Theory: You Can Help Poor Children to Learn Just by Giving Them Access to Computers
Compiled by Lori Gracey | Excutive Director | TCEA.org
Summary of the Belief: Sugata Mitra placed computers in the slums of India and, without any teaching or guidance, children were able to learn spontaneously from them. This has led to the belief that simply providing access to computers leads to a positive impact on learning.
Points About the Belief:
- Mitra’s research is very infrequently cited in the scientific literature. The majority of references are made by Mitra himself or by people from his entourage.
- The emphasis in India was quite heavily on gaming and play.
- The computer skills learned were largely basic skills. Without guidance, only a very few learners were able to progress to more complex matters.
- Children in the control group of the project were only given questionnaires at the beginning and end of the project, while those in the experimental group were tested every month. It has been conclusively proven that regular testing has a positive learning effect.
- In a similar project, the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program which dramatically increased access to computers, there was no evidence that there was increased learning in math or languages. The program did show some beneficial effects on cognitive skills.
Resources:
Your Analysis:
Is the theory:
- Myth
- Unproven
- Based on truth
What This Should Mean to Teachers:
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