Possibility of a Proprietary LDS Device?
Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 2:02 pm
I attended LDSTech 2013 and I was especially interested in the "Lost Sheep" session about member training. I have been a technology trainer for years and training the less tech savvy is an important topic topic to me.
I have an idea, but it would take some R&D from the church, but it would create a uniform training experience that would require little to no training time by local leaders.
In my mind time is our biggest obstacle. Training the trainers is an efficient system for a standardized platform, but when there are three or more versions of Gospel Library and dozens of combinations of phones, tablets and laptops, the task of training requires a very talented, patient, and knowledgeable tutor.
Here's what I think would work - don't shoot the idea down until you have considered it for a week or so. The idea came to me while sitting in the temple. That is not to say that this is inspiration, but it may increase the likelihood that some inspiration may be involved.
It is totally possible that the church is already working on a project like this.
My idea is a proprietary LDS Android tablet designed specifically to run the LDS apps.
To illustrate why this is a better solution than usergroup-style training, I have written the following fictional case study:
Janet is a 57-year-old married mother of four (only the youngest is still at home). Her kids use technology but she only reads email and does Pinterest. Her husband only uses a computer at the church when he enters the high priest's home teaching reports.
Each week Janet sees her friends using tablets and smartphones for scripture reading, checking the stake calendar, and singing the hymns. Janet wants to be able to do those things too. Occasionally a friend will make a comment like, "Janet, you really need to get into the 21st century." or "You can find Sister Johnson's number in LDS Tools." Janet feels like she gets more upset than she should when people make these comments.
Janet begins asking her kids about tablets. Her son tells her to get a Galaxy Tab, her daughter explains that an iPad is really the way to go for "old people," and her youngest tells her that she should just upgrade her phone to a smartphone. Janet's husband is a good man and he notices her interest in all of these devices. So, at Christmas time, he goes into the local electronics store and sees that there is a deal on a Brand X tablet for $89. He asks the sales person if it will let her do church stuff. The sales associate makes a few suggestions and assures him that the alternative tablet he recommended will meet Janet's needs. If that buying process confused you, you aren't alone. Her husband was equally confused.
Her husband wraps it up and gives it as a Christmas gift. Janet is excited, but almost as unsure about how to use it and what she would use it for as her husband is.
Janet's teenager sets up the device quickly without any explanation to Janet, then tells her to go into the app store (which the teenager opens and and logs into without any explanation) if she wants to buy apps. Janet immediately searches for "Scriptures" and finds the "LDS Scriptures" app for $14.99.
When she gets to church, she asks one of her friends where to get the hymns and the ward list. Her friend (who uses an iPad) tells her that she bought the wrong scriptures app and recommends that she installs Gospel Library - but there is no app store on Janet's tablet. Janet's friend's husband who uses an Android tablet points out that it's called the "Play Store" and not the "App Store" on an Android and they are off to download Gospel Library. If they can connect the tablet to the WiFi. Janet's friend's husband attempts to help her connect, but he explains that his Android device is a little different than hers. He fumbles his way through it in a way that makes Janet feel like her device must be the problem.
Finally, they connect and the Gospel Library is downloaded. In Relief Society, Janet asks her friend (remember, she uses an iPad) how to find the Teachings of the Prophets manual in Gospel Library. The friend is confident and begins to show her, until she realizes that Janet is using a different version of Gospel Library because the versions are different between iPad and Android. She fumbles through it, but again, Janet feels that her device must be inferior because it works differently and her techie friends have problems using it.
When Janet explains the problem to her kids, they blame the device, her intelligence and her age. She blames her husband for buying the wrong device.
Janet has two options: Press forward and learn the device or ditch the device because paper scriptures are much easier to use.
In this scenario, Janet is not stupid, her husband was not careless, her kids were not useless and her friends were not reluctant to help - yet the entire process of learning broke down because of non-standardized technology.
Concept for a solution:
A locked-down tablet with minimal apps including the church apps, memo pad, calendar, basic email system, Chrome browser and basic productivity apps. No camera (or a low-res camera), no games, no complex app store.
The tablet would come with a case and one or two video DVDs as a manual. The DVD would include tutorial videos and demonstrations that feature the EXACT tablet and software that the member was learning on and an illustrated notebook with illustrations of the tablet on every other page and lots of room for taking notes. The notebook would not be a manual, it's purpose would simply be for the user to draw thumbnails of the interface and write personal notes - thus becoming a personalized reference that they will probably never need to refer to because taking good notes increases confidence in remembering processes.
The videos would feature short, 2-minute or less, tutorials on everything from turning the device on to individual app functions. The videos would not be played on the device itself because the members will need to use the device while watching the video. Posting the videos online is another option, but the DVD is essential because many members will not have access to, or an understanding of how to use, WiFi Internet for streaming videos.
