A Concept to Provide Smartphone Recharge Outlets in Classroom Chairs - Essay Example

Proposal for development room chairs with power outlets for recharging smartphones of Date : The Principal, Clovis High School Clovis, CA 93611. Dear Sir, Request for funding to develop A concept to provide smartphone recharge outlets in classroom chairs As you are aware, many students carry smartphones or tablet computers to school. These mobile devices are primarily used by the students for personal communications and internet access. There is, however, a growing need to use these mobile computing devices in the classroom to research topics taught in the classroom, to view supplementary material, particularly photographs and videos and for self education in related fields. One major limitation in the use of smartphones is the low battery capacity. Every few hours, the students need to connect the phone to a power outlet to recharge the battery. In our classrooms, the power outlets available are few in number and their location on the room walls are not accessible from the seating positions of most of the 20 to 30 students in the class. To provide students with the possibility of extended use of smartphones or other computing devices in the classroom, we have examined several possible solutions to the problem of providing power outlets at each chair or desk. One convenient and practical solution is to provide external battery packs clipped to each chair / desk in the classroom to which the student can connect his or her smartphone or tablet for recharging. At the end of each day, the external battery packs can be plugged into a recharge cart for overnight charging. A report on the evaluation of this solution in comparison with various alternatives is attached. We request you to kindly grant permission for us to convert 30 chairs/ desks in one classroom with smartphone recharge outlets to test that the proposal is useful. Each external battery pack is estimated to cost under $ 100 and the recharge cart under $ 1,800. The total money to be spent is estimated at around $ 5,000, made up of $ 100 x 30 for the external battery packs, $ 1,800 for the recharge cart and $ 200 for miscellaneous small expenses. After the proposal has been tried out in one classroom, we can evaluate what improvements are needed and then extend to other classrooms. We expect to be able to complete the project for one classroom in 6 to 8 weeks. We will be happy to meet with you at your convenience to clarify any issues with the proposal. Thank you, Sincerely, Table of Contents                   Cover page 1                   Transmittal Letter 2                   Executive Summary 5                 1.0 Introduction 6                 2.0 Smartphones and the need for power outlets 8                 3.0 Alternative solutions for providing power outlets at each seat 8                 4.0 The recommended solution 11                 5.0 Cost estimate for implementing the proposal 13                 6.0 Limitations of the proposal 14                 7.0 Summary and Conclusions 14                   References 15                   Illustrations used 15                 Executive Summary The smartphone has become one of the most frequently used personal electronic devices for internet access. A majority of high school students carry mobile computing devices to school and would like to use it in the classroom as an aid to their study process. Many educators also see a benefit in permitting the use of smartphones and tablets in the classroom. The major limitation of a smartphone is its limited battery capacity, which requires the device to be plugged in to a power source every few hours. Present classrooms have very few power outlets and these are not accessible to all students in the classroom from their chairs. Providing power outlets at each desk or chair would facilitate the use of smartphones and other devices when the students are in the classroom. The report examines various options for providing battery recharge outlets at each chair or desk in a classroom and recommends providing external battery packs clipped to each desk or chair. The student’s mobile device can be plugged into this external battery pack for recharging. At the end of each day, the external battery packs could be loaded into a recharge cart connected to the mains power outlet for overnight recharging. The report recommends conversion of one classroom with this idea at a cost of $ 5,000 for evaluation of the proposal before extending the concept to other classrooms. 