Overview

The Playpower Foundation is creating a platform for 8-bit learning games in order to improve education for millions of children worldwide. We are using radically affordable TV-connected computers – public domain hardware clones of the Nintendo Entertainment System®/Famicom®, which are packaged with a keyboard and mouse for $12. Our goal is to create original 8-bit learning software and distribute it through low-cost hardware.

A Global Problem

There are millions of children around the world who are unable to afford the most basic education. This dampens economic growth, reduces political freedom, increases disease, and propagates ignorance and war. Computer-Aided Learning (CAL) is one solution that has been demonstrated to be an effective way of improving education in developing countries. However, even the most inexpensive computers cost more than US$100, making them unaffordable to the billions of people around the world who could most benefit from CAL.

An 8-Bit Solution

Playpower is creating an ultra-affordable educational computer using a 25-year old computer chip technology (currently in production for video games). "The $12 computer," as the press has appropriately labeled it, is a keyboard, mouse, and processor that connects to a TV screen and takes 1980's era 8-bit cartridges. Playpower's goal is to discover and develop effective learning games for these $12 computers—games that help build the basic skills that can dramatically enhance a person's economic opportunities. We have found that in countries like Ghana, skills as elementary as learning to type can mean the difference between making $1 per day to $1 per hour. And a child who learns computer programming skills—from any background and in any country—stands to have a world of opportunities available to them.

Our initial research shows that an 8-bit computer is powerful enough to be engaging and effective at building basic skills in reading, writing, mathematics, science and other subjects such as computer programming. With clever puzzles, traditional video games, and text-based simulations, 8-bit computers can additionally teach skills such as creative problem solving, critical thinking, logic, and entrepreneurship. So let's go 8-bit!

Who We Are

Playpower is a non-profit organization composed of individuals from India, Ghana, Brazil, Canada and the USA. Our largest working group is based in San Diego, at the California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology, at UC San Diego. Playpower received substantial support at MIT, during the International Development Design Summit (IDDS) in the summer of 2008.

More About the $12 Computer

The Playpower platform is based on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), a 25-year old technology that now occupies the public domain (hardware patents expire after 20 years). Dozens of manufacturers are actively producing clones of the NES that come with a mouse, game controllers and a full keyboard.

These computers are commonly packaged with educational content such as BASIC programming as well as typing, math, and english language learning games. Cartridges often contain hundreds of software titles and plug directly into the keyboard (a self-enclosed unit which contains the processor and video card).

One of the major advantages of this platform is that it utilizes a TV as a monitor. This dramatically reduces costs for families whom already own a TV. Television sets are increasingly common in developing countries. Interestingly, in spite of the fact that two-thirds of India lives on less than a $1 per day, more than half own a set. Utilizing a TV for learning games also creates the potential for social learning experiences that are centered around groups of friends and family.

Why?

At Playpower, we know that education is vitally important for a prosperous and peaceful global society. Computer-aided learning holds a great deal of promise as a supplement to traditional teacher-based education. In many countries, public schools are in a very poor state. For instance, researchers have found that the teacher attendence rate averages seventy-five percent in India. This means that teachers often fail to show up to school! A a result, those families who can afford it are forced to pay for public schools or tutors but so many cannot. And in spite of great efforts to improve public schools, these efforts take enormous amounts of funding and the schools have often been resistant to change.

Computer-Aided Learning demonstrates the promise of supplemental education because it scales more effectively than training quality teachers. And since there is already a significant market for supplemental education, we intend to introduce a better product that will assist parents and ensure their children receives quality instruction.

Affordable, educational computers could provide significant value to millions of people around the world who currently have insufficient access to education.