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Hi all,<BR>
<BR>
Forgive me if this has been circulated, but I've not seen it before.<BR>Thought some of you might also be keen to read this.<BR>
OLPC Haiti Pre-Pilot Evaluation Report<BR>
<BR><A href="http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=2062678">http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=2062678</A><BR>
Key points from the executive summary:<BR> - tracked approx 2,340 hours of daily student usage of the XO laptop<BR> - 1:2 computing doesn't work as well as 1:1<BR> - 4 of the 17 available activities are used 88% of the time<BR> - kids fear taking home the XO in case they're robbed<BR> - teachers need training and ongoing support to transition effectively<BR>from teacher centred to student centred learning.<BR>
<BR>
Those of you who saw my Open Road presentation will remember I was keen<BR>to hear about this pilot... as Haiti was hit by devastating succession<BR>of cyclones not long after the machines were deployed.<BR>
<BR>
For those who don't have time to download and read the whole document, I<BR>have edited the executive summary below. Note: It doesn't include any of<BR>the methodology or specifics - get the full report if you want detail.<BR>
Hope someone finds this useful :)<BR>-------------------------------------------------------------<BR>Executive Summary<BR>The Haitian Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MENFP)<BR>introduced 1:1 constructivist computing in the Haitian primary school<BR>system. Initial implementation was a pre-pilot project conducted in<BR>collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).<BR>
The purpose of the pre-pilot was to ascertain effective teacher<BR>preparation by identifying successful training methods and important<BR>content to be addressed during teacher training sessions.<BR>
The OLPC pre-pilot project was implemented at the Ecole Nationale<BR>Republique du Chili (ENRC), an all-female public school located in<BR>Port-au-Prince.<BR>
<BR>
The evaluation tracked approximately 2,340 hours of daily student usage<BR>of the XO laptop, not including home usage.<BR>
Perceived improvement in student reading and writing in Haitian Creole<BR>and French, as well as a general perception of the XO laptop as a symbol<BR>of opportunity and progress.<BR>
<BR>
Problems with one-to-two computing resulting from unequal sharing of the<BR>XO laptop.<BR>
<BR>
Students who are more knowledgeable about the XO laptop or have more<BR>advanced academic skills tend to dominate the use of the XO laptop,<BR>depriving students most in need the opportunity for academic improvement<BR>if the partner dominates the XO laptop.<BR>
<BR>
Student attention span per XO Camp session declines in proportion to<BR>battery life and availability of electrical outlets.<BR>
<BR>
Four of the 17 activities available on the XO laptop (Record, Write,<BR>Browse Internet, and Paint) represented 88 percent of laptop usage for<BR>the XO Camp participants.<BR>
<BR>
Moreover, student exploratory usage of the XO declined under the<BR>following circumstances:<BR>
<BR>
(1) When XO laptop activities were formally introduced as part of a<BR>teacher’s lesson plan,<BR> (2) when interest in organized group activity increased, and<BR> (3) when student focus level was high.<BR>
This was especially evident during Week 2 of the evaluation, when the<BR>fifth-grade class drastically reduced usage of the Paint and Record<BR>programs after being formally introduced to the Internet and receiving<BR>an essay-writing assignment.<BR>
<BR>
Greater teacher engagement decreases student distraction.<BR>
Participants reported an increased need for help in learning to use the<BR>XO and transitioning from teacher-centered to student-centered learning.<BR>In-depth technical and pedagogical training session prior to the<BR>implementation of the OLPC pilot is needed, as well as continued support<BR>over the course of the project.<BR>
<BR>
Majority of respondants spoke of the benefits of allowing students to<BR>take the XO laptops home. But more than half the students were afraid to<BR>take the XO laptop home because they might be robbed.<BR>
OLPC pre-pilot evaluation report (Haiti)<BR>by Emma Näslund-Hadley[et al.]<BR>
<BR>Inter-American Development Bank<BR>Education Division - SCL<BR>Working Paper #2<BR>
Download the OLPC Haiti Pre-Pilot Evaluation Report here:<BR><A href="http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=2062678">http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=2062678</A><BR>
--<BR>Donna Benjamin - Executive Director<BR>Creative Contingencies - <A href="http://cc.com.au">http://cc.com.au</A><BR>ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414<BR>open source - facilitation - web services<BR><BR><BR>
<DIV>
Sincerely,<BR>
S Adhikari<BR></DIV><BR><BR> </body>
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