© Joe Mertz –Technology for International Development 1

©JoeMertz– TechnologyforInternationalDevelopment 1

• Teachingliteracybyputting lyricsand“followthebouncingball”onmusicvideosandthenconvincingbroadcasterstoputthemontheair.

• Improvechildren’sschoolperformancebyhousingcomputersinadult-proofenclosuresandputtingtheminplaygrounds.

• Buildingportable internetcafesinmodularshippingcontainersthat couldconnectvillagestoeducational,medical,andcommercialservicesviaincludedcomputers,scanners,projectors,telemedicalequipment,andsatelliteInternetconnectivity,allpoweredbysolarenergy.


• Theproblem:literacyinIndia

• Indiahadanestimated146millionfully-literate,327millionearly-literate,and387millionnon-literatepeople.

• Thecensusoverestimatestheliteracyrate:– “literate”==1yearofschoolingorwritetheirname.

• Morethanhalfthepeopleconsideredtobe“literate”bythecensus,cannotreadtheheadlineofanewspaper.Source:PlanetRead:http://planetread.org/images/pdf/research/Research%20Summary_SLS.pdf


• Theidea– Samelanguagesubtitling(similar to“followthebouncingball”)providedonpopulartelevisionshows.• http://www.planetread.org

– Broadcastto wholeregionsofthecountry– Targetsearly-literates,givingthemsupportedreadingpractice


• 2002,SLSwasaddedtoRangoli– AnationallytelecastprogramofHindifilmsongs


Doubled

Halved

Source:PlanetRead:http://planetread.org/images/pdf/research/Research%20Summary_SLS.pdf

• Impactonnewspaperreading


• Eyefixation:


• Win-win:– SLSispreferredonsong-basedprogrammingby90%viewers.– WhentherewasnoSLSonRangoli,

• 27%reportedtoberegularviewersoftheprogram.– WithSLS:

• 40%– RatingsofTVprogramswentupbyatleast15%whenSLSwasadded.

• Results– Theyarelookingatit– Theylikeit– Anditimprovesliteracy– Forlittlecost

• 5-20paisaperpersonperyear


• 9/2013:“TheInternationalPrize”aliteracyawardfromLibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.,USA

©JoeMertz– TechnologyforInternationalDevelopment 9Graphsource:http://www.planetread.org/pdf/Annual%20Report-PR-2012.pdf

• May2015:SLSonallthesongsof10weeklyMarathimoviestelecastinprimetimeandonZeeTalkies,thestate’smostpopular24x7Marathimoviechannel.

• Maharashtra- SLS• Gujarat– noSLS

Source:http://planetread.org/images/pdf/research/Research-Article-2015-SLS-Impact-in-Maharashtra-Aug-4-2015.pdfNote:Sourceisagrantreport


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Source:http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/docs/Paper06.pdf

• http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/

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• ChiefScientistatNIIT– (NIIT:AnITsolutionsandservicecompany)

• 1999:Carveda“holeinthewall”ofthebackoftheNIITofficesadjoiningaverypoorareaofKalkaji,NewDelhi.

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• Mitra,S.andRana,V.(2001).“ChildrenandtheInternet:ExperimentswithminimallyinvasiveeducationinIndia”,TheBritishJournalofEducationalTechnology,32(2),221-232.

• Mitra,S.(2003).“MinimallyInvasiveEducation:Aprogressreportonthe"Hole-in-the-wall"experiments”.BritishJournalofEducationalTechnology,34(3),367-371.

• Mitra,S.(2005)“Selforganising systemsformasscomputerliteracy:Findingsfromthe‘holeinthewall’experiments“InternationalJournalofDevelopmentIssues4(1),71 - 81

• Mitra,S.andDangwal,R.(2010),Limitstoself-organising systemsoflearning—theKalikuppam experiment.BritishJournalofEducationalTechnology,41:672–688.doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01077.x

• Ritu Dangwal Krati SharmaSantonu Hazarika ,(2014),"Hole-in-the-WalllearningstationsandacademicperformanceamongruralchildreninIndia",JournalforMulticulturalEducation,Vol.8Iss 1pp.31- 53

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• Brickstructure• Glass-covered“holes”showcomputermonitors• Metallidcoverseachmonitor,keyboard,mousecombo– Sunshadeduringoperationalhours

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• Heightofmonitorandlidrequiresadultstostoop

• Keyboardprotectedbycowlrequiringsmallhands

• Designedtoensurechildren(<13)havepriorityaccess

16http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/solution.html

• Seatingclosetothewall

• Uncomfortablefortallpeople

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• Buildingarrangedsoscreensfacenorth-east– Toavoidsunglare

• Placedinsafe,publiclocations– E.g.playgrounds–Wherescreensvisibletopassingadults–Minimizesvandalism,theft,accessingpornography,etc.

