Concept Paper

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and OLPC in Nepal

2008

Concept Paper

On Using

Digitalized Curriculum

and OLPC in Nepal

2008

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Concept paper wring team:

Babu Ram Poudel, Deputy Director, DOE

Kamal Kafle, Computer Engineer, DOE

Khaga Raj Paudyal, Secon Officer DOE

Arjun Aryal, Computer Engineer, DOE

Thomas Nielsen, ESAT

Concept Paper

On Using

Digitalized Curriculum

and

OLPC in Nepal

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The views expressed in this concept paper do not necessary represent the point of view of DoE or MOES

but is a concept paper wrien with the hope to iniate discussion on OLPC in Nepal and a decision-making

process with respect to a pilot OLPC project and possible scaling up later on. It is hoped that this concept

paper can be a guiding paper on the implementa on process and direcon for all involved stakeholders

on the OLPC inia ve in Nepal.

The concept paper wring team would like to acknowledge the support and interest from many people

and organisa ons in Nepal and abroad that have brought the OLPC idea to Nepal and to the a en on of

MOES and DOE and assisted to develop this concept paper. Specially, encouragious interest and guidence

provided by honorable Minister Pradeep Nepal, Secretary Balananda Poudel, Director General Janardan

Nepal, Director Mahasuram Sharma and Prakash Raj Pandey, Joint Secretary Arjun Bahadur Bhandari and

Rajan Khanal, Execuve Director Hari Bol Khanal and Ram Shwarup Sinha, HLCIT Member Secretary Madan

Pariyar, Ex-MP KP Dahal, Minister Councellor Ove Larsen(EOD) and Shiva Bhusal are the founda on of this

concept paper. In parcular, OLPC Nepal and OLE Nepal should been men oned as well as individuals such

as Shankar Pokharel, Ankur Sharma, Rabi Karmacharya, Rajeev Adhikari, Mahabir Pun and Bryan Berry.

Likewise, Frank Jensen and Jit Bahadur Thapa from the ESAT office has provided valuable assistance in

developing this concept paper.

It is an cipated that this concept paper will con nuously be revised and updated in the coming years and

decisions and experiences from the field will provide further knowledge on how Nepal can most effecvely

ulize the OLPC concept and materials.

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Table of Content

Execuve Summary

1.1 Introducon and Background

1.2 The OLPC Concept

1.3 A Paradigm shi towards Low Cost Laptops?

1.4 Expected Effects and Benefits - Short and Long Term

1.4.1 Short Term Benefits (1-3 years)

1.4.2 Long Term Benefits (4-8 years)

1.5 Discussion on ICT/laptops and Educa on

1.5.1 Does ICT [and laptops] have an Impact on Learning?

1.5.2 Are ICT/laptops in Educa on Cost-effecve?

1.5.3 Lessons and Strategies from Previous ICT Projects and Experience

2.1 Proposed Implementa on Plan

2.2 Needed Stakeholders and Feedback Mechanisms

2.3 Costs Considera ons

2.4 Sustainability Issues and Risk

2.4.1 Sustainability Issues

2.4.2 Risks Involved

References:

Abbrevia ons:

Appendix 1: Addional Technical Details about the Laptop

Appendix 2: Trip report to schools and DEO in Mustang to discuss OLPC

Appendix 3: Cost Comparison between OLPC and a Private Public Computer

Service Partnership in Pokhara

Appendix 4: Plan for an OLPC Demonstra on Office and Lab

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Execuve Summary

This concept paper presents ideas and an implementa on plan on how Nepal could enhance student’s

learning outcomes by developing and ulising a digitalised na onal curriculum.

One Laptop Per Child is both a concept and the name of an US-based NGO that has developed a laptop

called XO. This XO laptop is designed specially to enhance students’ learning process. Using a laptop it

provides a learned-focused learning situa on and access to interacve digitalised learning materials and

the Internet.

The XO laptop is an opportunity for many schools to provide a teaching and learning process that ulises

digital interacve curriculum material currently not available to them. But the XO laptop is only one opon

of equipments available on the computer market now. Several low-cost computer opons are now

becoming available to schools, parents and children. Hence, it is important that new digital curriculum is

not ed up to any specific pla orm and remains funconal to already exis ng computer equipment.

