[Research] new subscriber intro - looking for partner to evaluate our program - interested researcher

[Jennifer DeBoer]

Hi Janissa,

My name is Jennifer DeBoer, and I am currently an advanced doctoral student
in international education policy.  I started getting involved in OLPC
during the first year of my program, and I'm still working on creating a
health program that could then be evaluated.  My main interest, though, is
in the education research side of things.  I would love to help in
conceptualizing, constructing, and implementing evaluations of such
interventions.  Please let me know how I can support your work.

Best,

Jennifer

On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 10:18 PM, <research-request at lists.laptop.org> wrote:

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>   1. new subscriber intro - looking for partner to evaluate    our
>      program (jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org)
>   2. Re: new subscriber intro - looking for partner to evaluate
>      our program (Edward Cherlin)
>   3. Re: new subscriber intro - looking for partner to evaluate
>      our program (jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org)
>   4. Re: new subscriber intro - looking for partner to evaluate
>      our program (Edward Cherlin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 14:21:23 -0500
> From: jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> Subject: [Research] new subscriber intro - looking for partner to
>        evaluate        our program
> To: research at lists.laptop.org
> Message-ID:
>        <
> 3596f085d0f2258071b2aee6b966177d.squirrel at server504.webhostingpad.com>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Hi, I'm a new subscriber to this list.  My name is Janissa Balcomb, and I
> am president and co-founder of Laptops to Lesotho Inc., a nonprofit
> organization established in 2009 to distribute refurbished G1G1 XO-1
> laptops we purchase on ebay to children in remote mountain villages in
> Lesotho.
>
> We are using what we think is a rather unique approach to setting up a
> computer program in a developing nation, and we would like to find a
> research partner to do an in-depth, long-term evaluation of the efficacy
> of our project.
>
> The first thing we did differently was we took 1-1/2 years to establish a
> grassroots organization in the local community before we distributed a
> large number of computers.  We started with just two Windows-based
> computers and two XO-1 laptops.  With the help of a Peace Corps Volunteer
> living in the community, we put two local educators in charge of the
> project at the very onset.  We mentored them, trained them, and made them
> responsible for all major decisions.  From the onset, we let them know
> that our role was merely as facilitator to get them started and that,
> within a matter of a few years, they would be solely responsible for the
> project.
>
> As we guided these two project leaders, we had a series of bench marks,
> unbeknownst to them, that they had to achieve before we moved to the next
> step. It wasn't until they reached the point where they had enough
> computer skills to supervise the project, where they were communicating
> regularly with us by email, where they had shown a serious sustained
> commitment to the project, and where the community had shown full
> investment in the project that we began delivering laptops.
>
> Another thing we are doing is moving at a pace of change that the
> community can fully absorb without disruption.  Our first deployment in
> 2010 consisted of 50 laptops.  Our second deployment with a similar number
> of laptops will be a full year later.
>
> During the first deployment, we met separately with all the teachers,
> parents/guardians, students, community leaders, religious leaders,
> government officials, and local police. After those meetings, we spent ten
> days helping the project leaders and school staff work out rules and
> regulations to govern the project.  These rules try to address every
> possible scenario we could foresee and establish a procedure to deal with
> situations we couldn't foresee.  From this, the school staff developed
> contracts for each student, parent/guardian, and educator to sign in order
> to participate in the project.
>
> The regulations and contracts clearly define responsibilities, benefits,
> and penalties for all parties involved.  Penalties for violating the
> contract can be paid in cash or worked off by doing community service.
> (The English version of the Rules and Regulations, Contracts, and Fine
> Schedules is posted on our blog at
>
> http://olpc2010-lesotho.blogspot.com/p/2011-rules-regulations-contracts-fee.html
> )
>
> Originally, we based our project on the OLPC philosophy and guidelines.
> However, the leaders, educators, and community members felt that one
> aspect, child ownership, didn't fit well with their situation and the
> number of laptops we were providing.  They changed that to school
> ownership with a system that allows the children and teachers to check the
> laptops out like a library book.
>
> As part of this system, a student must earn the right to check out a
> laptop.  First, both the student and their parents/guardian must all sign
> contracts agreeing to abide by the Rules and Regulations.  Then, the
> student and parents/guardian must learn how to properly care for the
> laptop and display that knowledge to the satisfaction of the student's
> classroom teacher.  Lastly, the student must earn a set number of points,
> via a clearly defined point system, based on the student's behavior at
> school and at home.
