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only connect - progress - HARDWARE | |
The hardware is turning out to be a serious factor in the opportunities different students get on the project.
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basic spec |  |
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I have had no problems with the specifications of the
computers that were already in homes when the project started. However, the
machines that DCC have been able to provide have show up some potential
problems with low specification machines. My first problem was actually loading
AOL onto these machines. With two only having 16MB RAM they would not be able
to run AOL5. After much hunting I got hold of an AOL 4 CD and copied it onto a
ZIP disk from which I was able to install the software. Multimedia The absence of CD drives on two of these machines first of all makes installing a lot of software very difficult. Add that to the fact that none have sound capability and immediately these students are excluded from using the SIR integrated learning system. They are also excluded from any kind of audio feed via the web and many other computer based resources like CD Encyclopedias etc. Monitors Two for the monitors are only capable of 640x480 display. Coping with more than one window under these circumstances makes things very difficult - note that the NGfL minimum screen size is 800x600. Also lacking printers (see below) these students are finding it very 'challenging' to view the resources we provide and the work they are doing based on it. |
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peripherals | |
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Those with their own machines have a variety of
peripherals, but the feeling so far is that the one thing all of them need is a
printer. Those with DCC machines don't have a printer (though one set of
parents went out a bought one - which shows that they too spotted the
problem). Without a printer I'm coming to feel that the student's work has an ephemeral quality - it can't be stuck on the fridge. I am concerned that this is very de-motivating for the students affected and intend to place a question about it in my final interviews.  Along with the parents who provided their own printer,
I have obtained an additional printer which I have provided to a student who
was having particular problems organising and keeping track of the tasks. This
was done at the halfway stage of the project and the final interview with this
and the other student mentioned will attempt to evaluate the effect of that
provision. This can be triangulated with the remaining student without a
printer, and all the other students who had printers throughout. |