Brief introduction to unX, the first learning and entrepreneurship portal for Latin America.

1. A brief introduction to
the unX initiative
Leo Burd, PhD
Research Scientist, MIT Center for Mobile Learning
April 18, 2013

2. Acknowledgements

3. Why mobile learning & entrepreneurship?
• Engaged learning
Minimize the distance between learning, work and life
• Digital Empowerment
Turn technology consumers into digital inventors and citizens
of the information society
• Gateway to the future
Build on local knowledge and skills. Open up new opportunities for
countries and regions

9. Aplicaciones para la seguridad:
Evita escribir texto mientras conduces

10. Aplicaciones para el bien humanitario y
social
AFTER
Ahora la distribución de comida y
de agua es más fluida y eficiente..
Utilizando App Inventor, los trabajadores de socorro de Haití
desarrollaron una aplicación para facilitar la distribución de alimentos y
agua, realizando un seguimiento de los elementos a través de una base
de datos centralizada.

11. Aplicaciones para una mejor atención
médica
Desarrollado por tres estudiantes universitarios, la aplicación Compal
utiliza la cámara del teléfono para realizar el análisis de las pruebas
médicas en lugares donde la atención médica regular no está
fácilmente disponible.

12. Aplicación “Mobile Math”:
Destruir las minas de manera segura
Un soldado del Cuerpo de Marines de EE.UU. creó una aplicación que
calcula la cantidad de explosivos necesarios para destruir municiones y
minas que se encuentran o incautan en el campo.

13. http://notes.hfoss.org/index.php/TreeCalc:Main_Page
Aplicaciones de la ciencia en el Campo:
Midiendo la altura de un árbol

14. Main objectives of the course
Foster app
development
Promote the
analysis and
development of
new businesses
Foster a sense of
entrepreneurship
and self-esteem

15. We don’t want to be like edX!
 Contents in Spanish and Portuguese
 Open beyond universities
 Explicit focus on workforce development
 Learning organized in smaller chunks
 Greater focus on practical learning, social connectivity,
opportunity awareness
 Complement already-existing organizations of different kinds
unX is a learning and entrepreneurship platform to and from the
Ibero-American community

16. Next steps
 Launch in Brazil
 New courses
 Creation of an active, inclusive and participatory
network
 Experimentation with technology and learning models
that are more appropriate to our reality

17. Going mobile

18. Research questions
 How to assess the needs and the entrepreneurial potential
of a given region?
 What kind of feedback (learning analytics) might be the most
beneficial for students and facilitators?
 In what ways can mobile technology raise awareness to and
add value to existing online and face-to-face opportunities?
 How to foster inclusion, engagement and participation?

19. Getting involved
 Join redunx.org
 Come up with new classes and ideas
 Explore new business models and opportunities for
individual and social empowerment
 Help us promote the network!

20. Leo Burd
leoburd@media.mit.edu