>
> During the first deployment we spent three weeks at the end of the school
> giving all the teachers at the school and a principal from another school
> in the area intensive training on how to use the XO laptop, how to charge
> and repair the laptops, how to teach with laptops in the classroom, and
> how to develop lessons with the laptops to supplement the curriculum.
>
> Then we left.  Three months later, one of the project leaders, who is the
> school principal, was brought to the U.S. for a professional and cultural
> exchange.  During that time, he had the opportunity to visit a number of
> schools, observe classes, and talk to principals, teachers, students, and
> school board members to learn about the U.S. education system.  (The trip
> was paid for by FIPE, the Foundation for International Professional
> Exchange.)  He returned to his school with a new perspective and new
> ideas.
>
> Laptops to Lesotho volunteers will return to the village in December 2011.
>  In the interim, the school staff is running the program.  So far, the
> laptops are being used several times a week in grades 4-7 and periodically
> in the lower grades.  Most of the teachers are using them in their
> classrooms, though two are not yet comfortable teaching with them.  In
> order that all the students get a chance to use the laptops, those
> teachers switch with other teachers for some lessons.  A larger solar
> power system is being installed this month that will enable the teachers
> to charge more laptops at one time and that will allow them to use the
> laptops even more frequently in the classroom.
>
> It is too early to tell what significant long-term changes this project
> will make, but in the short-term it has been very successful. Some of the
> short-term changes we have documented at this early stage include a 20%
> increase in enrollment at the school and a drop in chronic absenteeism to
> nearly zero.  Empirical evidence shows a vast improvement in student
> behavior and an increased rate of improvement in math and English skills.
>
> The project has also gotten the parents/guardians more actively involved
> in the school and has brought the community more closely together.  They
> have decided to start an annual cultural celebration, a tradition that had
> been lost prior to this project.  They will use the celebration, along
> with other community activities, to help raise funds for the project.
>
> The school staff has already begun to evaluate schools and school staff
> members in surrounding villages to determine the next candidate for
> expansion of the project.  They have also decided to spend part of the
> project funds to attend a grant-writing and fundraising workshop.
>
> We think that our process could be replicated successfully elsewhere.
> But, before we get too much farther down the road, we would like to
> establish a strict scientifically-based hypothesis testing research
> project to evaluate this technique both in short-term and long-term gains.
>
> If you are interested in helping to set up this evaluation research, or
> know of someone who might be, please let me know.
>
> Thanks,
> Janissa Balcomb
> jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> www.laptopstolesotho.org
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 21:17:39 -0400
> From: Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Research] new subscriber intro - looking for partner to
>        evaluate our program
> To: jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> Cc: research at lists.laptop.org
> Message-ID: <BANLkTimuagoswk+jzvtdfhHHYB5jz0YBFw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 15:21,  <jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org> wrote:
> > Hi, I'm a new subscriber to this list. ?My name is Janissa Balcomb, and I
> > am president and co-founder of Laptops to Lesotho Inc., a nonprofit
> > organization established in 2009 to distribute refurbished G1G1 XO-1
> > laptops we purchase on ebay to children in remote mountain villages in
> > Lesotho.
>
> Excellent.
>
> > We are using what we think is a rather unique approach to setting up a
> > computer program in a developing nation, and we would like to find a
> > research partner to do an in-depth, long-term evaluation of the efficacy
> > of our project.
>
> Second the motion.
>
> I would also suggest that you use the Free Software/Open Source
> approach of publishing all of your materials and letting the community
> work with them, try to improve them, test them, and so on. The new, in
> testing, not quite yet public Replacing Textbooks server at Sugar Labs
> is available for hosting training materials in addition to Free
> digital textbook replacements, or Open Education Resources (OER).
>
> > The first thing we did differently was we took 1-1/2 years to establish a
> > grassroots organization in the local community before we distributed a
> > large number of computers. ?We started with just two Windows-based
> > computers and two XO-1 laptops. ?With the help of a Peace Corps Volunteer
> > living in the community, we put two local educators in charge of the
> > project at the very onset. ?We mentored them, trained them, and made them
> > responsible for all major decisions. ?From the onset, we let them know
> > that our role was merely as facilitator to get them started and that,
> > within a matter of a few years, they would be solely responsible for the
> > project.
