Crowd sourcing and tablet applications

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CROWD SOURCING TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS FOR TABLETS

SIL: : ICT4D Summer Series11-07-2013

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Crowd Sourcing

Definition: ‘crowdsourcing represents the act of a company or institution taking a function once performed by employees and outsourcing it to an undefined (and generally large) network of people in the form of an open call’ (Howe, 2006)

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Crowd Sourcing Tech.

Case study 1: Ushahidi, Kenya Technology: Ushahidi Platform

The purpose of the platform is to gather distributed data from the public and visualize it on a map or timeline

Advantages Free App Allows for real time monitoring Low technology requirements for users Distinguishes between verified and unverified information

Limitations Basic literacy skills required to access and send

information

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Porgramme Applications

Application: Real time monitoring and mapping of dispersed events and structures

Programmes (External):

Election monitoring: India

Monitoring unrest: Congo

Mapping Sexual Harassment: Egypt

Brac Programmes: HRLN, Relief works, Gender, Road safety

‘The world we want’ (SIL, Brac)

Crowd map of the ‘World We Want’

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Crowd Sourcing Tech.

Case study 2: Mapkathmandu, Nepal Technology: Open street maps (OSM)

Collaborative project to create a free editable map Advantages:

Freely available Creates and uses open data Robust: maps can be edited and verified

Limitations: Verification problems: any user can edit the map Imaging is not as advanced as Google

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Programme Applications

Application: Mapping of locally relevant areas and structures Programmes (External):

Mapping slums: Kenya Disaster response: Haiti

and India Disaster readiness:

Indonesia and Bangladesh

BRAC Programmes: Disaster Relief, WASH, mapping beneficiary HHs

OSM of Kibera, Education Institutions

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Applications for Crowd Sourcing Case study 3: Crowd sourced funding, Kiva

Facilitating individuals from across the world to lend money online to low-income individuals

Advantages Provides initial capital 100% of the loan amount is transferred to MF institutions

Limitations Irregular supply depending on the number of borrowers No financial return for lenders

Application: Initial capital for microfinance is needed Programmes: Microfinance BRAC programmes: Programmes offering microfinance

services, e.g. AFSP

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Tablets Devices

Tablets are a form of mobile computing devices

Advantages for developing countries: Intuitive and

accessible Suited to

infrastructure challenges

Portable and Mobile Application oriented

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Growth in Tablet Tech.

Tablet shipment forecast for 2013 expected to reach 229.3 million units. PCs shipments face a 7.8% slump

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Applications for Tablet devices

Case study 1: One tablet per child, Ethiopia Technology: Tablet designed by OLPC

The tablets are pre-installed with an array of educational applications and learning tools to facilitate self learning.

Advantages The tablets are equipped with solar panels Tracking children's learning patterns New apps and content can be delivered to the tablets

seamlessly Limitations:

concerns related to scaling programmes Impact not established

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Porgramme Applications

Applications: Student cantered learning, i.e. teaching is tailored to student’s learning style Porgramme (External):

E- learning: Thailand Aakash: India

BRAC programmes: Education programmes

One tablet per child experiment in Ethiopia

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Applications for Tablet devices Case study 2: Health Care, India

Technology: ‘Kalam-Raju’ Tablet Aims to assist rural health care workers.

Advantages Stores patient history User friendly Access to diagnostic tools Affordable

Limitations Pilot phase

Applications: Streamlining medical assistance and overcoming logistical challenges Programmes (External): Health e-villages: Haiti and Kenya BRAC programmes: Health programmes such as MNCH

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ICT4D Lessons Learned

Considerations Technology is a ‘tool’ It suits particular needs and contexts

Spaces for innovation Broadening scope and application Combining technologies

Programme Application Finding a technology that fits needs of

beneficiaries and matches their capacities

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Map of Korail