Using ICT to enhance learning is not a new concept. The scale of the global OLPC inia ve, its rela ve low

unit cost and new and advanced technology designed specifically to condions in rural areas in developing

countries are. And these three facts are what make the OLPC inia ve interes ng for Nepal.

The XO laptop is about 10 mes more power efficient than other laptops, has a screen that allows outside

use, is robust and rain and dust resistant and can be powered by solar panels or manually. It uses primarily

Linex-based soware. Hence, there are no licence fees. Addional soware and teaching and learning

digital curriculum materials can easily be developed locally, and without any licence cost.

Globally, ICT in educa on is an under-researched area. The debate if ICT is an appropriate, relevant,

effecve and efficient teaching aid is s ll inconclusive. But research studies like the “Hole-in-the-Wall”

project in India has documented that young children can ulise computers effecvely without any external

guidance. And it has resulted in posive impacts like increased self-esteem and academic learning

achievements for these children.

The OLPC inia ve represents a possibility for Nepal to reach its EFA 2015 goals.

Firstly, it is likely to contribute to increased access and a en on levels - leading to efficiency gains and

cost savings.

Secondly, and most importantly, it could assist to increase the quality of educa on and the relevancy of

educa on for poverty reducon.

Lastly, the OLPC concept also represents a chance to reduce the disparity of learning outcomes between

types of schools and districts. By introducing new technology and learning methodologies that will assist

MoES to be er support schools, teachers and learners in remote areas in Nepal. And it is, in general, in

these areas where learning outcomes are the lowest.

This concept paper proposes that MoES introduces the XO laptops in Nepal in an integrated framework that

focuses on student learning. A digital curriculum should include learning methodologies that are learner

and acvity-centred and integrates learning opportunies like sound, picture, games, and interacon.

Some of these opportunies are not possible with a paper-based textbook. Digital curriculum would

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Concept Paper 2008

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support the a ainment of the na onal curriculum learning outcome objecves.

To support the common purpose - student learning - acvies in four supporng areas will be needed:

•

To increase opportunies for teacher professional development

•

To help improve school and classroom management

•

To strengthen school-community partnerships

•

To engage in broad educa on reform efforts.

The OLPC concept in some areas remains untested due to the novelty of the concept (e.g. the price, the

scale and the coverage). Therefore, it is proposed that Nepal engage in a phased implementa on manner.

First phase would be to develop appropriate and quality digital teaching and learning materials. A start

would be for two different grades and relevant subjects and then tested them in a limited number of

schools for at least one full school year.

This pilot phase should include an extensive independent programme evalua on. This will inform decision-

makers if the OLPC inia ve should proceed to a wider expansion phase. This evalua on could also

contribute to the pool of interna onal recognized research on the use of ICT in educa on.

If MoES decides to proceed with the OLPC inia ve a er the pilot phase, an expansion phase would include

more schools and more digital curriculum for more grades and subjects. But also other acvies like an

increased focus on teacher training and support, outreach programmes to out-of-school children,

educa on management and local content development should be considered. The expansion phase should

be in geographical loca ons around the exis ng pilot schools to ulize local knowledge and skills.

In a last satura on phase many schools in relevant districts or regions could be offered the opportunity of

using laptops and digitalized curriculum materials. But teacher training and support modules should be

con nued alongside more curriculum materials, outreach acvies, ins tuonalizing educa on

management like EMIS and local e-libraries and content development.

It is recommended that the decision of using the XO laptops or any other relevant ICT equipment is taken

by the management of each school. Local level co-financing either on school level, VDC or district level

should be considered.

The proposed OLPC inia ve in Nepal is a vast and mul-faceted inia ve. It will involve all MOES central-

level agencies. To be successful MoES needs to reach out to other government agencies like NPC, MoF, MST

etc. to gain overall planning- and budget support. Last but not least it needs support from civil society and

local stakeholders like CDOs, DEOs, VDCs, schools, teachers and parents.

Good communica on and informa on feedback mechanisms need to be established to maintain good

collabora on and avoid misunderstandings and conflicts of interests.

Not least, the MoES would need to engage a technical partner/s in order to implement this project as it

involves acvies like digitaliza on of curriculum where only limited experience and know-how within the

ministry exists. An OLPC pilot project should also not be disrupve to regular MOES educa on acvies

before the concept has been proven and tested in Nepal.

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Fortunately, some local technical know-how and interest is available for MoES to engage.