>
> Are you familiar with Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka? Your methods are somewhat
> similar.
>
> > As we guided these two project leaders, we had a series of bench marks,
> > unbeknownst to them, that they had to achieve before we moved to the next
> > step. It wasn't until they reached the point where they had enough
> > computer skills to supervise the project, where they were communicating
> > regularly with us by email, where they had shown a serious sustained
> > commitment to the project, and where the community had shown full
> > investment in the project that we began delivering laptops.
> >
> > Another thing we are doing is moving at a pace of change that the
> > community can fully absorb without disruption. ?Our first deployment in
> > 2010 consisted of 50 laptops. ?Our second deployment with a similar
> number
> > of laptops will be a full year later.
> >
> > During the first deployment, we met separately with all the teachers,
> > parents/guardians, students, community leaders, religious leaders,
> > government officials, and local police. After those meetings, we spent
> ten
> > days helping the project leaders and school staff work out rules and
> > regulations to govern the project. ?These rules try to address every
> > possible scenario we could foresee and establish a procedure to deal with
> > situations we couldn't foresee. ?From this, the school staff developed
> > contracts for each student, parent/guardian, and educator to sign in
> order
> > to participate in the project.
>
> Did you record any of those meetings? Such recordings would be of
> inestimable value to researchers and to other instructional designers.
>
> > The regulations and contracts clearly define responsibilities, benefits,
> > and penalties for all parties involved. ?Penalties for violating the
> > contract can be paid in cash or worked off by doing community service.
> > (The English version of the Rules and Regulations, Contracts, and Fine
> > Schedules is posted on our blog at
> >
> http://olpc2010-lesotho.blogspot.com/p/2011-rules-regulations-contracts-fee.html
> )
>
> Thank you.
>
> > Originally, we based our project on the OLPC philosophy and guidelines.
> > However, the leaders, educators, and community members felt that one
> > aspect, child ownership, didn't fit well with their situation and the
> > number of laptops we were providing. ?They changed that to school
> > ownership with a system that allows the children and teachers to check
> the
> > laptops out like a library book.
> >
> > As part of this system, a student must earn the right to check out a
> > laptop. ?First, both the student and their parents/guardian must all sign
> > contracts agreeing to abide by the Rules and Regulations. ?Then, the
> > student and parents/guardian must learn how to properly care for the
> > laptop and display that knowledge to the satisfaction of the student's
> > classroom teacher. ?Lastly, the student must earn a set number of points,
> > via a clearly defined point system, based on the student's behavior at
> > school and at home.
> >
> > During the first deployment we spent three weeks at the end of the school
> > giving all the teachers at the school and a principal from another school
> > in the area intensive training on how to use the XO laptop, how to charge
> > and repair the laptops, how to teach with laptops in the classroom, and
> > how to develop lessons with the laptops to supplement the curriculum.
> >
> > Then we left. ?Three months later, one of the project leaders, who is the
> > school principal, was brought to the U.S. for a professional and cultural
> > exchange. ?During that time, he had the opportunity to visit a number of
> > schools, observe classes, and talk to principals, teachers, students, and
> > school board members to learn about the U.S. education system. ?(The trip
> > was paid for by FIPE, the Foundation for International Professional
> > Exchange.) ?He returned to his school with a new perspective and new
> > ideas.
> >
> > Laptops to Lesotho volunteers will return to the village in December
> 2011.
> > ?In the interim, the school staff is running the program. ?So far, the
> > laptops are being used several times a week in grades 4-7 and
> periodically
> > in the lower grades. ?Most of the teachers are using them in their
> > classrooms, though two are not yet comfortable teaching with them. ?In
> > order that all the students get a chance to use the laptops, those
> > teachers switch with other teachers for some lessons. ?A larger solar
> > power system is being installed this month that will enable the teachers
> > to charge more laptops at one time and that will allow them to use the
> > laptops even more frequently in the classroom.
>
> Is your solar power system design public?
>
> > It is too early to tell what significant long-term changes this project
> > will make, but in the short-term it has been very successful. Some of the
> > short-term changes we have documented at this early stage include a 20%
> > increase in enrollment at the school and a drop in chronic absenteeism to
> > nearly zero. ?Empirical evidence shows a vast improvement in student
> > behavior and an increased rate of improvement in math and English skills.
