Technical Development and Socioeconomic ... - IEEE Xplore

2013 5th Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Conference (CEEC)

University of Essex, UK

Technical Development and Socioeconomic Implications of the Raspberry Pi as a Learning Tool in Developing Countries Murat Ali∗ , Jozef Hubertus Alfonsus Vlaskamp∗ , Nof Nasser Eddin† , Ben Falconer∗ and Colin Oram∗ ∗ School † Department

of Engineering, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK, Email: [email protected] of Sociology, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK, Email: [email protected]

Abstract—The recent development of the Raspberry Pi mini computer has provided new opportunities to enhance tools for education. The low cost means that it could be a viable option to develop solutions for education sectors in developing countries. This study describes the design, development and manufacture of a prototype solution for educational use within schools in Uganda whilst considering the social implications of implementing such solutions. This study aims to show the potential for providing an educational tool capable of teaching science, engineering and computing in the developing world. During the design and manufacture of the prototype, software and hardware were developed as well as testing performed to define the performance and limitation of the technology. This study showed that it is possible to develop a viable modular based computer systems for educational and teaching purposes. In addition to science, engineering and computing; this study considers the socioeconomic implications of introducing the EPi within developing countries. From a sociological perspective, it is shown that the success of EPi is dependant on understanding the social context, therefore a next phase implementation strategy is proposed.

an engineering perspective, but also takes into consideration the sociological perspective that tackles the social and the economic aspects of introducing technologies such as the Raspberry Pi to disadvantaged communities in The Developing World. Following identification of the needs, the objective of this study is to develop a first generation working prototype (referred to as ’EPi’) based on the Raspberry Pi which can supplement the learning of science, engineering and computing within the developing world. This will be demonstrated by setting up a temperature sensor as well as an analog-to-digital converter (adc) through the GPIO using the EPi. Through hardware design and software development, this will provide just a few examples of how this solution can provide key educational tools from secondary education to post-secondary education levels, including university based projects.

I. I NTRODUCTION

There is currently a need for developing versatile computer systems for the education sector within developing countries. As a relevant example, it has been reported that the primary cause of low education rates in Africa alone is due to ’unequal opportunities’ and ’lack of proper schooling facilities’ [1]. Non-specialist flexible computer systems for educational use minimises the need for technical expertise to develop, maintain and upgrade complex systems on both a hardware and software level. Therefore, the local educational institutes using the developed computer systems are able to carry out these tasks independently of external technical specialists and highly reliable infrastructures such as power sources and networking solutions. The size of the developing world is vast, therefore to narrow down the scope of the project one country was focused on, and this country was Uganda. This country within Africa was selected through academic links at The University of Warwick. Uganda is considered one of the poorest countries in the world with 37.7% of the population living on 1.25$ a day [2], [3]. Poverty levels are mainly concentrated in rural areas where almost 80% of Ugandans live. A number of health, economic and social factors contribute to Uganda’s high poverty levels, and those include a lack of security, large size of households, gender inequality, unemployment, lack of

The recent development of the Raspberry Pi mini-computer has unlocked great potential for computing to be applied in a vast number of areas. Due to the unique advantages of the Raspberry Pi system, this technology holds great promise for providing solutions within the developing world. This includes but is not limited to education tools, especially the use of GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) which allows automated data acquisition and producing simple digital control systems in a school laboratory setting. To make the best use of the Raspberry Pi in the developing World, a number of factors need to be considered. These can be divided into technical, educational, economic and social factors. While the current research focuses on providing educational materials, the other factors are inextricably linked and therefore will also form an important part of the investigation. A successful implementation of the proposed solution will rely on understanding the needs of the local population in providing the right device, supporting infrastructure and taking into account cultural background as well as the end user’s expectations of the project. It is only when the solution is fully accepted by the target audience that the project can achieve its goals. This research does not only look at technological advancement and how it can improve education in developing countries from purely 978-1-4799-0383-2/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE

II. C ONTEXT

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health services and most importantly low education levels [4], [5]. Education is considered one of the most important factors that can eradicate poverty in developing countries, as it opens different opportunities for people. Uganda has a literacy rate of 66.8% (76.8% male and 57.7% female). To increase the level of education in developing countries new methods can be introduced to school pupils. For example, the ’one laptop per child’ (OLPC) program which was originally funded by a number of large organisations including AMD, Google and Red Hat, targeted children in elementary schools. This project and initiative aimed to improve education of children in the poorest areas of the world. The rationale behind it was to provide low cost and power rugged connected laptops to children in order to create a collaborative and empowered learning environment. The OLPC project had an optimistic vision of improving children’s education through technological interventions, however the project was not one without its challenges. Despite the ambitious and philanthropic goals of the program, there are certainly areas which can be improved [6], [7]. The implementation of new computers into the education system such as OLPC and EPi require that teachers are comfortable with and understand these technologies in order to maximise the learning experience for the students. There also needs to be a clear strategy for dealing with faulty or redundant systems. By gaining an overall understanding of the outcomes, strengths and weaknesses of the OLPC project, a strategy for EPi is proposed in section VII. III. D ESIGN P HILOSOPHY A. Concept


TABLE I EP I PART AND P ERIPHERAL C OSTS ( EXC . VAT) Item Raspberry Pi 3.5” LCD screen Mini keyboard/mouse 4-port usb hub mini webcam/microphone bluetooth dongle Wifi dongle Battery Pack Solar Panel Total Cost (exc. solar panel) Total Cost (inc. solar panel)

Cost (£) 26.88 12.60 16.31 7.16 7.58 0.80 2.41 30.39 173.34 104.13 277.47

the main concern, therefore the system has been designed with the option of providing the end product without the need for a solar panel. The EPi system as a whole can be powered by a mains power supply, which will also charge the battery. This still allows the EPi to be used as a mobile system. The modular and flexible assembly philosophy means that other input/output devices can be attached as per the limitations of the EPi. The most important connectivity is the GPIO which will be further discussed in sections V and VI. All components are assembled to allow for interchangeability of parts as well as providing the option for alternatives to be used. The arrangement of components and an assembly schematic is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. This prototype has been designed to be accessible and viewable by the teachers and students within the school laboratory environment, therefore no fixed enclosures have been provided. This is an area that will be assessed in more detail during the development of a production model.

In order to meet the objectives of the project the concept and vision of the EPi must be defined. Along with using the Raspberry Pi hardware, an open source operating system and software are utilised and modified to suit the requirements of the project. A modular assembly system allows for flexibility and changes to be made specific to the needs of the end user. Overall, the proposed prototype offers a flexible learning tool to be utilised within the education sector in Uganda, as well as provide a range of scientific learning options and manageable complexity to cater for the specific users and environments. B. Parts selection and Prototype Manufacture The parts of the EPi were selected based on both the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi as well as meeting the product specification and objectives. To reduce the size and cost of the solar panel, and to improve the operating life of the EPi under battery power, components with low power consumptions were carefully selected. The power consumptions were measured to confirm the specification, which is discussed further in this study. The final selection of parts and peripherals for the prototype model is listed in Table I with the associated cost, however for volume production these costs are expected to be significantly lower. The common input and output devices that any modern computer system would be supplied with have all been included. From a cost perspective the solar panel was 978-1-4799-0383-2/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE

Fig. 1. EPi Prototype Assembly

IV. H ARDWARE D ESIGN The modular prototype has been designed using as many off-the-shelf components as possible. This minimises the design time and costs required to build the first generation prototype, while still retaining high performance. This modular approach also simplifies maintenance, a faulty component can be easily replaced without advanced tools. With portability and off-grid capability being essential design goals, a suitable solar panel and battery combination is the most important additional hardware to be selected. As the

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TABLE II O UTPUT OF THE SOLAR PANEL AT DIFFERENT RADIATION Radiation (W/m2 ) Pout (W)

469 2

608 3

772 7

884 9

1001 11

LEVELS

1009 11

1174 13

TABLE III M ONTHLY AVERAGED I NSOLATION I NCIDENT O N A H ORIZONTAL S URFACE I N U GANDA IN (kWh/m2 /day) Jan 6.07 Jul 4.96

