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Re: Edutainment
On Mon, Dec 07, 1998 at 11:54:52PM +0100, Bill Tihen wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I guess "easy" is all in how one looks at it. But here's how I define it
> -- for better or worse. Is the system similar to what they are used to --
> compared to Macs and Windows.
> Specifically:
> o Can they tweak the user interface simply?
> o Can they manage files simply and graphically?
> o Can they have access to a server graphically and easily?
> o Can they have access to the floppy drive graphically and easily?
> o Is there a word process that behaves in a standard way that double
> spaces and uses RTF format?
> o Is normal productivity software available?
> o Are there books available that describe the user interface so that
> students can learn the OS on their own -- this is important because
> at the moment my students are grouped by language ability not
> computer skills. (So I have some just learning which way a floppy
> fits in a computer -- some learning productivity software, some
> learning how to buy computers, some learning HTML/DHTML and some
> learning Java. They must be able to work on their own and I help
> students as needed. (I have 30 students in a class). A bit rough,
> but that's life.
> o Can I secure the system without obscurity and still have an easily
> adjustable user and easy to use interface.
I guess it gratly depends on what are the computers used for. If (as
your case seems to be) the computers are used for things like
word-processing, learning simple databases/spreadsheets, and learning
basic principles of OS's (file manipulation and so on), you want
an OS that resemble a lot what some of the users are used to, that is
the kind of graphical interface that mac (and windows) use.
On the other hand, unless you specifically concentrate on these kind of
issues, the advantage of linux is that you don't have to worry about
them. That's what the administrators are for. Let me give an example:
If I want to tell my students how to use a multivariable calculus
package which isdesigned to go with their textbook, I have to tell
them: go to the lab, start the computer, click on "harddisk", click
on "misc", click on "classes", click on "math", click on "254" and
double click on "mwctutor". On well administered linux, I could just tell
them: go to the lab, start the computer, log in as "math254" and
follow the instructions on the screen. The "math254" account would be
set up in such a way that it would automatically start the "mwctutor"
program, or offer you some kind of hypertext menu with options what to
do and hyperlinks to explanations and documentation.
--
Jan Hlav\'{a}\v{c}ek
lahvak@math.ohio-state.edu (Blind Carbon Copies will bounce)
www: http://www.math.ohio-state.edu/~lahvak/