>
> I would be very interested to see a comparison of your results with a
> one-to-one deployment. There are many other experiment designs of
> interest.
>
> > The project has also gotten the parents/guardians more actively involved
> > in the school and has brought the community more closely together. ?They
> > have decided to start an annual cultural celebration, a tradition that
> had
> > been lost prior to this project. ?They will use the celebration, along
> > with other community activities, to help raise funds for the project.
> >
> > The school staff has already begun to evaluate schools and school staff
> > members in surrounding villages to determine the next candidate for
> > expansion of the project. ?They have also decided to spend part of the
> > project funds to attend a grant-writing and fundraising workshop.
> >
> > We think that our process could be replicated successfully elsewhere.
> > But, before we get too much farther down the road, we would like to
> > establish a strict scientifically-based hypothesis testing research
> > project to evaluate this technique both in short-term and long-term
> gains.
> >
> > If you are interested in helping to set up this evaluation research, or
> > know of someone who might be, please let me know.
>
> I don't have the resources of a researcher, and Sugar Labs is not a
> research group. But as a Sugar Labs Project Manager, I would be very
> interested in following your research, and suggesting some research
> directions.
>
> > Thanks,
> > Janissa Balcomb
> > jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> > www.laptopstolesotho.org
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Research mailing list
> > Research at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/research
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Edward Mokurai (??/???????????????/????????????? ?) Cherlin
> Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
> The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
> http://www.earthtreasury.org/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 22:07:41 -0500
> From: jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> Subject: Re: [Research] new subscriber intro - looking for partner to
>        evaluate our program
> To: "Edward Cherlin" <echerlin at gmail.com>
> Cc: "research at lists.laptop.org" <research at lists.laptop.org>
> Message-ID:
>        <
> 5ecd533e995476261310f4ac72e2d3bc.squirrel at server504.webhostingpad.com>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Edward, Thanks for your input.  My replies follow >>
> __________________
>
> Edward: "I would also suggest that you use the Free Software/Open Source
> approach of publishing all of your materials and letting the community
> work with them, try to improve them, test them, and so on. The new, in
> testing, not quite yet public Replacing Textbooks server at Sugar Labs is
> available for hosting training materials in addition to Free digital
> textbook replacements, or Open Education Resources (OER)."
>
> Janissa: We plan to make all our materials public.  Anything we create
> here in the U.S. for the school will be posted; however, it is very
> difficult for the teachers in Lesotho to post materials they have created
> because there is no affordable internet service available in the area.
> When we visit the school later this year, we will make copies of anything
> they have created and will post it for them.
>
> Will the OER/free digital texbooks be provided in a format that can be
> downloaded on a flash drive rather than used interactively online?
> __________________
>
> Edward: "Are you familiar with Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka? Your methods are
> somewhat similar."
>
> Janissa:  I am not familiar with Sarvodaya, but I will check her/him out.
> __________________
>
> Edward: "Did you record any of those meetings? Such recordings would be of
> inestimable value to researchers and to other instructional designers."
>
> Janissa:  No, we did not record the meetings other than just taking notes.
>  I think having an audio or video recorder present might have inhibited
> the process too much.  It was hard enough as it was to get the teachers to
> talk, express opinions, and make decisions.  There was A LOT of cajoling
> involved.
> __________________
>
> Edward: "Is your solar power system design public?"
>
> Janissa:  It was designed by the Bethel Community Development and Business
> Center in Lesotho.  I will check with them about making the design public.
> __________________
>
> Edward: "I would be very interested to see a comparison of your results
> with a one-to-one deployment. There are many other experiment designs of
> interest."
>
> Janissa:  We had originally hoped to have a one-to-one ratio, but
> financial constraints prevented that.  We thought we would still work
> toward that goal eventually, but the community has over-ridden us.  They
> would prefer that we expand to other schools rather than try to reach a
> one-to-one ratio at the school we are currently working with.  The
> situation could definitely make for some interesting comparisons, if the
> research is set up properly.
> __________________
>
> Edward: "I don't have the resources of a researcher, and Sugar Labs is not
> a research group. But as a Sugar Labs Project Manager, I would be very
> interested in following your research, and suggesting some research
> directions."