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• Hasnomovingparts• Sixmetalcircles(touchbuttons)embeddedonaplasticplate– Twotopbuttonsforleftandrightclick– Fourbuttonsbelowforcursormovement

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• Keyboardcoveredbya cowltoprotectfromdust• Userinsertshandundercowl• Openingbelowcowlonlybigenoughforsmallhands

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• Noessentialsoftwareordatacanbedeletedorrenamed

• Desktopiconscannotbedeleted• Unusedprogramsareautomaticallyclosed.• Computerautomaticallyrebootsonhangs

• MinimallyInvasiveEducation– Apedagogicmethodthatusesthelearningenvironmenttogenerateanadequatelevelofmotivationtoinducelearningingroupsofchildren,withminimal,orno,interventionbyateacher.

• Inacontrolledstudies– Childrendevelopbasiccomputerliteracy• Muchbetterthanstudentswithnoinstruction• Almostaswellasstudentswithformalclasses

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• PlaygroundLearningStations– India– Bhutan– Cambodia– andcountriesinAfrica


• SelfOrganizedLearningEnvironments– Studentsworkingontheirown

• SelfOrganizedMediatedEnvironments– Workingwitha"grandmother":

• "That'simpressivedear,tellmemore."• Researchquestion:– CouldTamil- speakingchildreninaremoteIndianvillagelearnbasicmolecularbiologyinEnglishontheirown?

– Couldafriendlymediatorwithnoknowledgeofthesubjectimprovetheperformanceofthesevillagechildren?

– HowwouldthelearningandtestscoresofthesechildreninaremotevillagecomparewiththoseofchildrenwhowerefluentinEnglishandtaughtbysubjectteachersinalocalstategovernmentschoolandthoseattendinganaffluent,privateurbanschool?

©JoeMertz– TechnologyforInternationalDevelopment 23Source:http://solesandsomes.wikispaces.com/file/view/fulltext+SM+Kuppam+BJET.pdf

• Identifiedaruralvillage,withaHole-In-The-Wall,Englishistaught,butnotused,andadultswouldhavelittletonoknowledgeofmolecularbiology.

• Controlandexperimentalgroups• Preandposttests• DownloadedmaterialtotheHole-In-The-Wallconcerningmolecularbiology– Seeexample:http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

• Prompt:"Thereissomeinterestingnewmaterialonthecomputer,itisinEnglishanditmaybeabithardtounderstand,butwillyoutakealookatit?"

• 75daysofunsupervisedtime.• 75daysofmediatedtime.




Erroneouspoint


• Vikas Swarup,theauthorofQ&A,whichledtotheOscar-winningmovieSlumdogMillionaire:“Iwasinspiredbyhole-in-the-wallproject,whereacomputerwithanInternetconnectionwasputinaDelhislum.Whentheslumwasrevisitedafteramonth,thechildrenofthatslumhadlearnthowtousetheInternet.Irealised thatthere’saninnateabilityineveryonetodosomethingextraordinary,providedtheyaregivenanopportunity.”

– Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/1080891/

– Alsoseevideo:• http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/02/22/sidner.india.slumdog.inspiration.cnn?iref=videosearch

• DrSugata Mitra wonthe2013$1millionTEDPrize– Source:http://www.ted.com/pages/prizewinner_sugata_mitra


• "LittleIntelligentCommunities"• Source:

TheMissingPiece:Human-DrivenDesignandResearchinICTandDevelopmentbyBrand&Schwittay

• Usedshippingcontainersastelecentres• DroppedintoformerlyunconnectedvillagesinCostaRica

• OpenedtogreatfanfareinAugust2000• ClosedbyNovember2002


• Whywasitnotsustainable?– Howtheprojectwasinitiated?– Howitwasimplemented?– That sustainabilitywasnotbuiltinfromthebeginning?

– Thatrecycledshippingcontainershaveanegativeculturalstigma?

–WewillalsolookatprojectslikeLINCOS• Bytheendofthecourse,youwillbefamiliarwiththepatternofunsustainablemethods, andsustainableones.


• Syllabus– Requirements

• Schedule• Wiki:–Wheretofindit– Howtoedit


• FillinyourPersonalBiopage– Seedirectionsinwiki:

• http://t4id.wikispaces.com/Personal+bio+page• Reading1:DevelopmentAgendasandthePlaceofICTs

– WhatareyourthoughtsonthequestionUnwin raises:• "...whetheritisactuallypossibletouseICTs effectivelytohelptransformthelivesofpoorpeopleandmarginalizedcommunitiesdespitetheglobalintereststhatseektomaintaincompetitiveadvantagesandthusdigitaldivides..."

• "Andifitisindeedpossible,howcanthisbestbeachieved?"• Reading2:OnTurbocharged,Heat-Seeking,RoboticFishingPoles

– Ponder&answer:• WhatisToyama'smajorthesis(ortheses)?• Whatisyouroverallassessmentofit(orthem)?• Doyousomewhatormostlyagreeordisagree?

• Bringtoclass– Referto:http://t4id.wikispaces.com/Class+participation


Documents

© Joe Mertz –Technology for International Development 1