Access to high-quality, relevant information is absolutely foundational for a quality education. Yet, so many schools across the developing world lack fundamental resources, like textbooks, libraries, electricity and Internet connectivity. The SolarSPELL (Solar Powered Educational Learning Library) is designed specifically to address these infrastructural challenges, by bringing relevant, digital educational content to offline, off-grid locations. SolarSPELL is a portable, ruggedized, solar-powered digital library that broadcasts a webpage with open-access educational content over an offline WiFi hotspot, content that is curated for a particular audience in a specified locality—in this case, for schoolchildren and teachers in remote locations. It is a hands-on, iteratively developed project that has involved undergraduate students in all facets and at every stage of development. This talk will examine the design, development, and deployment of a for-the-field technology that looks simple but has a quite complex background. Laura Hosman is Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, holding a joint appointment in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and in The Polytechnic School. Her work is action-oriented and focuses on the role for information and communications technology (ICT) in developing countries. Presently, she focuses on ICT-in-education projects, and brings her passion for experiential learning to the classroom by leading real-world-focused, project-based courses that have seen student-built technology deployed in schools in Haiti, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Samoa, and Tonga. Information Science Brown Bag talks, hosted by the Program on Information Science, consists of regular discussions and brainstorming sessions on all aspects of information science and uses of information science and technology to assess and solve institutional, social and research problems. These are informal talks. Discussions are often inspired by real-world problems being faced by the lead discussant.

1. Becoming a Practitioner Scholar
in Technology for Development
(And Involving Students!)
Dr. Laura Hosman
The Polytechnic School &
School for the Future of Innovation in
Society (SFIS)

5. My Work: ICT4D

6. My Big Questions
 What happens when ICTs are introduced
where they haven’t ever been before?
 Can they improve people’s Quality of Life?
 How can we do things better? (And how will
we know?)
 How to fight the “technology as the magic
bullet” syndrome?
 What do my students & in-field partners get
out of this?

7. My Teaching:

9. In a world with…
cell phones: 7.22 B
people: 7.2 B
working toilets: 4.5 B
computers: 2 B
libraries: 350,000

10. This is not a story about
technology!

11. One Laptop Per Child: Haiti

12. IIT Empowering Haiti Project
 Approached by OLPC Haiti
 Challenge: Develop a low-cost solar system
 Work on project for semester, traveled post-
semester to deploy on-site
 Bring student work/innovations to the field,
build professionalization skills, etc.

13. 1st Project-focused, team-based
course w/in-field deployment

19. Offer Unique Courses…
 Multidisciplinary Team-Based, Project-
Oriented, Real-World Challenge-Focused
 Cross-Cultural, Experiential, International
Service Learning
 Multi-Partnered
 1 Main Point: You will never have all the
skills needed to address complex problems
in the complex real world

20. Second Deployment Trip

22. Innovative Design

24. Successes & Lessons Learned
 3 Student Trips to Haiti (some
students came alive!)
 2.4 KW DC Solar System
installed
 Internet Connectivity at school
2 Yr contract
 Charging system
 Fundraising, PR
 Communication bottleneck
w/ Partner
 No local capacity-building:
for MoE or teachers
 Local community & parents
not interested in
involvement
 President cuts program

26. Solar Computer Lab in a Box

28. 2nd Prototype

29. Solar-Computer-Lab-in-a-Box Setup
at Udot Primary School, Chuuk, FSM

30. Student
Competition:
SCLiaB
Prototype 3

31. Working on their own time

32. Introducing the:
 Weeklong Hands-on Workshop at U Guam in
Long-Distance, Solar-Powered WiFi
 Team travels to Chuuk, FSM
 Installation of Long-Distance Solar WiFi link
 Deployment of Solar-Computer-Lab-in-a-Box
 Work with Dept of Education, PREL
 Form & Solidify Partnerships

36. Local Capacity Building Hands-on Workshop at
Univ. of Guam
In-Field Experience

37. 19 Km Link Between Udot and Weno

38. Installation in Udot Primary School, Chuuk, FSM
 Community Support (literally!)

39. Long-Distance WiFi Setup in Weno (main Island)

40. Solar-Computer-Lab-in-a-Box Setup
at Udot Primary School, Chuuk, FSM

41. Meeting/Working with Dept of Education

42. Working with the Peace Corps

55. Site Survey Map

59. Building Offline Educational Server
+ Tablet Training Manuals
Open Access
Online + Offline

61. In the Meantime…Schools have
No Electricity or Connectivity

62. …Leads to…the Solar Digital
Library!
 How to get content out to every school, no matter
the infrastructural challenges?
 Even more simplified technology (use devices
already present and locally owned)
 Not waiting for Electricity or Internet to reach
schools
 Builds Internet-related skills
 Avoids connectivity costs & ongoing fees
 Avoids unsafe/distracting surfing, viruses

63. Adding Peace Corps Volunteers
 The key to addressing the teacher training
challenge!!
 Augmenting work that’s already taking place
 Going out to schools exactly like these
 Across the Pacific: The Mission is to
 Teach English
 Use Technology when possible
 Help in school/community as requested
 Spoke with Peace Corps FSM and Vanuatu—now
also Samoa and Tonga

68. Testing…Demo-ing…then travel

69. Micronesia Peace Corps Training

74. Vanuatu Peace Corps Training

91. What just happened here?
 Focus shifted from solar PV system to
computer lab to library
 Never got things right the first time
 Involving students: always challenging, always
rewarding
 Most (students, funders, anyone…) will miss
the amount of work that is hidden: esp:
content, fundraising
 (Take things for granted)

92. Other Points
 Magic Bullet/tech shortcut mentality never
goes away: But it is ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE
 Peace Corps partnership, e.g.
 Partnerships: It takes a team!

93. SolarSPELL Partnership w/ASU
Libraries (& Hackathon)

95. Let’s Try it Out!

96. Solarspell.org

98. Thank you!

100. Priorities: Share! Bill of Materials,
Content, Appearance,
Progress/Deployments & How to
Build It!

102. What’s next?
1. For SolarSPELL: Keep improving the library!
Keep improving website (search, add content)
Add new content, especially collecting from local
partners. Class at Poly next semester! (You’re
invited!)

103. 2. Keep Incorporating
Feedback from Field