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Project Goal The goal of Project Nirvana is to increase the efficiency and standardization of education, while simultaneously decreasing both the time and monetary costs of the current education system. The ideal outcome of Project Nirvana is a low cost surface computing platform with cloud computing capabilities which, in addition to the average student, will empower mobile students and could even give third world countries access to a world class education. Project Description Nirvana: "To extinguish ignorance..." The current state of the education system in the United States is not optimized for learning. Instead, in the age where knowledge is a click of a button away our educational system has managed to manifest itself as a multi-billion dollar industry. The paradox is that the quality of education has gone down dramatically while costs continue to soar. The key components which are prominent deficiencies in the educational system include but are not limited to: Substandard teachers resulting in substandard education Improper implementation of technology resulting in unfulfilled educational potentials Distorted perception of education resulting in optimization of grades and not learning Absence of standardized education and testing High costs of education Time waste Corruption To deal with these shortcomings it is essential that the structure of the entire educational system be reborn. With technology as the cornerstone we can create a system which narrows the gaps between dreams and reality. Modern Education Structure: Open-Source Education Platform In the information age new discoveries consistently render the information in a traditional textbook obsolete. In addition, the astronomical cost of purchasing textbooks consistently depletes the resources of educational institutions world wide. With the implementation of an open-source text book platform, these barriers to progress are completely eliminated. In addition, the doors become wide open for easily implementing dynamic interaction capabilities. As the open-source textbook develops, simple algorithms combined with data mining and current AI technology can subsequently personalize the education experience to each individual. It is essential to note that every individual encodes information in one or a combination of three different ways. These information coding methods are primarily either Audio, Visual, or Kinesthetic. The obvious implication of course is that a good teacher for one person is a terrible teacher for someone else. Project Structure: 1) Create a centralized database adopting cloud computing capabilities
A) Allows for multiple access points
2) Create a dynamic interactive learning platformB) Allows for instant updates C) Allows for remote processing of data
A) Use algorithms and AI to personalize the learning experience
3) Create progress analysis toolsB) Standardize learning objectives C) Allow for problem solving interaction D) Simplification of knowledge E) Allow for individualized progress
A) Allows performance comparisons world wide
4) Create Nirvana Hardware templateB) Allows data mining software to determine trends and isolate problems
A) Utilize touch screen technologies
B) Implement next generation technologies C) Create a robust unit
Paper based books are inefficient. In addition to the inherent environmental incentives of migrating to a purely digital platform the cost justification would be enormous. Students would also have access to a library with no limits which has until now been impossible. Companies such as Google and Amazon have gone to great lengths to digitize books. Google has even gone as far as hiring staff to scan books page by page at libraries all over the world. Propaganda Vs Education Propaganda according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is "the systematic propagation of a given doctrine" and in contrast education is "the act of imparting knowledge or skill". Often the subtle differences between the two are overlooked and subsequently a line is crossed. It is essential that we create an educational environment that does not teach students what to think, but rather how to think for themselves. Knowledge should be presented in the raw. The idea is to eliminate any biases in the educational system so you are promoting knowledge and not propaganda. Other approaches to propaganda include limiting information such as banning books, or in modern times limiting what websites one has access to (the great firewall of china). Curriculum The primary objective of project nirvana is empower individuals to be more resourceful with their thinking strategies while simultaneously raising the bar and leveling the playing field for obtaining knowledge. It is critical that students are empowered with resourceful thinking strategies and a realistic concept of the world by the age of 13. After this age, individuals steadily become more independent and thus are exposed to challenges without the safety net typically provided by family. An unresourceful individual is then at the mercy of the situation which typically leads to problems ranging from anxiety, depression, drugs, anorexia, criminal behavior, and suicide. Good states for learning are curiosity, fascination, interest and excitement. When people are bored, listless, anxious or hostile, they do not learn anything. Project Nirvana aims to break the threshold for excitement by both tailoring information to each individuals learning style and by making the learning experience interactive. In its ideal form, top professors in their respective fields will collaborate to continuously update and facilitate the evolution of information on a particular subject matter. Instead of a specialist in a particular subject matter being limited to teaching a small class, they will now be able to leverage technology to teach the world. Additionally, similar to Google's pay-per-click advertising approach, professors can be compensated based upon the popularity and usefulness of the information they provide. This creates an environment where educators compete to provide the most up-to-date and cutting edge information for students. Competition increases quality and this will make it possible for the top educators in their fields to get paid based upon the value they add to the system. Education is Never Ending Education is a lifelong process. The world is constantly changing and we all must do our best to keep up. Given the flexibility of Nirvana, one can continue their education anytime or at anyplace. This makes is possible to further ones carrier and education without needing to make sacrifices.
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