>
> Janissa:  I would love to get any suggestions you or others have.  I'm
> completely new to this role and am feeling my way as I go, so any help is
> greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 23:19:15 -0400
> From: Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Research] new subscriber intro - looking for partner to
>        evaluate our program
> To: jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org
> Cc: iaep <iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org>,    "research at lists.laptop.org"
>        <research at lists.laptop.org>
> Message-ID: <BANLkTimpMsQPG-+=kFZR1CiHWSONNHsUHw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 23:07,  <jbalcomb at laptopstolesotho.org> wrote:
> > Edward, Thanks for your input.
>
> A pleasure.
>
> >?My replies follow >>
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "I would also suggest that you use the Free Software/Open Source
> > approach of publishing all of your materials and letting the community
> > work with them, try to improve them, test them, and so on. The new, in
> > testing, not quite yet public Replacing Textbooks server at Sugar Labs is
> > available for hosting training materials in addition to Free digital
> > textbook replacements, or Open Education Resources (OER)."
> >
> > Janissa: We plan to make all our materials public.
>
> I wasn't sufficiently explicit. I mean not only public, but under a
> Creative Commons or similar license, preferably permitting reuse,
> improvement, translation, and republication with credit but without
> having to get explicit permission.
>
> >?Anything we create
> > here in the U.S. for the school will be posted; however, it is very
> > difficult for the teachers in Lesotho to post materials they have created
> > because there is no affordable internet service available in the area.
> > When we visit the school later this year, we will make copies of anything
> > they have created and will post it for them.
>
> Sneakernet (originally with floppy disks) is an ancient and venerable
> tradition in the computer community.
>
> > Will the OER/free digital texbooks be provided in a format that can be
> > downloaded on a flash drive rather than used interactively online?
>
> It is our intention to make materials that can be used on an XO, and
> in Sugar on any other platform, and in many cases that means PDFs and
> other public document formats  that can be used anywhere on anything.
>
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "Are you familiar with Sarvodaya in Sri Lanka? Your methods are
> > somewhat similar."
> >
> > Janissa: ?I am not familiar with Sarvodaya, but I will check her/him out.
>
> Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
> http://www.sarvodaya.org/
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "Did you record any of those meetings? Such recordings would be
> of
> > inestimable value to researchers and to other instructional designers."
> >
> > Janissa: ?No, we did not record the meetings other than just taking
> notes.
> > ?I think having an audio or video recorder present might have inhibited
> > the process too much. ?It was hard enough as it was to get the teachers
> to
> > talk, express opinions, and make decisions. ?There was A LOT of cajoling
> > involved.
>
> Understood. Perhaps they will at some point become comfortable with
> students recording them using XOs, or they can record each other.
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "Is your solar power system design public?"
> >
> > Janissa: ?It was designed by the Bethel Community Development and
> Business
> > Center in Lesotho. ?I will check with them about making the design
> public.
>
> Thank you. Illinois Institute of Technology is doing another design
> for schools with XOs in Haiti, and there are others. I encourage
> organizations doing this to get together and share expertise.
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "I would be very interested to see a comparison of your results
> > with a one-to-one deployment. There are many other experiment designs of
> > interest."
> >
> > Janissa: ?We had originally hoped to have a one-to-one ratio, but
> > financial constraints prevented that. ?We thought we would still work
> > toward that goal eventually, but the community has over-ridden us. ?They
> > would prefer that we expand to other schools rather than try to reach a
> > one-to-one ratio at the school we are currently working with. ?The
> > situation could definitely make for some interesting comparisons, if the
> > research is set up properly.
>
> It would require some care to control for a variety of variables. We
> can discuss that when we get some experiment designers involved.
>
> > __________________
> >
> > Edward: "I don't have the resources of a researcher, and Sugar Labs is
> not
> > a research group. But as a Sugar Labs Project Manager, I would be very
> > interested in following your research, and suggesting some research
> > directions."
> >
> > Janissa: ?I would love to get any suggestions you or others have. ?I'm
> > completely new to this role and am feeling my way as I go, so any help is
> > greatly appreciated.
>
> I know some people we should talk to. I'll ask some of them
> individually. To begin with, we should talk to the Sugar Labs
> It's-An-Education-Project mailing list. I have copied them on this.
>
> --
> Edward Mokurai (??/???????????????/????????????? ?) Cherlin
> Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
> The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
> http://www.earthtreasury.org/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Research mailing list
> Research at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/research
>
>
> End of Research Digest, Vol 16, Issue 1
> ***************************************
>
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