£16 computer could make distance learning more accessible for all

£16 computer could make distance learning more accessible for all:

Running on similar architecture to a mobile phone with the added functionality of HDMI and USB connections, a new computer is being developed that could help to bring the Internet to the masses for as little as $25 (roughly £16). The project was born in Cambridge and nurtured by some of the greatest minds in computer history, following a drop in the skill level of A-Level students applying to read computer science. As Home PCs, games consoles and the Internet became the norm, the creativity of the 'bedroom programmer', people would fuel innovation by squeezing everything they could from limited resources, had become lost.

While the device itself is a technological achievement, it's the possibilities it brings with it that are getting people excited. Already, the Raspberry Pi community is buzzing with potential applications for the low cost, (and highly portable) devices, particularly in the field of education. Schools will be one step closer to giving every child their own computer and for companies like Virtual College, our internet based systems mean that anybody with the device can simply log on through their TV and complete their learning without the need to purchase a costly home computer. Factories could give a device to each shop floor worker for use while machinery is left on a program, and the device can easily be taken home in a pocket without the need for carrying around expensive laptops.

Year on year we see technology progressing and benefitting our lives, but the Raspberry Pi could be the device that really does bridge the 'digital divide'.