[IAEP] Contents of IAEP Digest, Vol 28, Issue 24

[Tabitha Roder]

> From: Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [IAEP] [OLPC-SF] Current OLPC Metrics
>
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_research .
>

My list of questions (brain dump) with regards to using olpc laptops running
Sugar and Gnome in NZ (extremely ethnically diverse island nation) ...

   - How does the introduction of olpc laptops and philosophy impact the
   learning experience?
   - Does the introduction of olpc translate to better achievement of
   learning outcomes? (evidence can be collected from Journal and from school
   server)
   - How much difference does it make using a Child ownership model over
   just lending laptops to students?
   - What measurable difference is there when students can take home a
   laptop from school?
   - What year group do personal laptops make the biggest difference? Does
   it matter how long they have the laptop? If they only got to use it for one
   year, which year is best?
   - NZ schools have computers. What if we just add Sugar to these machines?
   Is that enough to see a difference? What if we give Sugar on a Stick to
   every child?
   - Do we need to implement the 5 principles of olpc to be successful?
   - How important is the inclusion of community? Parents?
   - How would an olpc deployment help Maori students' performance? Other
   ethnic groups and demographics?
   - What difference does it make when you localise with Maori language
   being used on the laptop? Other ethnic groups and demographics?

   - What about mixed languages in the same classroom - allowing students to
   choose language on laptops?
   - What about shared content creation and student portfolios of work? team
   versus self identity construction - see
   http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum
   - What impact does olpc have on Child wellbeing?
   - what is the impact of perceived ownership of laptop on student
   engagement
   - what is the impact of giving students control of software on their
   laptop
   - What is the impact on teaching when students have control of their
   software on their laptop?
   - What is the impact on teaching when students have control of the
   language they use on their laptop?
   - What curriculum area does Sugar and Gnome have the biggest impact?
   - How does a computer at home for one of the children affect family
   dynamics?
   - Does it impact on homework completion?
   - Can we apply new technologies to existing school curriculum, resources
   and infrastructure?
   - How will we get teacher engagement?
   - What is the impact by shifting responsibility of computer maintenance
   to student? considering impact on problem solving skills development, as
   well as things like sense of achievement and control
   - students sharing and creating own content and impact on learning (this
   happens to some degree in schools already, but maybe not as a philosophy and
   driver?)
   - What are the teachers' impressions? Do XOs increase perceived stress
   levels? Do XOs increase or ease lesson preparation? Do teachers feel that
   XOs make their lives easier or harder? Do they think they have to know more
   than the students? Is it a threat? Do they think olpc will help their
   students and in what ways? How would they like to be supported? What other
   infrastructure would they like?

They obviously need a lot of refining, but good to get them out of my head
again - started this as a google doc when I was wondering if I can use a
research project as a way to increase changes of getting funding for a
deployment.
I also want to be able to point to research and say "here is why I am
telling you that you need to let the kids take the laptops home" and "here
is why I am telling you that you need to include the parents not just the
teachers". It would really help when I talk to deployments / potential
deployments, some of whom are not keen on kids taking laptops home, consider
laptops to be school property not childrens, and don't understand the need
for community inclusion.

Tabitha
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