[Olpc-open] Getting paper out of schools.

[James Sayre]

Computer-based learning (the OLPC project is just one example) could be 
as revolutionary as the printing press, because it could free not just 
education, but the whole communication process from the confines of 
paper.  Users can record and display information in many forms with many 
different types of software.  Text based information tends to be 
formatted in a portrait orientation because that's what we're used to 
using, but it's a pretty trivial issue.  After, most text documents can 
be reformatted for a landscape mode to better fit a small screen like 
the XO if that's what the user wants.  Besides, the XO can manage 
portrait documents more easily than most computers because it can be 
turned sideways in its ebook mode. 

The desire to print rather than reading on the screen is a habit most of 
us have learned over a lifetime of using books, newpapers, etc. to 
gather information.  Even children who grow up with computers spend far 
less time doing intensive reading on a screen than they do with books, 
newspapers, magazines, and worksheets.  Literacy for existing 
generations is still paper-based, but if the OLPC and other computer 
based learning projects become widespread, that could change.  If it 
does, the goal of a paper-free office (and paper-free school) may no 
longer be an illusion.

For long documents html is a pain.  Line breaks are different on 
different computers, there are no natural page breaks, and printed 
versions rarely look like they should.  Many sites break up documents 
into several pieces, so to download and save the entire thing you have 
to have a way to paste them back together again.  Pdf is so popular 
because it really is like electronic printing, and unless someone comes 
up with a truly open source alternative that works at least as well, I 
suspect that it will continue to be the de facto standard.  It may be 
more realistic to develop better free and open source tools for working 
with pdf, rather than hoping that something else will come along.  There 
are quite a few that do a few things, but nothing that has the 
comprehensive power of acrobat, or is as easy to use.  Maybe some 
budding programming genius who grows up with an XO will finally create one!

Jim


joanna burgess wrote:
> Hi. I'm weighing in on this as a classroom teacher...one of the major 
> problems with getting rid of paper is the lack of other resources and 
>  knowledge of open source ed programs like Moodle that would 
> significantly reduce the number of copies made, and yes...the reliance 
> on software that is paper based. Teachers have so little time during 
> the day and those not comfortable with trying new formats tend to 
> stick to what they know, even if it turns out to me more 
> difficult/expensive in the long run. We're definitely aware of the 
> waste (and the horrid piles of paper everywhere) and I often think of 
> all the other things that could be purchased for the kids if we didn't 
> have to spend so much money on ink and cartridges. 
>
> -Joanna
>
> On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 2:07 PM, Tom Potts 
> <tompotts at itsosbroadband.co.uk <mailto:tompotts at itsosbroadband.co.uk>> 
> wrote:
>
>     Wendy,
>      The hardest thing about getting paper out of schools is most of
>     the software
>     they use is 'paper' based. Office, PDF's etc are all 'paper based'
>     - say A4
>     which is exactly the wrong way to fit on your computer screen so
>     you have to
>     print it!
>     Until people can be taught not to use 'paper' based formats things
>     will always
>     be printed - a bit of a vicious circle.
>     The answer is of course is html
>     a few ramblings at this link here
>     http://www.100297.itsosbroadband.co.uk/Paperless/The_Paperless_Office.html
>
>     Tom
>
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