The Digital Doorway
project
Presentation to AfriSam 13 October 2010
Ronel Smith
rsmith2@csir.co.za
www.digitaldoorway.org.za
Background
• Joint DST / CSIR Meraka initiative
• Aim: provide a means for people in
rural/disadvantaged communities to teach
themselves basic computer and information
literacy
• Digital Doorway
– Robust, vandal-proof single / multiterminal system
– Content focuses on science, technology,
maths, health
– Open Source based
• More than 200 Digital Doorways deployed
country wide
Digital Doorway Distribution
Interactive map - http://www.digitaldoorway.org.za/index_main.php?do=sites
Interactive map: http://www.digitaldoorway.org.za/index_main.php?do=sites
DD design evolution
Original single seater
1st installation:
* November 2002
* Cwili, EC
* Microsoft
* Later converted to Debian
* Alternative site needs to be
found
2nd installation:
* Mamelodi
* Debian Linux
* Later moved to school
and upgraded to threeseater
* Too many users for single
seater
* Solution: multi-seater
configuration
* Available: HP441 (Mandrake
Linux)
* Designed four seater housing
2005 onwards (progressive
upgrade to three seater O/S
configuration
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2007 onwards
Result of feedback from A&E
More optimal use of resources
Smaller footprint
Mindset incorporated
XuBuntu
* Improvements:
Bluetooth
prototypes of VOIP, text
based e-mail, pre-paid
GPRS Internet access
demonstrated, remote
management system
* Solar powered model nearly
completed
* “Accessible Digital Doorway”
* Modified to accommodate
physically disabled users
* Deployed at Filidelfia School
in Soshanguve
* Very positive feedback
* Disadvantage: big footprint
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2008
Small footprint
Wall / desk mount
Cost saving
Existing computer labs
Container Digital Doorway
Fully self-contained
Solar powered
Ideal for communities without
power and space
* 2 deployed – Mpumalanga
and KZN
* Design protection awarded
System Design Philosophy .../1
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Ergonomics
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Users range in age from 5 years old upwards
Screen viewing angles
Keyboard angle
System must improve the look of the site
Rugged and robust
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Environment - Designed to cope with:
High temperatures
Dust ingress
Water ingress
Vandalism
Unstable electrical supply
Installed on a veranda (excluding container DD)
System Design Philosophy .../2
• Hardware
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Standard commercially available computer
components
Ease of assembly
Ease of installation
Ease of maintenance
Adaptable if original components become obsolete
Custom kiosk housing
• Content & Operating System
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“Self-healing” Software
Remote management
Provide usage data on users, applications and
duration
Regularly updated content
Desktop clean-up facility
Automatically update menus with new content
Results
• Success of robust design:
– 25 Keyboard failures (mostly vandalism) out of more than 650 installed
– 15 Acroglass protective screens damaged due to vandalism. Zero failures
out of more than 600 after upgrade to Plexiglass
– 30 LCD failures (predominantly back lighting) and 10 due to vandalism pre
upgrade to Plexiglass, zero failures thereafter
– 7 server component failures out of more than 200 installed
– A couple of incidences of damage due to vandalism of housing. Did not
affect functioning of DD but resulted in re-allocation to other sites
– +95% of DDs reported as “not working” is because power has been
switched off
Results
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Successes
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Extensive use by community members
Partnerships with other organisations:
Syngenta, UNICEF, Commonwealth
Secretariat, Monash University, University of
the Free State
Very robust design
Low incidence of vandalism
Wide spread install base
Different DD configurations
Continuous technical innovations
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Challenges
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Bluetooth
Prototype pre-paid GPRS internet access
Remote management system
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Significant cost reduction
Impact on BBBEE / SMMEs
Skills transfer
Design protection on 1st iteration Container DD
Digital Doorways installed outside South
Africa’s borders
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Uganda
Ethiopia
Lesotho
Australia
Solomon Islands
Support and maintenance
Supporting large, country-wide install base
High cost of travel to do repairs. Lack of reliable
human reporting in case of DD failure
Verification, as well as accurate and continuous
update of location database
Connectivity challenges (notably lack of GPRS
coverage) preventing proper automatic status
reports being received
• Above addressed through
development of remote management
system nearing completion
Rapidly changing computer hardware: version
control, cost of hardware upgrade in case of hw
failure, need for store of legacy equipment
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Process underway to upgrade all DDs to same
hardware and software configuration
Complaints about cost of electricity / electricity
being switched off ( cause of +95% of “DD not
working” complaints)
• ~R320 per DD per month
Content
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Local language content, acquisition, translation,
managing /filtering community generated
content
Updating content/drivers/patches/ OS
versions/… remotely, dependant on all sites
being up, necessitates a “centrally controlled”
infrastructure
Afrikaans
English
South Ndebele
Southern Sotho
Swahili
Tsonga
Venda
Xhosa
Zulu
Other
Statistics
600
500
400
Home language
300
AGE
200
100
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 151617 1819 20 2122 23 2425 262728 29 30 3132 33 3435 363738 39 4041 42 4344 45 4647 48 4950
Application Statistics
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
Afrikaans
English
Southern Sotho
Swahili
Xhosa
Zulu
Other