1.0 Introduction The mobile phone has become one of the most widely owned personal electronic devices around the world. A January 2014 article in the magazine eMarketer says that 4.55 billion of the total world population of 7 billion would use a mobile phone in 2014. Over 1.75 billion of these will be smartphones (eMarketer). Smartphones are defined as mobile phones with computing capability, particularly internet access. With increased features and capability, smartphones are replacing laptop computers and tablets as the preferred device for portable computing. A survey of school students by Harris Interactive, quoted by David Nagel in an article in The Journal in May 2013, says that about half the students aged between 8 and 18 already use mobile computing devices and 69% would like to use them in class for tasks related to their coursework (Nagel). A report in August 2013 in the USA Today says that though traditionally, schools have banned or limited cell phones in the classroom, there has been pressure from parents to permit students to carry cell phones due to concerns about security. Many educators are beginning to see the advantages that this technology can bring towards improving the quality of teaching and sustaining student interest in learning (Higgins). An article by Edward Graham on the National Education Association website quotes a veteran teacher, Ken Halla, who is evangelizing the use of smartphones as learning tools in the classroom. The article quotes a number of examples of smartphone apps helping improve academic performance. The article says that homework submission compliance has improved with an app to remind students of upcoming due dates. Another app helps students with revision questions ahead of class tests. Ken Halla goes so far as recommending that students be permitted to listen to music through headphones when they are doing assignments in class (Graham). The widespread acceptance of mobile computing devices in the classroom appears inevitable. 2.0 Smartphones and the need for power outlets Though smartphone capability and features dramatically improve year to year, one major limitation is the need to frequently recharge the battery. As Martin Taylor points out in an article in PockrtNow, “battery life is the only element of smartphone experience that is still substandard. Battery life is still measured in hours – not days or weeks” (Taylor). Power outlets in classrooms are generally available only on the walls. These are too few in number and are inaccessible to most people in a class of 20 to 30 students. Though new classroom furniture with built-in power outlets are beginning to be available, it would be many years before all classrooms can be equipped with the new desks and chairs. A solution to bring power outlets to the student’s chair would help facilitate the use of mobile computing devices during class hours. 3.0 Alternative solutions for providing power outlets at each seat The typical classroom seating arrangement is made up of separate chairs and desks as shown on the left in Figure 2 or chairs with writing pads as shown on the right. The chairs and desks are also designed to be easily movable to form grouped seating when needed and to be stacked for cleaning the floor. Providing wiring connections to the desks or chairs has a number of challenges. (i) The simplest and most obvious solution would be to run 120 volt AC power to each of the desks or chairs. The wires would need to run under the floor and connections to each desk or chair have to be made through a plug and socket. In open plan offices, this is achieved under a raised floor as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3- Electrical wires under the raised floor Figure 4 – Power socket clamped to a desk (www.e3officefurniture.ca) (www.worthingtondirect.com) For existing classrooms where providing a raised floor is not possible, electrical conduits could be laid into channels cut into the floor. The cable channels would then be provided with covers through which the power cables could be brought to socket outlets clamped to the desk as shown in Figure 4. These connections would tether the desk or chair to a location in the classroom and the power socket would need to be disconnected before the chair or desk can be moved. The disconnected socket boxes would lie on the floor obstructing floor cleaning and could get damaged. The advantage is that the student can use the standard mains charger supplied with his device. (ii) The alternative to recharging the mobile device from the 120 volt mains to recharge through a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port which is at 5 volts DC and delivers a maximum of 500 milliamperes. Most smartphones and other mobile computing devices are now provided with a USB or Micro USB port. An example is shown below. For Apple phones and tablets which do not have a Micro USB, an adaptor is available. Charging through the USB port is slower than charging from the mains. This is , however, not a problem as the students can essentially leave the smartphone plugged in for the entire duration they are in the classroom. The power supply for the USB ports again need to be laid on the floor but these are smaller cables and do not need a conduit. They can be laid under plastic cord covers of the type shown below across the classroom floor. The connections from the floor to individual desks can be through cables with USB connectors at both ends. This will permit the chairs and desks to be moved around and the classroom floor will be substantially free of obstructions for cleaning. The 5 volt power supply to the charging cables will be from a custom power supply source mounted close to one of the walls of the classroom. 