Fig. 2. EPi Assembly Schematic

Fig. 3. Solar Simulator - The University of Warwick, School of Engineering

Mar 6.09 Sep 5.70

Apr 5.66 Oct 5.44

May 5.39 Nov 5.48

Jun 4.97 Dec 5.83

The climate in Uganda is ideal for using solar power, with sunshine for most of the year. Average solar radiation for Uganda is shown in table III [8]. For design purposes, two cases have been assumed: best case of the equivalent of 6 hours of 1 kW/m2 or at optimal placing of the panel, corresponding to 6 kWh/m2 /day, and worst case of 4 hours at only 0.6 kW/m2 , corresponding to 2.4 kWh/m2 /day. While in practice in many geographical regions, including the UK, worse conditions exist for a large part of the year than the worst case assumed above [9], in these cases a solar panel is not considered a practical solution within the context of this project. The assumptions above give a total energy budget of 14-60 Wh/day. To determine the total working time of the prototype under various conditions, the power consumption of each individual component is to be identified. A small circuit board was built to measure the current consumption of the USB devices while in operation, consisting out of one USB-A and one USB-B connector. An ampere-meter is placed between the power pins of the sockets, with the ground and signalling pins connected directly. The results are shown in table IV and V. Assuming 5.5W total power consumption, the solar power allows 2.5-11 hours of use per day. When the solar radiation is less than 0.7kW/m2 , the battery will be required to provide a backup. For the prototype, the Anker Astro3 has been chosen, with a 50Wh capacity, providing 9 hours of backup when fully charged.

solar panel is by far the most expensive component, this needs to be carefully selected as overcapacity will increase the bill of materials very significantly. Experiments have been performed to determine the actual power output of the solar panel, and the power consumption of the EPi and all peripherals. The solar panel selected for the prototype is the Powerfilm R14, a rollable panel with dimensions of 107x37cm and a rated output of 14W. To verify the power output under various levels of solar radiation, experiments have been performed on the Solar Simulator at the University of Warwick (Fig. 3). The Solar Simulator contains a large array of halogen and LED light sources, which allow the panel to be subjected to solar radiation levels between 0.6-1.2 kW/m2 . A summary of the maximum power output under various conditions is shown in table II. 978-1-4799-0383-2/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE

Feb 6.36 Aug 5.25

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TABLE IV C URRENT CONSUMPTION OF THE P I (5V)

AND SCREEN VARIOUS LOADS

I(mA) P(W)

Idle (Ethernet Off/On) 335/392 1.68/1.96

100% CPU 393 1.98

Playing Video 350 1.75

(12V) UNDER

Screen (Idle/Active) 80/220 0.96/2.64

TABLE V C URRENT CONSUMPTION OF THE PERIPHERALS Wifi I(mA) P(mW)

93 465

Usb Hub 70 350

Usb Storage 72 360

Keyboard (Idle)/(Active) 4.7/4.7 24/24

Mouse (Idle)/(Active) 4.5/13 23/65



V. S OFTWARE All the software included is open source; this reduces cost substantially compared to commercial licenses. It is also ”free” in the sense that it can be adapted to individual needs. The operating system and user interface is built on top of Raspbian, the most common and (currently) best maintained of the Raspberry Pi targeted operating systems; this provides the option to flexibly install any of a multitude of packages that are available on the Raspberry Pi as well as developing software specific to the needs of the EPi. As less than 10% of Ugandans have access to the internet [10], [11], the distribution has been modified for the EPi to include as many useful pieces of software as possible, as downloading further packages may be difficult or impossible for the end user. The EPi software and user interface must enable users who have never used computers before, to develop skills and knowledge from the basics of computer usage to creating useful applications with the EPi. To aid in the first stage of this, some basic user interface adjustments have been made to accustom the user to keyboard and mouse usage and the basics of a windowed desktop environment. This will allow the inexperienced computer user to easily get started with an intuitive system before using the command line interface. Several knowledge bases, such as Wikipedia [12] and the Khan Academy [13], are packaged as webpages and stored on the EPi for general education. Wikipedia provides a general encyclopaedia while Khan Academy offers educational videos on a wide range of academic subjects. These resources could be used in a school environment, especially Khan Academy which has, for example, a full course on mathematics from basic addition to university level content. It is understood that live updates would not be available through offline versions, however the opportunities to provide planned updates could be considered as an option based on the internet capabilities of particular locations. Although these online resources are regularly being updated, the main curriculum subject matters required for education are well established and are not expected to change greatly within a short space of time. For computer development specific education, Scratch provides a visual flowchart-like programming interface to teach the basics of coding without the difficulties of syntax and command lines. Following on from learning the basics of programming, other programming languages can be used and understood more easily. Python was chosen as the main programming language, as it is generally accepted to be both easy to learn and a fully fledged programming language suitable for real world applications. With the addition of NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, IPython, and PyLab, Python can be used for computational mathematics as well as for the analysis of experimental data or control systems. Python provides access to the GPIO facilities on the EPi, and a number of examples are included ranging from some simple I/O programs to a digital storage oscilloscope. The examples are written to be easily reusable in different student projects, where students can go on to develop their own solutions. All example programs include 978-1-4799-0383-2/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE

Fig. 4. Digital Thermometer Connected to EPi with Typical Output

the full source code, which means that students and teachers can investigate the code and make their own improvements and adaptations. VI. E LECTRONICS The most distinctive feature of the Raspberry Pi when used for educational purposes is the GPIO module, which allows interfacing with general purpose electronics. This allows students to gain experience with data acquisition, instrumentation and control systems, as well as using the EPi as a general tool during science education. As the intended users are students in secondary education and early tertiary education, the emphasis in the curriculum will be on using ready made modules which plug into the EPi, rather than on electronics design. The use of ready made modules allows the curriculum to be focused on understanding the fundamental principles of scientific experimentation and engineering design, while still offering the possibility of a more in-depth electronics education for more advanced students. The modular approach offers the additional advantage of remaining relatively lowcost, as components can be reused for various projects. The prototype developed in the current project comes with two modules, an ADC module to be used as a digital oscilloscope and datalogger and a digital thermometer. The digital thermometer, based on the DS1631 IC, is connected to the Raspberry Pi through the I2 C bus (Fig. 4). The current version is not waterproof, which limits is application to monitoring dry environments. It has been used in a simple demonstration of the capabilities of the EPi as a control system, where a small fan is turned on if the ambient temperature is above a certain level. The MAX1270 which is used on the ADC module provides 8 channels (4 channels implemented on the prototype), with a resolution of 12-bits and a maximum throughput of 110 ksamples/s. Depending on the software, this can either be used as an oscilloscope or a datalogger. The high storage capacity provided by the SD-card in the EPi makes it ideal for longterm experiments. An example lab project investigating the frequency components of the human voice has been created, using a simple microphone and opamp. The FFT libraries in

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Python have been used to convert the signal to the frequency domain. The project can be extended to include musical instruments. The long-term evolution will encompass a much larger array of modules, including sensors an actuators, together with teaching materials. This will supply schools in The Developing World with a ”lab-in-a-box”, with a number of standard experiments that can be performed. The emphasis, like in the UK, is on providing the students with both the skills and a platform that allows them to design and implement their own ideas. VII. S OCIOECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROJECT: I MPLEMENTATION AND THE WAY FORWARD As discussed above the ’one laptop per child’ program was one of the largest ambitious initiatives that aimed to improve and create a better learning environment for impoverished children in developing countries. This project has shown that the process of introducing new technologies is not as straightforward as some might assume, and there are many factors and challenges to be faced [7]. For the EPi to achieve its goals and be a success in The Developing World, the proposed action plan aims to ensure that ’development’ and ’suitability’ are accurately defined. Therefore, implementation of the EPi solution will be based on ’people’s’ own perspective and needs in relation to these technologies [6]. Willoughby argues that there are factors that should be taken into consideration when determining whether or not such technologies are suitable for the targeted nation. He states: ”the Appropriate Technology notion points to the need for knowledge of a diversity of technical options for given purposes, careful analysis of the local human and natural environment, normative evaluation of alternative options, and the exercise of political and technological choice” [14]. Therefore a thorough analysis of socioeconomic and political factors is to take place before introducing EPi into a specific area. In Uganda there is a large number of communities and languages spoken, thus different cultural values, folklore, traditions and customs exist [15]. Therefore, it is very important to integrate EPi in a way that is tailored to suit the context and the custom of the targeted school, students and area. The philosophy of EPi means that this necessity is considered. A relevant example of this is shown through the availability of a specific GNU/Linux distribution which has been customised for particular users [16]. A similar strategy of software development has been adopted for the design of EPi, therefore supporting the technology to be accepted by the end user and their communities. It is not accurate to adopt the same implementation strategy of EPi in all schools and communities, the delivery will take into consideration differences within the targeted areas. One of the reasons EPi is developed with such a focused goal of improving science education within schools is that. Even for one developing country, it is not expected that such a project would succeed in all areas of improving the well being of people and communities. In some cases, what might work for one community might not have the 978-1-4799-0383-2/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE

