Crossing The Digital Divide Through A Hole In The Wall

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In the 21st Century, computer literacy is essential to success. Even careers that are considered low-tech, now require a minimum level of computer proficiency.

Preparing our children to meet the demands of a tech-savvy world, requires that computer literacy be an important part of their education.

Today’s children need not only basic education, but also the ability to deal with an increasingly complex and connected world. We need to create inclusive educational solutions that address all sections of society and help transform them.

Now, more than ever before, it is critical to look at solutions that complement the framework of traditional schooling. Minimally Invasive Education™ is one such solution – a solution that uses the power of collaboration and the natural curiosity of children to catalyze learning. From Hole-In-The Education Ltd.

Group Learning

Fortunately, it can be surprisingly easy to let kids learn basic computer skills. In this video, computer scientist Sugata Mitra demonstrates what happens when you set up a computer kiosk in a Third World village where children have had no previous computer access.

Children, working in groups, organize themselves so that one inputs data, while another provides guidance. Behind them, a chorus provides suggestions - usually incorrect. Meanwhile, the entire group learns how to do whatever task is at hand.  And this happens over and over again, in Hole-In-The-Wall experiments throughout Asia and Africa.

Parents see this phenomenon all the time. It always surprised me how a group of kids would hover around one hand held Gameboy DS console, but I realized that the observers were learning the moves and interacting with the game as much as the wielder of the cursor. At home, my kids and their friends often crowd around one computer to cooperatively browse through the Internet. I think they enjoy this more as a group, than they would individually.

Homeschooling Online

I’m still mulling how this insight into cooperative learning affects my thinking regarding homeschooling online. Generally, I think it will be worthwhile to find opportunities for group work. Occasionally, instead of having one child working with an online group, it may be helpful to organize a real-world group to collaborate on online projects.

I’ll put some more thought into this idea, but I’d love to hear your suggestions. Have you had any success with group computer learning in a home environment?

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