Once a member has purchased one of these devices and used it for a while, they should progress from an A user to a B user. At that point, they may decide to buy a fancier tablet with more features - which is fine because the apps will work basically the same and the LDS Access sign-in will sync their information.
In the box would be a document encouraging members to donate the device to a central collection center at the church so that the tablets can be wiped and redistributed to areas where members may not be able to afford such a device. This is due to the assumption that most members who buy one of these devices will only use it for a about a year before upgrading to something more versatile as their comfort level and understanding expand.
Questions you probably have:
Q. How much would it cost?
A. $129 (The device needs to be priced low enough to be affordable, but high enough that members will take it seriously and feel obligated to learn how to use it.)
Q. Why would someone buy a church tablet when they could buy a Kindle, Nook or iPad?
A. This tablet would not be an alternative to a tablet, it would be a church-work-only device. The thought here is that there are many many members who ONLY want a tablet for church business, at least to start with. Members who want a multipurpose tablet will buy a multipurpose tablet. This is not an alternative to an iPad or other complex device. It is not in any way intended to be a full function tablet. Of course some techie members may buy it and hack it, but the hardware specs and cost will not make it an attractive alternative to a Kindle Fire or Nook HD. The appeal and purpose for this device is solely to help introduce non-techie members to the benefits of using technology in the Work of the Lord.
Q. What other potential uses would this device have?
A. The use of the Android operating system and expandable memory would allow these devices to be used to store ALL of the church videos, manuals and other content which could be streamed to any HDMI enabled TV using a $35 Chromecast dongle that could be permanently placed in every building television. (Side note: this would be a great solution for materials centers who have yet to abandon the VHS tape.)
These devices would also be useful in missionary work, and teaching in areas where a materials centers are limited in inventory and technology.
This device would be a sort of flagship device like the G series is for Android. It could be used to beta test new software as well as proprietary apps that would be exclusive to church use, such as missionaries, clerks, temples, etc.
Another thought I have had is that this device could be used with Deseret Book as a partner. This would give DB an exclusive outlet for books written by general authorities or other significant works for church members. Doing this may be one answer to the questions about cost and subsidizing R&D.
Thank you for letting me pitch this. I don't expect it to go anywhere, but I had to put the idea out there. I really do think that it could be a solution to the training concerns.
Of course this is just a summary. There are dozens of details that I have thought of, but this post is long enough and should give you the basic idea. I estimate that it would take about a year to produce and the hardware cost would probably break even. But, profit and longevity of use are not really the goal here. I am confident that the church would not lose any money on the device. I think that it could potentially lead to using technology for to increase efficiency in ways we haven't even realized yet.
I have an idea, but it would take some R&D from the church, but it would create a uniform training experience that would require little to no training time by local leaders.
In my mind time is our biggest obstacle. Training the trainers is an efficient system for a standardized platform, but when there are three or more versions of Gospel Library and dozens of combinations of phones, tablets and laptops, the task of training requires a very talented, patient, and knowledgeable tutor.
Here's what I think would work - don't shoot the idea down until you have considered it for a week or so. The idea came to me while sitting in the temple. That is not to say that this is inspiration, but it may increase the likelihood that some inspiration may be involved.
It is totally possible that the church is already working on a project like this.
My idea is a proprietary LDS Android tablet designed specifically to run the LDS apps.
To illustrate why this is a better solution than usergroup-style training, I have written the following fictional case study:
Janet is a 57-year-old married mother of four (only the youngest is still at home). Her kids use technology but she only reads email and does Pinterest. Her husband only uses a computer at the church when he enters the high priest's home teaching reports.
Each week Janet sees her friends using tablets and smartphones for scripture reading, checking the stake calendar, and singing the hymns. Janet wants to be able to do those things too. Occasionally a friend will make a comment like, "Janet, you really need to get into the 21st century." or "You can find Sister Johnson's number in LDS Tools." Janet feels like she gets more upset than she should when people make these comments.
Janet begins asking her kids about tablets. Her son tells her to get a Galaxy Tab, her daughter explains that an iPad is really the way to go for "old people," and her youngest tells her that she should just upgrade her phone to a smartphone. Janet's husband is a good man and he notices her interest in all of these devices. So, at Christmas time, he goes into the local electronics store and sees that there is a deal on a Brand X tablet for $89. He asks the sales person if it will let her do church stuff. The sales associate makes a few suggestions and assures him that the alternative tablet he recommended will meet Janet's needs. If that buying process confused you, you aren't alone. Her husband was equally confused.
Her husband wraps it up and gives it as a Christmas gift. Janet is excited, but almost as unsure about how to use it and what she would use it for as her husband is.
Janet's teenager sets up the device quickly without any explanation to Janet, then tells her to go into the app store (which the teenager opens and and logs into without any explanation) if she wants to buy apps. Janet immediately searches for "Scriptures" and finds the "LDS Scriptures" app for $14.99.
