Laura Hosman, California Polytechnic State University
Denver 2015: Pedagogy
SolarSPELL is a Solar Powered Educational Learning Library: a digital library over an off-line WiFi hotspot, designed to simulate an online experience for rural, remote schools with no electricity or Internet connectivity. Making use of open educational resources and ever-smaller and more efficient technology, SPELL provides an all-in-one, self-powered plug-and-play kit, ready to be deployed with absolute minimal training or maintenance required for start-up and continued operation.
We have partnered with the US Peace Corps in Vanuatu and Micronesia for deployment of the first 50 libraries.The project’s goal is to support education in all subject areas and enable the development of Internet-relevant skills in these resource-constrained schools, by providing access to digital books, videos, and other valuable educational content, including content specifically curated for the Pacific Islands. It also employs an active, hands-on, learn-by-doing approach for students at Cal Poly who are working on the project.