Revised+Design


 * Revised Design**

These are some of the important issues that were brought up in various feedbacks from the class. After some additional research we found some very simple and achievable solutions that make the idea of Knowledge Works even more attainable.

The entire idea of Knowledge Works is to educate children through the use of modern technology. The first major obstacle we need to tackle is to make sure that our intended audience actually have access to the required technology. In Afghanistan, this is very unlikely as most of the country’s population lives in poverty (CBC) and cannot afford a laptop or an Internet connection. It would be very noble for us to provide the population with laptops but realistically that would be too expensive. Instead, we decided to team up with pre-existing organizations on the ground in Afghanistan.
 * 1) Cost**

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program is active in the country with over 11,000 laptops already distributed and plans for more to be delivered soon (OLPC-af). OLPC provides cheap laptops that come equipped with a keyboard, webcam and WiFi capabilities. Furthermore, Microsoft provides software for these laptops at a cost of only $3 (OLPC-af). Using programs such as Word and PowerPoint will help in making education more interactive as well as develop the children’s’ reading and typing skills. With the hardware technology already available, KnowledgeWorks is able to focus its attention on the software side of things. Software is relatively cheap to develop and distribute, as it has no physical components. Therefore, costs are kept low and KnowledgeWorks is affordable to those who need it most.

In terms of electricity, OLPC provides a solution yet again. They have developed highly efficient laptop that uses very little electricity and is recharged using a pedal system (OLPC-af). The device is attached to the bottom of a desk and with a few rounds of pedaling can power the laptop allowing for its use during a power cut or even in areas off the electricity grid (OLPC-af).

A major concern is the safety of both students and teachers who receive constant threats from the Taliban. Our solution to this problem is to team up with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) who are not only active in the country but work in conjunction with the Afghani government. UNESCO compounds are heavily guarded and well equipped with modern infrastructure. The idea is to have teachers visit UNESCO sites and conduct their classes from there. Under guard by the UN, teachers will have their fears put at ease and can finally teach without having to look over their shoulders. That being said, one should keep in mind that KnowledgeWorks is not a private security firm. Our main objective is to provide a new means for educating a deprived population. While UNESCO can provide protection during the teaching process, what happens outside of their compounds is unfortunately beyond our control.
 * 2) Safety**

Afghanistan has two official languages: Pashto and Dari. As a fairly conservative country with a history of nations attempting to occupy it, Afghanis will more than likely oppose the idea of foreigners educating their children. These problems, along with language barriers, lead us to rethink who would be teaching through KnowledgeWorks.
 * 3) Language**

Instead of having Western teachers broadcast their sessions in English from a far away time zone, we decided to use local resources to our benefit. No one knows Afghanistan better than its people and no one can communicate with Afghani children better than an Afghani adult. Depending on the region, teachers who are fluent in the specific province’s dialect will be hired to conduct the class. This not only ensures that the children will understand what is being taught, but it also keeps jobs inside the country and supports local communities.

In addition, the syllabus of all classes conducted through Knowledge Works will be in line with the Afghani Ministry of Education’s guidelines to ensure that appropriate subject matter is being taught. After all, there is no point in teaching Afghanis about Canadian geography when none of the information is applicable to their own landscapes. We often forget that Afghanistan has a functioning government, with the necessary structures in place to run a country effectively. The problem is that the government is constantly overlooked and thus undermined. By working in conjunction with the Ministry of Education we are not only voicing our support for the elected government but we are acting as a responsible company should.

The last and probably most difficult barrier to overcome is the state of the country’s Internet infrastructure. Living in Canada we are spoiled with lightning fast Internet connections available almost everywhere in the country. We rarely pause to think about the investment that has gone into allowing us to access Facebook on our phones or watch videos in the middle of a farm. The truth is that it takes years of building and billions of dollars to reach the state of connectivity that Canada enjoys today. While Afghanistan definitely lags behind Canada and developed nations, they do have Internet providers and they are investing in upgrades.
 * 4) Internet Connection**

At present, there are at 22 Internet Service Providers in Afghanistan with over 530,000 subscribers in 2007 (Instatelecom). While the market is fairly competitive, the current service is neither fast nor cheap. However, the American government is currently assisting in the installation of a fiber optics grid that would bring speeds up to par with those in developed nations. Furthermore, The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has contracted two Chinese firms to build a digital wireless network that covers twelve provinces. Opting for Wireless service seems to be a trend in developing nations, as it is cheaper to set up that fixed line service. Keeping in mind that the OLPC computers are WiFi ready, Wireless/3G Internet could be a cheap solution to the connection problem.

Additional scenarios and problems are tackled in the scenarios and requirments section of the Wiki. ---__Sources__ http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/20/f-afghan-analyze.html http://olpc.af/ http://www.instatelecom.com/