Examples of locally available organisa ons with relevant know-how are:

•

OLPC Nepal NGO’s work with MOES on OLPC issues since late 2006,

•

OLE Nepal’s similar work since June 2007,

•

MIDAS’ MITA digital curriculum materials,

•

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya work on Nepali Unicode, a Nepali keyboard layout and digitaliza on of

books and periodicals in Nepali, and

•

Intel’s interest to pilot its Classmate PC in Nepal

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Concept Paper on an OLPC inia ve in Nepal

1.1 Introducon and Background

The Government of Nepal's long-term educa on goal is to provide access to quality basic educa on to all

school-aged children. Recognizing the importance of educa on in comba ng poverty and in ensuring the

realiza on of basic human rights, the government has adopted the achievement of universal primary

educa on by the year 2015 as a Millennium Development Goal for Nepal.

This commitment has been recognized by a number of development partners who joined the government

in the formula on and implementa on of a Na onal Plan of Acon (EFA, NPA 2001-2015). This overarching

plan outlines a framework of programmes and acvies for Nepal to achieve six major EFA goals by 2015:

1. Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and educa on, especially for the most

vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

2. Ensuring that by 2015 all children, parcularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those

belonging to ethnic minories, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary educa on

of good quality.

3. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to

appropriate learning and life-skills programmes.

4. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and

equitable access to basic and con nuing educa on for all adults.

5. Elimina ng gender disparies in primary and secondary educa on by 2005, and achieving gender

equality in educa on by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement

in basic educa on of good quality.

(Picture is by OLPC Nepal is taking in 2006 when introducing the first XO laptop in Nepal).

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6. Improving all aspects of the quality of educa on and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized

and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essen al

life skills.

Aer three years of implementa on of the EFA programme, there is agreement among stakeholders that

the programme has helped to improve the level of access to educa on as primary school enrolment has

risen from 3.85 million learners in 2001 to 4.51 million in 2006 of which 48.1% were girls. However, there

is also agreement that between 10-15% of children in the primary school-going age s ll do not a end

primary schooling. The majority are girls and from disadvantaged groups of the society.

There are also big disparies within the educa on sector between districts, between rural and urban areas

and between types of schools. There is also concurrence among stakeholders that the educa on sector is

not experiencing a sa sfactory improvement in the educa onal quality, the delivery of educa onal services

and the development of capacity for planning and management in order to reach the majority of the 2015

EFA goals despite significant investment in these areas

On the demand side for educa on, the opportunity cost of educa on for poor and disadvantaged

households con nues to be high and many children must therefore supplement family incomes by working

instead of going to school. Cultural beliefs and pracces among some ethnic, disadvantaged and

marginalised groups also con nue to hinder full educa onal parcipa on by children from these segments

of the society.

Source: EFA Mid-term evaluaon report

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EFA Dakar Framework Strategies - 10 Harness new

informa on and communica on technologies to help

achieve EFA goals

71. Informa on and communica on technologies (ICT) must be harnessed to support EFA goals at an

affordable cost. These technologies havegreat poten al for knowledge dissemina on, effecve learning and

the development of more efficient educa on services. This poten al will not be realised unless the new

technologies serverather than drive the implementa on of educa on strategies. Tobe effecve, especially

in developing countries, ICTs should be combined with more tradional technologies such as books and

radios, and be more extensively applied to the training of teachers.

72. The swiness of ICT developments, their increasing spread and availability, the nature of their content

and their declining prices are having major implica ons for learning. They may tend toincrease disparies,

weaken social bonds and threaten cultural cohesion. Governments will therefore need to establish clearer

policies in regard to science and technology, and undertake crical assessments of ICT experiences and

opons. These should include their resource implica ons in rela on to the provision of basic educa on,

emphasising choices that bridge the 'digital divide', increase access and quality, and reduce inequity.

73. There is need to tap the poten al of ICT to enhance data collecon and analysis, and to strengthen

management systems, from central ministries through sub-na onal levels tothe school; toimprove access

to educa on by remote and disadvantaged communies; to support inial and con nuing professional

development of teachers; and to provide opportunies to communicate across classrooms and cultures.

With an increase of 17% in the number of total learners in primary educa on in the last 5 years, it is not surprising

that the current supply of school buildings, teachers and teaching and learning materials, at mes, locally are

inadequate and becoming increasingly so. Although s ll undocumented for Nepal in recent years, there seems

lile doubt that overcrowded classrooms and the shortage of basic teaching and learning materials to facilitate

the learning process is strongly correlated topoor learning achievement and the high drop-out and repe on rates

that Nepal currently is experiencing. This correla on is strongest in the early grades.

