Does the One Laptop Per Child Initiative Improve Primary

Education?

ICT4D: Technology and Educational Shifts1:45pm - 3:15pm

Hilton Riverside Hotel, Second - Marlborough A

John Auxillos | Masters Student @ Tokyo Institute of TechnologyKhishigbuyan Dayan-Ochir | Rural Education and Development Project, Mongolia Sukhbaatar Javzan | Institute of Finance and Economics, Ulanbaatar, Mongolia Bat-Erdene Regsuren | American University of Mongolia Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi | Tokyo Institute of Technology

March 13, 2013

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Mongolia population: 2.7

million (2010)

low population density + nomadic lifestyle

literacy rate ~ 95%

computer-student ratio target: 1:25

% of schools connected to the internet: 50% (2012)

Background

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• decentralization and liberalization

• transition to market economy• structural changes in all sectors

Transition towards democracy (1990)

Issues of the education sector

1. decrease in education budget

2. school drop-outs3. urban migration of rural

teachers4. inadequate infrastructure5. curriculum content6. aligning years of schooling

to international practice7. lack of ICT skills and

equipment

XO1 Laptop (2006)

Reference: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Deployments http://cartodb.com/attributions http://cdb.io/10knTRF

2 million XOs (2011)

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Background

One Laptop Per Child

48 countrieslow-cost, low-powered, rugged, connected laptop, with educational software, for children aged 6-12design principle: low floor and high ceiling

aims to improve the quality primary education in rural areas

12,100 XO1s

47 Schools 12,100 XO1 Distributed in 2008

Background

OLPC in Mongoliaelectricity infrastructure

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Electricity GridTown GeneratorNo Data

47 Schools 12,100 XO1 Distributed in 2008

Background

OLPC in Mongoliainternet infrastructure (to school…)

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FiberDial-UpWireless 3GSatelliteNo InternetNo Data

How do we do our research? What was the impact of the OLPC in Mongolia? Mixed-Methods Methodology

blend of both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques to increase robustness of interpretation (Creswell 2010)

Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills Development Framework

Methodology

• mathematical abstractions• reading comprehension

Cognitive

• attitude• confidence• collaboration• “soft skills”

Non-Cognitive

Quantitative Data

QualitativeData

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Quantitative Data

Instrument 1: National Achievement Test on Mathematics and Reading World Bank Rural Education And Development

Project 2008 for Grade 5 students Math - number sense, algebra, geometry,

probability Reading - language meaning, grammar

Instrument 2: Computer Attitude Measure For Young Students (CAMYS) Teo & Noyes, 2008 measures computer disposition for 11-12 year

old students Twelve 5-point likert scale questions on

1) perceived ease of use 2) affect towards computers 3) perceived usefulness

Methodology

Quasi-experimental study: Paired 7 OLPC and 7 non-OLPC schools with similar conditions

2008 2012

DataSource

WB READ

OLPC Study

N 4750 1915

Content Math and Reading

2012

N

OLPC 967

Non-OLPC 948

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Qualitative Data

Methodology

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Interviews (semi-structured) school administrators (3) local education

specialists & directors (4) parents (2)

Focus group discussions (6) teachers (32) OLPC schools (6) Grade 5 Children (2 grps) education specialists

Classroom observations (1)

What have we found?(qualitative findings – aggregate picture)

Findings

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Findings

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Children

Teachers

Parents

CommunitySchool Management

Ministry

Findings

Teachers OLPC -> triggered an ICT movement at

school compelled to catch up with ICT team up to teach each other about ICT

Teachers found means of maximizing the XO1s

discovered/learned to rewrite lesson plan (student centered approach)

teachers recognized the XOs as a self-learning tool for children

Acknowledgement of benefits and concerns

“great opportunity for children to be exposed to ICT at an early age”

safety of children (in Ulaanbaatar) "My kid spends all his time on this green

thing" Possible concern for childrens' eyesight

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Parents/Community Positive acceptance of the

OLPC initiative Recognition of ICT opportunity Take financial responsibility Parents participating in school

activities OLPC initiative helped trigger

an ICT movement from the grassroots level Children teach their parents Parents make creative works

on the XO Parent willing to buy a PC Parents request local

government for laptop project

Findings

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ManagementEducation Specialists/Ministry of Education OLPC initiative was

supported by the local culture and environment Competition Close collaboration

Schools and local government are responsible for integrating the XO in a way they find fit weekly curriculum

schedule special training (in addition

to the PMU training)

Findings

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Childrenperspectives from parents and educators

are more self-starting, creative, confident, curious, independent, disciplined, and collaborative

in the classroom are disciplined and excited for lessons

spend after school hours self-learning on the computer

Findings

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Findings: Khovd Case

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Childrenenjoy playing and creating

helping each other outstaying after school to use the XO (and the connecting to the internet)

finding that accessing information on the internet is easywould like to show our works

Tokyo Techunreserved

confident to express themselvesproud to show off what they can do

Parentsplaying, exploring, creating

learn very fasthas willingness to teach family

center of ICT in the family

School Managementincrease in medals

improves school reputationgreat opportunity to use ICT at an early age

Teachersdisciplined

creativecollaborativeself-starting

Issues Different

understanding of objectives of the initiative

Findings

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OLPC improve quality of primary education

Ministry

expose children to ICT, develop e-learning content

Teachers

opportunity to be exposed to ICT

Improve children’s skills with the use of ICT (Khovd)

Service and repair system gap Original idea: decentralized + grassroots level service and support Reality: some parents cannot pay, repair is done at the capital

city, policy focused on allocation of responsibility (i.e. parents pay for repair, PMU will do repair work), software updates rarely pushed

Uncertainty of the future of the OLPC initiative in Mongolia XOs deployed are 3-4 years in operation (2012 – no more spare

parts, laptop batteries are not functional) OLPC project management unit in Mongolia was dissolved and

integrated to the teacher development center Khovd province doing research on how to implement one-to-

one learning programs

1. Teachers, parents, school administrators believe that the OLPC is changing the development of children.

2. The OLPC initiative was a trigger for ICT adoption from the grassroots level. (“there is something going on”)

3. Further research is needed on the impact of the OLPC specific to the culture (school level) in which it is used, integrated and perceived.

at school and community level

Does the One Laptop Per Child Initiative Improve Primary Education?

ConclusionDoes the One Laptop Per Child

Initiative Improve Primary Education?

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Thank you for listening!

Email us at:auxillos@ap.ide.titech.ac.jp

khishid@gmail.comyamaguchi@gsic.titech.ac.jp

John Auxillos | Masters Student @ Tokyo Institute of TechnologyKhishigbuyan Dayan-Ochir | Rural Education and Development Project, Mongolia Sukhbaatar Javzan | Institute of Finance and Economics, Ulanbaatar, Mongolia Bat-Erdene Regsuren | American University of Mongolia Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi | Tokyo Institute of Technology

March 13, 2012

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