This document provides an overview of Sugar, an open-source learning platform originally developed for the OLPC XO laptop. It discusses how Sugar is designed based on principles of learning-centric design to facilitate open-ended discovery, collaboration, and creativity for children. Key aspects of Sugar highlighted include its use of activities instead of applications, its journal/portfolio feature, and its emphasis on usability while allowing for complexity. The document also discusses Sugar's technical underpinnings and how its status as free and open-source software aligns with its goals of empowering student expression and creativity.
2. Our community
• Sugar Labs, a member project of the Software
Freedom Conservancy is a community of
volunteers.
• Sugar is free software; it is licensed under the
General Public License (GPL), versions 2 and 3.
7. A child's laptop is...
• Safe and robust;
• Light to carry;
• Vibrant to look at;
• Low power; Used outdoors;
• Helps them communicate and interact;
• Encourages them to express themselves;
• Lets them engage in open-ended discovery;
• And of course... inexpensive!
8. aside
Sugar is a testament to the power and quality of the
development tools and processes used by the Free
Software community.
9. The Sugar Learning Platform
Sugar facilitates exploring, collaboration, and
reflection and to encourage critical thinking.
10. Originally developed for the OLPC XO
Sugar is largely platform-agnostic.
It can run on almost any computer, even the old,
obsolete hardware typical of schools.
11. It's an education project
Sugar is used every school day by one-million
children.
13. Sugar users
•Sugar “learners” create demonstrations, projects,
and critiques.
•They develop craft, engage and persist, envision,
express, observe, reflect, stretch and explore, and
understand.
•They engage in open-ended discovery, going far
beyond the use of the computer as a means of
access to information.
15. User-centric design metrics (Nielsen)
•Learnability: How fast can a user learn a new
system?
•Efficiency: How fast can a user perform tasks?
•Memorability: How easily can a user reestablish
fluency?
•Errors: How often do user make errors?
•Satisfaction: How satisfied is the user?
17. Simplicity is not the goal
Buxton's Law
complexity
God's Law
time
We can use UI design to reduce complexity or to
enable the user to reach to complexity.
18. The culture of Free Software
Free-software developers go beyond consuming;
they create and they share their creations. Most
important, they engage in criticism. They take
nothing at face value.
19. Learning software must be Free Software
With Sugar:
•children create content as well as consume it;
•children share their creations and help each other;
•and they engage in self-reflection and group
critique.
20. Sugar core ideas
• Activities, not applications
• Presence is always present
• Tools of expression
• Journal/portfolio
21. Low floor, no ceiling
Sugar places an emphasis on usability and
discoverability.
24. Dos and many don'ts
Do use hover
Do use consistent color
and icon models
No right click
No double click
No overlapping windows
No “eye candy”
No 3-D
25.
26. Guided discovery
to start
clearscreen make “box1 1 setpensize 20 repeat 1300
[forward :box1 right 91 setpencolor division xcor 6
setshade heading make “box 1 sum :box1 1]
end
33. Under the hood
Sugar is built on top of the GNU/Linux desktop:
GTK+, X11, D-Bus, NetworkManager, Gconf,
Telepathy, etc.
Sugar provides data-storage service and presence
service through D-Bus (Sugar activities can be
coded in any programming language).
The majority are written in Python, which takes
advantage of binding in the Sugar-Toolkit.
34. Freedom and empowerment
Sugar is about creativity, fluency, innovation, and
problem-solving, all of which involve personal
expression.
Sugar bring the tools of expression within reach of
children so that they can be free to change their
world.
The mantra of the next generation will be “show
me the code and I will make it even better.”