Fig. 5. Socioeconomic EPi Implementation

same impact for the other. Many factors such as class, gender, religion and others are to be taken into consideration by utilizing the intersectionality sociological framework [17]. This shows the merit of this project’s interdisciplinary approach to project implementation and delivery in general, contributing to establishing a foundation to a successful delivery of EPi in the future. Before implementing the EPi to schools within the developing world, a pilot study is to be conducted to further assess the specific needs in the target area, thus helping to establish the context, and thus tailoring programs that are suited for the target area. The main purpose of the pilot study is to explore people and children’s perspectives ’from below’ rather than have a preconceived idea of what people’s necessities are ’from above’. In other words, this social research informs the process of introducing this technology. The EPi implementation pilot study will be in the form of interviews, questionnaires and focus groups with local teachers and pupils within schools in the UK. This pilot study will then be extended to the target areas in Uganda to firmly establish their needs as well as confirm what they see as fit and suitable for their school environment. To avoid the situations of the EPi being delivered to schools without taking into consideration that pupils and teachers would need training along with instructions on how to best use the technology for education purposes [18], documentation and training courses for school teachers and children must be provided. An EPi

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implementation strategy has provided in Fig. 5. VIII. C ONCLUSION AND F URTHER W ORK The EPi prototype demonstrated the design objectives of developing a modular system based on the Raspberry Pi for scientific and computing educational purposes. Future work would involve the implementation of the prototype within an educational environment in Uganda. Upon feedback from potential end-users from local and developing countries, the system can be improved upon further to better comply with their needs of specific communities. When series production is considered, a more integrated design can be achieved by working with the manufacturers of the individual components, reducing cost and size. Following on from studying the outcomes of other technological education based projects; for the EPi to be a success within the developing world, the solution must be accompanied with an understanding of the socioeconomic aspects involved. This led to the a strategy proposed in this study to fulfil this requirement. Further work includes design and development of the next generation EPi based on serial production. Along with the further development of EPi; local and target location based pilot studies are to be conducted directly with the current EPi prototype.

[9] (2013) The metoffice - solar energy. [Online]. Available: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/renewables/solar [10] (2013) Internet world stats - uganda. [Online]. Available: http://www.internetworldstats.com/af/ug.htm [11] “The world in 2013: Ict facts and figures,” International Telecommunications Union, Tech. Rep., 2013. [12] (2013) Wikipedia. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/ [13] (2013) Khan academy. [Online]. Available: http://www.khanacademy.org/ [14] K. Willoughby, Technology choice: a critique of the appropriate technology movement. Westview, 1990. [15] S. Bbumba, “The uganda national culture policy: A culturally vibrant, cohesive, progressive nation,” 2006. [16] (2013) Sabily linux operating system. [Online]. Available: http://www.sabily.org [17] L. McCall, “The complexity of intersectionality,” Signs, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 1771–1800, 2005. [18] D. Nugroho and L. M, “Evaluation of olpc programs globally: a literature review,” Australian Council for Educational Research, Tech. Rep., 2010.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The research has been funded by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). We would also like to acknowledge the support from Dr. Roger Thorpe and Dr. Stan Shire from the The University of Warwick, School of Engineering, Sustainable Energy Engineering and Design (SEED) group for providing the solar simulator testing equipment and guidance. Our appreciation also goes to Ian Griffith for his help and support in the printed circuit board manufacture. We would like to thank Tracey Moyle, Dean Boni and Steven Jones for their continued support throughout the project. R EFERENCES [1] (2011) Investing in empowerment international sustaining lives in africa. [Online]. Available: http://www.ieinternational.ca/pages/educ.html [2] R. McGee, “Meeting the international poverty targets in uganda: Halving poverty and achieving universal primary education,” Development Policy Review, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 85–106, 2000. [3] K. Deininger, “Does cost of schooling affect enrollment by the poor? universal primary education in uganda,” Economics of Education Review, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 291–305, June 2003. [4] T. A. Kasule, “The causes of rural poverty in uganda: a case study of wakiso sub county, wakiso district,” Master’s thesis, Makerere University, 2005. [5] A. O. K. Lawson, D. McKay, “Poverty persistence and transitions in uganda: a combined qualitative and quantitative analysis,” Global Poverty Research Group, Tech. Rep., 2005. [6] M. Warschauer and A. Morgan, “Can one laptop per child save the worlds poor?” Journal of International Affair, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 33–51, 2003. [7] J. S. P. Kenneth, K. Dedrick, “One laptop per child: Vision vs. reality,” Communications of the ACM, 2009. [8] (2012) Surface meteorology and solar energy. [Online]. Available: https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/sse/r

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