4.0 The recommended solution The solution recommended for adoption, however, is easier and more elegant than the two alternatives discussed above. The need to recharge batteries of mobile computing equipment has led to the development of external battery packs. These external battery packs use the same lithium ion batteries as the inbuilt batteries, but have much larger energy storage capacity. The inbuilt battery in a smartphone has a capacity of about 2000 mAH (milli- Ampere Hours) whereas the external battery packs typically have a capacity of 30,000 to 40,000 mAH. The smartphone or other devices connect to the external battery pack through USB or Micro USB cables as shown. The external battery packs can be recharged at least 1,000 times. The external battery pack can be mounted on a spring clip under the desk or writing pad surface. Several designs of clamps for holding mobile phones in a car are available such as the example shown in Figure 9 below. One of these designs can be used to hold the external battery pack. At the end of each day, the external battery packs can be plugged into a charger connected to a wall outlet in the classroom. A charger for MacBook batteries is shown in Figure 10. A similar system could be developed for the external battery packs. 5.0 Cost estimate for implementing the proposal External battery packs for smartphones are made by a number of different manufacturers and are priced under $ 100 each. The charger rack for MacBook batteries is priced at $ 1,800. The cost estimate for implementing the proposal in one classroom is as below : External battery packs $ 100 x 30 chairs = $ 3,000. Charger rack for 30 battery packs = $ 1,800 Miscellaneous small expenses = $ 200 Total expenses = $ 5,000. One classroom should be fully equipped with individual power outlets at each chair in 6 to 8 weeks. The procurement of the charger rack would be the main activity on the critical path. The procurement of external battery packs and mounting them on chairs can be completed independent of the charger rack delivery. 6.0 Limitations of the proposal Use of external battery packs to provide power outlets at individual chairs in the classroom should only be looked at as an interim solution until the classroom furniture is redesigned for provision of power outlets and classrooms are modified for wiring to individual desks and chairs. The external battery packs would have a life of about 1,000 charge – discharge cycles and would then need to be replaced. In addition to the recurring cost, these batteries would add to the global problem of disposal of spent batteries. 7.0 Summary and Conclusions There is the increasing need to facilitate the use of smartphones and other mobile computing devices in the classroom by providing power outlets at each desk or chair. Until classrooms get redesigned with new furniture and under floor wiring, an interim solution is to provide external battery packs at each desk or chair to which the mobile computing device can be connected. This modification can be implemented at an affordable cost of about $ 5,000 per classroom. The first classroom can be equipped with battery packs in 6 to 8 weeks and thereafter the proposal can be quickly extended to cover all classrooms. References: eMarketer. “Smartphone users will total 1.75 billion in 2014”, eMarketer, January 16, 2014. Web. Accessed at http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Smartphone-Users-Worldwide-Will-Total-175-Billion-2014/1010536. Graham, Edward. “Using Smartphones in the Classroom”, National Education Association, August 15, 2013. Web. Accessed at http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm Higgins, Josh. “More schools use cellphones as learning tools”, USA Today, August 7, 2013. Web. Accessed at http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/08/07/views-shift-on-cell-phones-in-schools/2607381/ Nagel, David. “Students use Smart Phones and Tablets for School, Want more”, The Journal, May 8, 2013. Web. Accessed at http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/05/08/report-students-use-smart-phones-and-tablets-for-school-want-more.aspx Taylor, Martin. “How much longer until we can enjoy weeklong battery life?”, PocketNow, Nov 25, 2013. Web. Accessed at http://pocketnow.com/2013/11/25/better-smartphone-battery-life. Illustrations Used Figure 1- Usage of smartphones by school students (Nagel) Figure 2- Typical classroom seating (www.pearsonschoolsystems.com) Figure 3- Electrical wires under the raised floor(www.e3officefurniture.ca) Figure 4 – Power socket clamped to a desk (www.worthingtondirect.com) Figure 5- USB port for charging (www.samsung.com) Figure 6 –USB hub in desk surface (www.officepowerproducts.com) Figure 7- Plastic cord covers (www.electriduct.com) Figure 8- External battery pack for recharging (www.extendedbatteryreview.com) Figure 9- Clamp to hold external battery to desk (www.aliexpress.com) Figure 10- Charger for external battery packs (www.bretford.com) Read More