Today my daughter wants to learn about rockets, makeup and trucks

. . . Now what?

 

Here is what would happen in the near future: 

  • She would not need to wait for me, her teacher or anyone else to find out more about what she wanted. Instead she would ask the question of her mobile device, one that includes the Dev4X software we are currently developing.  This software will empower her to find out those answers and would personally guide her through much of her learning.
  • The software will use what it learns about my daughter to adapt to her personally, guide and make recommendations. Her data will be kept private and secure on the device or on a connected personal data locker and will not be accessible by anyone else, not even Dev4X —unless explicitly given permission. As a parent this is very important to me.
  • The software —which operates in both online and offline environments— will then search for resources to answer her questions and  find what's most appropriate. It may find a wikipedia extract about her question and read that out to her —much like Siri and Google Now. It would also find appropriate content like videos, games, apps and E-books. And it may even find friends of her's that it knows could help her learn about these topics she has asked about. 
  • From here my daughter can start to learn more about her interests, be guided through some resources, or start a conversation with her friends. But the software does not stop there.

    In addition to helping her find the answers to questions she may have, it also empowers her to learn those things she needs to learn in other contexts.  She will be using this same software as a supplemental tool in her schooling, allowing her to move ahead in her learning or revise older information, in her own time, without needing to rely on others. She will be free to explore and indulge her curiosity. She will be empowered to take control of her own learning and not restricted by my own knowledge, that of her teacher's or by the fixed curriculum being taught in school.

    All of this is made possible by the Dev4X software and the underlying open Learning Map that links all bite-sized learning to one another. 
 

How this will change the world for underserved children.

For my daughter this software will be an invaluable supplemental tool, however for the children that are most underserved, this will be life changing. For these children, many of whom live in poverty, refugee camps, conflict zones or in gender stratified societies that restrict education, this tool will allow them to improve their lives and future through learning.

  1. Children who live too far from schools to attend, could be given solar-charged low-cost tablets with this software installed and empowered to learn with their friends and community or on their own.
     

  2. Girls who previously would not be able to attend school, could learn at night in the security of their homes.
     

  3. The hundreds of millions of children who attend poorly run schools where teachers are often absent, could use this software to take control of their own learning. 

 

Where we are at

 

We are an open organization, developing this software open source, and encouraging anyone that shares our vision and passion to contribute.  Together we can change the world for all children, including those most underserved.