One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in Papua New Guinea and the ... · One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Reflections from Four Site Visits Dr Laura Hosman

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Reflections from Four Site Visits

Dr Laura HosmanIllinois Institute of TechnologyPTC 2011, January 18, 2011

Four Schools / Many Findings

• Overview of the four schools: – PNG: Mt Hagen and Rumginae– Solomon Islands: Patukae and Batuna

• Findings• Questions & Challenges• Recommendations

School 1: PNG Mt Hagen

• Brand New Deployment—1st week• Teachers had never used computers• 1-week training session


• Each school had a pre-loaded server• Individual solar panels to charge XOs• 3rd-5th grades covered (1/2 of school, plans for other 1/2)


• Too soon to talk about impact

• Students & Teachers both excited, enthusiastic


School 2: PNG Kiunga/Rumginae

• Rumginae school 1st pilot in region• Had laptops for ~6 months• 2-day training session


• Chosen b/c grid electricity• Only grades 3-4 have laptops

• Cause for divisiveness/disagreement


Questions arose:Who gets left out? Who gets priority?


School 3: Solomon Islands Patukae

• One of first pilots: Have had XOs for 2 years• Have satellite Internet thru PPP, but no server


• All grades received laptops• Children seemed very familiar w/them


• Teachers very enthusiastic• Parents even more supportive!


• Entire community changed thru project• Challenge: Program in danger of being

abandoned by Solomons Dept of Ed.

School 4: Solomons Batuna

• Have had XOs for 2 years, Tech. School• Used to have Internet—hadn’t for 4 mo.


• Creative use of XOs very evident• Local technical expert on-site


School 4: Solomons Batuna• Teachers & Parents very supportive

Preliminary Findings

• At every school: – Teachers want more training– Teachers & students with laptops

universally positive about the program– Electricity/energy in short supply– No clear financial plan for maintenance,

replacement or repair of XOs, or for providing new XOs to incoming classes

Preliminary Findings II

• Each school had unique challenges– Rivalry/jealousy/resentment of “have-nots”– Teachers/Principal had left, taking XOs with

them– Internet Connectivity

• In PNG prospects for getting it weren’t good• In Batuna the repeater was destroyed

– Program abandonment– Desire for local content

OLPC’s Five Principles

• Child Ownership• Low Ages• Saturation• Connection• Free & Open Source

When the core principles can’t be met, which get sacrificed?

Questions and Challenges

• When dreaming up “development” technology solutions in a “developed” environment, it’s nearly impossible to comprehend all that we take for granted

• When bringing technology to places that didn’t have it before and don’t have all the complementarities associated with it, what do we prioritize? What gets sacrificed?

Questions and Challenges

• Is it better to give laptops to a few grades, and neglect the others?

• Or is it better not to deploy if you know you can’t reach all children?

• Or if you know the laptops won’t be replaced or given to future classes?

• What to do about local content?

Not all Gloom and Doom: Profound Social Impact

• Parents conveyed impact on kids, families, schools, communities, etc.

• Unquestionably, lives have been changed• Technology affects aspirations, outlook, realities

Not Answers…but Recommendations

• Try for saturation• Think of energy• Try to develop local content• Think of the future!

– Maintenance– Replacement – Provision for future years– Computer lab or local cyber-learning center, – Continual teacher training

Thank You!

[email protected]://ict4dviewsfromthefield.wordpress.com

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in Papua New Guinea and the ... · One Laptop per Child (OLPC) in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands Reflections from Four Site Visits Dr Laura Hosman

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