Cheap and good? : an ICT in education intervention to evaluate the impact of low-cost computers on the self-efficacy and literacy of primary school children in rural India.

• Main Author: Komathi Ale.
• Other Authors: Arul Indrasen Chib
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Promotional communication; DRNTU::Social sciences::Education
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44854
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The increased hype and hope surrounding the advent of low-cost computing devices, specifically targeted at rural children, calls for scientifically established research to test their impact on education. The study aimed at evaluating the psychological empowerment of children through an information and communication technology in education intervention. The project, using the Extended Technology-Community-Management model, was designed to influence three community aspects of unbiased access, local language, and teacher training. Formative findings were used to support these claims. The impact assessment was guided by the cognitive component of the Psychological Empowerment theory. Using quantitative pre- post- intervention surveys, fieldwork was conducted to carry out a quasi-experiment among 68 children, test group (n=41) and control group (n=27), from primary schools in the rural regions of Uttaranchal, India. Participants in the test group interacted with 14 One Laptop per Child (OPLC) laptops during a five-month period. In order to assess the sustainability of impact, post-tests at short-term and medium-term periods were conducted. The results of survey questionnaires completed by all children and six teachers were analyzed, All hypotheses, which aimed to prove the impact of the use of low-cost computers on improving the computer self-efficacy, and functional and technological literacy of children in rural India, were proven significant. There were significant increases in all three test variables for children exposed to the OLPC.