Solitaire
Gnobots Game
Glines Game
Gnect Game
Themba Game
Potato guy
Gcompris Educational
Tuxmaths
Ktron Game
DD Homepage
Thunar f ile manager
Preferred language
Data is for registered users only; This is a small subset of total users
Feedback from users
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“I am now happy. I know the computer, and the computer knows me” DD user, Cwili, EC
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“This is the first project to take place in our community. I expect the DD to be used by at least
15,000 users by the end of the year” Librarian, Pampierstad, NW
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“My staff has to switch of the DD after school breaks, otherwise the learners won’t return to their
classes” Seshego, Limpopo
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“Ons se baie dankie vir die “computer”. Elke pause vlieg ons na die computer. Ons speel laat dit
bars. Dit is lekker” DD user, Schoombee
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“Ons se dankie vir die baie mooi rekenaar. Ek hou vd rekenaar want hy wys vir ons alles. Ons laat
hy nie rus nie hy kan maar warm raak maar los gaan ons hom nie los nie. Ons speel hom laat hy
bars.” DD user, Schoombee
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“… we can now be empowered and be able to learn about things we would not have been
exposed to before. You can understand the excitement and jubilation teachers and learners felt
when I broke the good news” Principal, Carshalton Primary School
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“… will indeed have a positive impact in the lives of our people in the area and the two
communities …” Khosi PF Kutama, Kutama Traditional Authority, Limpopo
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“Baie dankie vir die rekenaar wat julle vir ons bring ons is baie bly vir dit. Ek gee my hele hart vir
julle. Ons is baie lief vir julle en julle vir ons.” DD user, Barkley Oos NGK Primêre Skool
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hi! i'm really enjoying the doorway computers. i've learnt a lots of things.wow! your games rock too
and i wish you could add more brain teasing games if it' possible. i've gained lots of information
and the doorway computers help me in my school work.
… comments
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I would like to express my appreciation for the contribution that these DDWs are bringing to the rural communities,
mostly the poor people who do not have access to computer. The learning contents that make it easy for learners
to do assignments, the health contents that make it easy to convey messages to the youth about HIV and Aids.
However it is very difficult for people to seek contents and transfer them into books standing. We therefore
recommend that this DDW be fitted with a USB slot for easy transference of learning contents since this DDW is
getting to be more and utilised for games. We therefore appeal to you to upgrade it to a more usable tool for all.
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Can you please allow us to send messages and e-mails on the Digital Doorway. Thank u.
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I’m enjoying using this digital doorway, but you must add things for old persons not for children only e.g. games,
internet
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I am using digital doorway for playing games. writing my homework on it sometimes rearranging my stuff on it and
it is so cool because I'm enjoying it a lot . It can be improved by simply having more of them in our areas because
we have to walk a long distance to get to use them
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We would like to request your office to put a printer so that immediately after I finished typing a document I should
be able to have a copy for future reference.
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This machine is working properly. The only problem is that the community want printer. This DD is situated at
Sinthumule’ Tshiozwi Tribal Authority. This community are enjoying the DD very well.
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I'm Lebogang and very exited to have this digital doorway installed in my community, since this is a step forward to
computer literacy and science. This is going to reduce the rate of children in conflict with the law since they will be
busy experimenting educationally. I would like to see children in this rural community gaining confidence, when
they go to higher learning institutions. I'm using the doorway to study. I'm an Abet facilitator and hope that this is
going to help at acquiring learner material.
Recent anecdotes .../1
University of Zululand
Schools from the surrounding areas have scheduled visits to the Science Centre. According to the staff at the centre the DD has become
the highlight of some of the schools when they visit the centre. The visiting learners complain bitterly when they cannot access the DD for
any reason. The learners need the DD to augment their own research after their sessions at the centre.
Motsisi Primary (Mabeskraal, NW)
A storm damaged the roof of the building where the DD is located. The school got the fire brigade to wrap the DD securely awaiting
relocation. The reason for wrapping up the DD in such a proper manner is to show that they value its worth and that they cannot risk any
damage to it.
Mbombela Library
The staff indicated that they feel that he DD is being underutilised and they said as they know and understand the value of the DD they
are going to propose that it be moved to a satellite library in a nearby village where the feel it will make a real difference to the village
youth as they do not have ready access to any computers.
Soshanguve Fablab
The DDs have started to attract learners who need specific information and not just casual browsers as in the past. The new clientele
have a need to download information from the DD for their research purposes. The centre management are now going to request that a
USB port be provided to enhance the learners’ quest for vital information in the DD.
