need to be fronted by an English FE college

- money is available for capital expenditure only

- colleges need to pay in 20% of the full amount they request, in cash, to fund training and support

- not a long time between now and getting your bids in (6 October 08)

 

Congratulations to the existing projects, who have obviously managed to show enough benefit to learners to have been able to encourage the LSC to make this new money available!

 

More details here: http://www.molenet.org.uk/search/resource-29769.aspx

 

If you want to get involved, and ARE an English FE college, start by looking at what the current projects are doing. There is some very good information out there (if you dig), with some valuable lessons learned. Make sure you can show why your bid is building on the state of the art!

 

If you want to get involved, and ARE NOT an English FE college, now is the time to make friends with one, to come up with a joint project, and to help them bid for it!