Sunday, June 27, 2010

Education OS as a Theme not an Installation

Okay, I was trying to find what operating system is best for kids, from a researcher's perspective. You can say Edubuntu, you can say Sugar OS (the one that started at One Laptop Per Child) or you can take a step back and realize maybe thats the wrong question to ask in the first place.

It's pretty obvious that Windows and Mac OS (and Linux) as they come in the box are not suited for school children use. Yes, they pick it up fast. Yes, it's what adults use (well, it's what adults used before the cloud and the web took over). But why are we telling children they can set up their computer any way they want as long as there is a Start button in the lower left? We presume that exact standards are required for educational learning, I mean, in respect to stuff the same place on each individual's screen.

Okay, if I say "tap your start menu" you know where to look (assuming you're on Windows). You might set it up in the standard lower left, or you may have moved your task bar around the screen. The day you learned to use computers, you found out where stuff is. Right now, if I say "do you know where to find what time it is?" You'll know exactly where to find the time. You should be able to put your clock wherever you want, and you still understand the concept. Kids aren't stupid, they can understand where they put stuff. They know where to find stuff. The interface should be customizable because we should assume children are highly intelligent.

I think we need to stop asking "What OS is best for kids?" and realize that the most likely solution is that the OS doesn't matter. It should be customizable and themed, flexible, efficient, and reliable. If we're looking to know the answer to what OS is best for kids, we're thinking in the wrong decade. The interface is what matters. I think we should consider the "Best OS" argument dead. Themed UIs for the win!