Sun City Day Care Centre (KwaMhlanga)
An older kid selected the Tux Maths program and helped a smaller kid onto the steps for him to play the game as they called it. The small
kid was very enthralled by the shooting action in the Tux Maths but he was only pressing the directional arrows on the keyboard and
shrieked every time the program “shot” at the numbers. What stuck with us (Ingwapele support technician) was the fact that the older kid
only started the program for the small one and then left him to try and figure it out despite the fact that the small one has a zero level of
literacy, they understand that games can teach.
Zandspruit - Emthonjeni Community Centre
I (Monash PhD student involved in community) chatted to some adults (late twenties, early thirties)
in the community and they indicated that they thought the DD was a kids play station. This is
probably because kids are always playing on it and possibly because it is bright orange. When I
then demonstrated a few functions to some of these adults they then said that there should be DDs
everywhere!
Recent anecdotes .../2
Zandspruit
The kids say they enjoy the games on the DD, but enjoy "What-What Mzanzi" the best. They say the "questions are very challenging".
The community leaders say that the kids have taught themselves all the short cuts with the "left and right arrows, which they use in
preference to the mouse". The leaders have noticed the kids play "What-What Mzanzi, Chess and they enjoy composing their own
music - "Hydrogen". When the DD needs to be re-booted, there are a few kids who even know which switch to press to do this.
Zandspruit
Before the DD was installed at Emthonjeni, it was the kids who attend the Saturday morning programme at MSA who kept coming
through to the centre to ask when it was arriving. And it is mainly the school kids who are using it now, especially the young boys. All the
school kids get breakfast at Emthonjeni each morning before school, and before breakfast is handed out, they catch a few minutes on the
DD. Straight after school they're back on the DD. On many occasions the community leaders have had to chase away the school kids
during school hours, because they've found out that the kids are "bunking school" in order to play on the DD. They pretend they are sick
so that they can play on the DD.
Zandspruit
When the community was told about the DD, they were very sceptical about actually getting it, because so often, so much has been
promised to the community and it never materialises. Also the leaders in the community thought that "this computer that was to be
installed outside, in the open and freely available for anyone to use", would last only a few days. They thought that it would be vandalised
and/or stolen in less than a week. One leader said at the launch in February, "I hope the people don't abuse the DD". Having said that,
he went on to say that "the community was very ready for the Digital Doorway.
Zandspruit
Adults living in the community had the perception that the DD was "a computer only for the kids", but the leaders have encouraged them to try it. "They are however,
afraid of being laughed at". A few have watched their children play on the DD and have subsequently come forward to ask for formal lessons to "learn the computer
better".
Apparently, the adults' main wish is to communicate with the outside world. They want to "chat" to their friends; gain financial literacy skills; look for job opportunities;
reply to possible employment advertisements; learn how to start and run a small business. They all have cell phones, so for them to advertise their services and/or
availability for work would be a great bonus for them. There are many opportunities for the adults to use the DD during school hours, but (at the moment) there are no
specific needs for them other than those mentioned. Their generation is still one of "word-of-mouth" and completely computer-illiterate, so they don't yet trust the
information and the services provided by the DD. They perceive that the DD is only about "playing games" (by observing the loud excitement emanating from the young
boys playing on the DD) and they haven't got time to play games. A better understanding about the DD is however happening slowly, but its going to take a few more
months for word to spread through the community. The leaders are slowly spreading the word to anyone who asks about the DD. They have often taken interested
adults down to the DD and have shown them how to get started.
… feedback
“Baie dankie vir die
Rekenaar. Ons speel
lekker rekenaar ons
speel hom warm hy is
mooi en ons speel
aartappel “game” en ons
is baie bly en ons speel
laat”
Martiens Graad 3
Suggested future projects
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Installation of remote management system in all 210 DDs
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Manufacture hardware
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Installation
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APN
Digital Doorway impact study
Development of new content and applications
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Northern Cape Department of Education
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Content and applications useful to adult users
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Incorporate feedback from UNISA Masters student re usability
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Methodology & technical platform for communities to develop and
upload own content
Community Informatics / Living Labs
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DD in community context
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Integrating with other projects
3 seater solar powered DD
Making DD results visible / increasing project profile
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Enter competitions (e.g. Stockholm Challenge)
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Write articles / present at conferences
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Exhibit at shows
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Apply for patents / design protection / etc.
Flagship developments and cooperation
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UNICEF
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Uganda
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Pacific
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Suriname
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Guyana
Tertiary institutions
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Monash Australia
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Monash South Africa (Zandspruit)
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University of the Free State (Mangaung)
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University of Venda
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University of Pretoria (SEIDET, KwaMahlanga)
DST IKS
Socio-technical perspective
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Feedback from users, roles, quickscan
Collaboration patterns in networks
Social media in communities
Context, tools, goals
Verbalize expectations
Common issues
Reinvent themselves
Larry and recording feeback in
communities
Conclusion
“I am now happy. I know
the computer, and
the computer knows
me”
Contact us
• digitaldoorway@meraka.org.za
• www.digitaldoorway.org.za
• www.csir.co.za