IDIA2009 Conference
Diffusion vs. Effective Use: Initial findings on the impact of a new One Laptop per Child internship program for distribution of XO laptops in São Tomé e Príncípe, Africa
James Neves
STeP UP, São Tomé, São Tomé e Príncípe
Sarah Jackman
Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois, USA
Paul Adams
Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois, USA
Martin Wolske
Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois, USA
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to be a valuable tool to facilitate community development. Therefore, in those communities and countries where there is limited or no access to technology, early focus for ICT implementation is on the diffusion of technologies. However, if ICT is to meet its full potential as a tool to facilitate social inclusion and community participation in the global information economy, it is necessary to find ways to move beyond a primary focus of ICT implementation as an issue of diffusion to a particular emphasis on effective use of that technology. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative has received periodic criticism for its heavy emphasis on diffusion of technology. A newly implemented program by OLPC is sending student intern teams to a number of African nations during the summer of 2009 to spend 7-9 weeks in-country working with local partner organizations to distribute 100 of their XO laptops per team to children between the ages of 6 and 12. To encourage better integration and adoption of the technology within the community, OLPC has guided the training that the interns deliver to the children receiving laptops, and given different training to deliver to the teachers of those children. This paper will present early results from direct observations of the interns distributing computers, the children who receive and use these computers, and the teachers who are being asked to integrate the laptops into their teaching curriculum. Findings from individual interviews and focus groups with children, teachers, parents, and administrators will also be presented. Assumptions vs. realities for implementation of the program, the potential value of this strategy for both diffusion and effective use of technology, and issues of differing pedagogies and cultural educational priorities will be discussed.
