Rural Indian Kids Still Learning Computers Quickly
from the who-needs-computer-literate-parents? dept
While some have been complaining that kids without computer literate parents are at a disadvantage, studies in India have shown that might not be true. We first mentioned this experiment many years ago, when a researcher cut a hole in a wall and put a computer in it for street children and discovered that they could teach themselves to use computers very quickly. It appears the same guy is still at, going around to rural villages and giving out computers to see how quickly kids pick up the basics -- and discovering that it's rarely a problem. With a little bit of experimenting, the kids figure out all the basics. Of course, not everyone is enthusiastic about the program -- claiming that these kids need a lot more (food, medicine, etc.) before they need a computer. However, it does give hope that the idea of the "digital divide" for less than well-off children may not be that big a deal.
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If they can read, sure
This guy is just touting his successes in villages where he figured he'd succeed. How many villages has he not gone to, and how much wrongdoing is already happening because of the kiosks? Maybe this guy is a pied piper who snares ignorant villagers.
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All of this takes money, not just to place the computers originally but to maintain them. It's worth asking whether this is the most cost-effective way to help these children learn. If we give up on clean drinking water or school books simply to provide the children with video games, one can question the trade-off. But my children have benefited greatly from educational software such as JumpStart, Reader Rabbit, etc., so there's potential, if it's done well.
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computer literacy is now a joke
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