When she gets to church, she asks one of her friends where to get the hymns and the ward list. Her friend (who uses an iPad) tells her that she bought the wrong scriptures app and recommends that she installs Gospel Library - but there is no app store on Janet's tablet. Janet's friend's husband who uses an Android tablet points out that it's called the "Play Store" and not the "App Store" on an Android and they are off to download Gospel Library. If they can connect the tablet to the WiFi. Janet's friend's husband attempts to help her connect, but he explains that his Android device is a little different than hers. He fumbles his way through it in a way that makes Janet feel like her device must be the problem.
Finally, they connect and the Gospel Library is downloaded. In Relief Society, Janet asks her friend (remember, she uses an iPad) how to find the Teachings of the Prophets manual in Gospel Library. The friend is confident and begins to show her, until she realizes that Janet is using a different version of Gospel Library because the versions are different between iPad and Android. She fumbles through it, but again, Janet feels that her device must be inferior because it works differently and her techie friends have problems using it.
When Janet explains the problem to her kids, they blame the device, her intelligence and her age. She blames her husband for buying the wrong device.
Janet has two options: Press forward and learn the device or ditch the device because paper scriptures are much easier to use.
In this scenario, Janet is not stupid, her husband was not careless, her kids were not useless and her friends were not reluctant to help - yet the entire process of learning broke down because of non-standardized technology.
Concept for a solution:
A locked-down tablet with minimal apps including the church apps, memo pad, calendar, basic email system, Chrome browser and basic productivity apps. No camera (or a low-res camera), no games, no complex app store.
The tablet would come with a case and one or two video DVDs as a manual. The DVD would include tutorial videos and demonstrations that feature the EXACT tablet and software that the member was learning on and an illustrated notebook with illustrations of the tablet on every other page and lots of room for taking notes. The notebook would not be a manual, it's purpose would simply be for the user to draw thumbnails of the interface and write personal notes - thus becoming a personalized reference that they will probably never need to refer to because taking good notes increases confidence in remembering processes.
The videos would feature short, 2-minute or less, tutorials on everything from turning the device on to individual app functions. The videos would not be played on the device itself because the members will need to use the device while watching the video. Posting the videos online is another option, but the DVD is essential because many members will not have access to, or an understanding of how to use, WiFi Internet for streaming videos.
Once a member has purchased one of these devices and used it for a while, they should progress from an A user to a B user. At that point, they may decide to buy a fancier tablet with more features - which is fine because the apps will work basically the same and the LDS Access sign-in will sync their information.
In the box would be a document encouraging members to donate the device to a central collection center at the church so that the tablets can be wiped and redistributed to areas where members may not be able to afford such a device. This is due to the assumption that most members who buy one of these devices will only use it for a about a year before upgrading to something more versatile as their comfort level and understanding expand.
Questions you probably have:
Q. How much would it cost?
A. $129 (The device needs to be priced low enough to be affordable, but high enough that members will take it seriously and feel obligated to learn how to use it.)
Q. Why would someone buy a church tablet when they could buy a Kindle, Nook or iPad?
A. This tablet would not be an alternative to a tablet, it would be a church-work-only device. The thought here is that there are many many members who ONLY want a tablet for church business, at least to start with. Members who want a multipurpose tablet will buy a multipurpose tablet. This is not an alternative to an iPad or other complex device. It is not in any way intended to be a full function tablet. Of course some techie members may buy it and hack it, but the hardware specs and cost will not make it an attractive alternative to a Kindle Fire or Nook HD. The appeal and purpose for this device is solely to help introduce non-techie members to the benefits of using technology in the Work of the Lord.
Q. What other potential uses would this device have?
A. The use of the Android operating system and expandable memory would allow these devices to be used to store ALL of the church videos, manuals and other content which could be streamed to any HDMI enabled TV using a $35 Chromecast dongle that could be permanently placed in every building television. (Side note: this would be a great solution for materials centers who have yet to abandon the VHS tape.)
These devices would also be useful in missionary work, and teaching in areas where a materials centers are limited in inventory and technology.
This device would be a sort of flagship device like the G series is for Android. It could be used to beta test new software as well as proprietary apps that would be exclusive to church use, such as missionaries, clerks, temples, etc.
Another thought I have had is that this device could be used with Deseret Book as a partner. This would give DB an exclusive outlet for books written by general authorities or other significant works for church members. Doing this may be one answer to the questions about cost and subsidizing R&D.
Thank you for letting me pitch this. I don't expect it to go anywhere, but I had to put the idea out there. I really do think that it could be a solution to the training concerns.
Of course this is just a summary. There are dozens of details that I have thought of, but this post is long enough and should give you the basic idea. I estimate that it would take about a year to produce and the hardware cost would probably break even. But, profit and longevity of use are not really the goal here. I am confident that the church would not lose any money on the device. I think that it could potentially lead to using technology for to increase efficiency in ways we haven't even realized yet.