Hole in the Wall

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"Hole in the Wall" = project demonstrating intra-community P2P learning

Project Description

While it is a commercial project (it didn't start that way), "Hole in the Wall" provides one of the most unique models for demonstrating local(intra-community) P2P Learning.

"Hole in the Wall" was conceived and launched by the Chief Scientist of NIIT (an Indian-based multinational IT training company), Dr. Sugata Mitra. It was a collaborative project between NIIT and International Finance Corp., a World Bank unit, in 2001.

Dr. Mitra's first question was, "What would happen if I placed a computer with an Internet connection in a place where kids could get to it without any supervision or instruction?" He then put a computer with an Internet connection and some monitoring equipment in a building with very small keyboard and mouse holes exposed in a wall with the monitor behind glass and backed off with a video camera to see what happened.

Here are the results of one survey published on the Hole in the Wall site:


Research into Peer-to-Peer Learning Patterns

Sociometric survey was implemented on children to determine composition of users and identify the leaders (Madangir, July 2004). The focus was on social networking, self-regulation and collaboration, patterns of knowledge flow from key leaders (who were identified and provided with targeted input) to other children at the Learning Station. The sociometric survey found:

• Self-organizing groups of children who organize themselves into Leaders (experts), Connectors and Novice groups.

• Leaders and Connectors identified seem to display an ability to connect with and teach other users.

• Key leaders on receiving targeted intervention, play a key role in bringing about a “multiplier effect in learning" within the community.

• Often girls are seen to take on the role of Connector, who initiates younger children and siblings (usually novices with little or no exposure to computers) and connects them to the leaders in the group.


=Conclusion: A New Way to Learn= [1]

Traditional Computer Based Learning (CBL) methods typically rely on one-way transmission of information. These methods are seen as extensions of classroom learning and thus viewed by children as restrictive. Consequently, results from such CBL initiatives have, at best, been mixed. In Contrast, Hole-in-the-wall Learning Stations seek to create a new paradigm in the learning process by providing unrestricted computer access to groups of children in an open playground setting. We believe that such an open setting will use child’s natural curiosity to stimulate learning. The essential features are:

Playground Setting - The learning station is set up in an outdoor playground setting which children can access at any time. It ensures that girls, who would generally not be sent to close room housing a computer, can now easily access the Learning Station in an open setting.

The playground setting offers a host of other advantages. Unconditional access to Learning Stations ensures that both children in-school and out-of-school can use them. Another advantage is that the unstructured nature of this setting also ensures that children themselves take ownership of the Learning Station by forming self-organized groups who learn on their own. Finally an unsupervised setting ensures that the entire process of learning is learner-centric and is driven by a child’s natural curiosity.

Collaborative Learning - The learning station fosters collaborative learning among groups of children instead of following the usual school model of rote based learning (unidirectional). This allows children to explore, learn, share and learn even more as a result of this exchange of knowledge. This ‘multiplier effect’ of collaborative learning is utilized fully by HiWEL learning stations.

Optimum utilization of Learning station - In a traditional computer lab setting, pedagogy is ‘instruction based’ where focus is on dissemination of information. Moreover the access to computer is restricted by average usage time available per user (more so by the ‘scarcity mentality’). As opposed to this, HiWEL Learning Stations rely more on exploratory learning where children who can freely experiment on the Learning Station. Again, groups of children access the Learning Station leading to twin advantages of collaborative learning and multiple children using the Learning Stations at the same time. This leads to much greater impact on children than a traditional lab based setting.

Integration with the school system - A big advantage of the HiWEL learning station is that it fits in nicely with traditional schooling and seeks to reinforce structured learning through peer discussions, increased curiosity and better retention.

In schools where the Learning Stations were installed, some teachers have reported improved retention and increased receptivity among children. There have also been early indications of constructive in-class behavior and better scores among kids using the Learning Stations. HiWEL Learning Stations thus seek to enhance the effectiveness of overall learning experience by integrating with the schooling system.

Learning to learn – Apart from addressing the issue of education skills, HiWEL Learning Stations address a more fundamental skill set –the Process of Learning itself. By encouraging children to explore the Learning Station, it seeks to impart them with problem solving skills and an ability to think critically. So, while a child learns how to use educational software, she also develops an ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information which in turn builds her long term ability to learn.

Projects by Children - The Learning Stations are used for various real life projects. These projects are designed to engage children in authentic tasks relevant to their daily lives. Moreover they are designed to be locally relevant so that children can directly relate to them. The children can then use the Learning Stations for culling out information, compiling data and preparing reports. This will help develop their personalities while engaging them in tasks which could be of use to local community.

More Information

Provided by Sugata Mitra:

Easy reads:

  1. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5555651.ece
  2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/03/professor-sugata-mitra
  3. http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/5865

Also:

  1. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet21/mitra.html
  2. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet22/editorial22-2.html
  3. http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/docs/Paper04.pdf
  4. http://blog.whoiswho.de/stories/21470/
  5. http://www.acu.ac.uk/Bulletin_June08v7.pdf
  6. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/mitra.html
  7. http://www.itvlocal.com/tynetees/news/?player=TYN_News_15&void=287177

Videos:

  1. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=817865730995933068
  2. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/sugata_mitra_shows_how_kids_teach_themselves.html


Bibliography

  1. Children and the Internet: Experiments with minimally invasive education in India, Sugata Mitra and Vivek Rana, The British Journal of Educational Technology, 32,2,pp 221-232 (2001)
  2. Minimally Invasive Education: A progress report on the “Hole-in-the-wall” experiments, S. Mitra, The British Journal of Educational Technology,34, 3, pp367-371 (2003)
  3. Minimally Invasive Education, pedagogy for development in a connected world, S. Mitra, Invited talk at the International conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt (2003)
  4. Improving English pronunciation – an automated instructional approach, S. Mitra, J. Tooley, P. Inamdar and P. Dixon, Information Technology and International Development, 1(1) pp741-83, MIT Press (2003)
  5. The Hole In The Wall, Sugata Mitra, Dataquest, September 23 (2004), http://www.dqindia.com/content/industrymarket/2004/104092301.asp#interact
  6. Self organizing systems for mass computer literacy: Findings from the “hole in the wall” experiments, Sugata Mitra, Int. J. Development Issues, Australia, Vol. 4 (1), 71-81 (2005)
  7. Acquisition of Computer Literacy on Shared Public Computers: Children and the “Hole in the wall”, Sugata Mitra, Ritu Dangwal, Shiffon Chatterjee, Swati Jha, Ravinder S. Bisht and Preeti Kapur, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 21(3), 407-426 (2005)