Unfortunately, in some classes the number of students are simply too large to allow teachers to address the

needs of individual children. Similarly, the scope for learner-centred and acvity-based learning acvies with the

current teaching and learning materials is limited. The high level of drop-out and repe on levels results in huge

efficiency losses in the educa on sector and extra cost for the individual learner and for the country at large.

Thus, it seems clear that Nepal needs toaddress a number of supply side factors in the coming years, in addion

to increase the demand, as intermediary steps towards delivering quality educa onal services to all school-age

children.

The Department of Educa on (DoE) es mates that in the next 4-5 years more than 50.000 addional classrooms

and app. 40.000 addional teachers are needed to meet the projected demand for educa onal services. No

precise es ma on is available for addional teaching and learning materials that will be needed in the coming

years to meet the basic demand. Even less research has been done on how to reach the achievement of the

na onal goal of ensuring access to quality basic educa on to all school age children by 2015.

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World Bank IEG Study: From Schooling Access to Learning

Outcomes: An Unfinished Agenda

Conclusion

Developing countries and partner agencies such as the World Bank need to focus on raising learning

outcomes, parcularly among disadvantaged children, torealize the poverty reducon benefits of inves ng

in primary educa on.

Key lessons

•

Atrade-off between improved access and student learning gains can be avoided with explicit planning

for improved learning outcomes and strong polical commitment to that goal.

•

If primary school comple on rates are raised by automa cally promong children to the next grade

or without heeding student learning outcomes, then higher comple on rates will not reflect

improvements in knowledge and skills—which is the ulmate policy objecve—especially among the

disadvantaged.

•

Many of the strategies used to rapidly increase access, such as “big bang” fee reducons, use of

contract teachers, double-shiing, and automa c promoon, have had nega ve effects on learning

outcomes, at least in the short run, and some of these strategies are difficult to sustain.

•

Countries need to resist the tempta on to increase access first and improve learning outcomes later;

expansion and quality improvement can be successfully undertaken together and can have mutually

reinforcing effects. Moreover, compe ng pressures may make it difficult to undertake quality

retrofing at a later date.

•

Failure to provide reading skills in the early primary school years—among both the advantaged and

disadvantaged—is oen at the root of weak learning outcomes.

Recommenda ons

Primary educa on efforts need to focus on improving learning outcomes, parcularly among the poor and

other disadvantaged children This means that:

• Improving learning outcomes needs to be a core objecve of all support for primary educa on, with

a parcular focus on achieving equity in learning outcomes by gender and among the poor or

otherwise disadvantaged.

•

The Bank’s primary educa on assistance—whether sponsored by the Educa on Sector or other

sectors—needs to focus on the factors most likely to affect learning outcomes in a given country’s

context. This will require more analysis of student learning and its local constraints and facilitators.

•

The Bank and governments need to recognize that reaching children not yet enrolled and improving

low achievement levels will raise the unit costs of primary educa on.

Efforts are urgently needed to improve the performance of sector management in support of learning

outcomes This implies that:

•

Programs to improve sector management and governance need to be based on sound polical and

ins tuonal analyses that take into account the incen ves faced by officials and teachers to improve

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the quality of instrucon and learning outcomes. Accountability and supervision systems need to be

adapted to support improved learning outcomes.

•

Primary educa on managersneed to: (a) track learning outcomes over me—not just the average, but

among different income and social groups; (b) monitor individual staff and system performance

indicators, for both centralized and decentralized acvies; and (c) create and use incen ves to

encourage staff to improve and use technical skills. All new Country Assistance Strategies should

include learning outcome indicators.

•

Analyc, assessment, and research acvies need to be oriented to informing key management and

policy issues, with incen ves toensure that the findings are used in decision making. One such research

priority would be toassess the impact of decentralized management on inequalies across income and

social groups and to iden fy miga on measures of any adverse effects.

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With these overwhelming challenges in the coming years and considering the demands that will be needed

to sustain the peace current process in the country, the current EFA programme needs to look for new ways

and strategies that leverage its strengths to overcome its challenges.

Will the educa on sector be able to achieve the EFA with the current setup, using the exis ng strategies

and supply? Are targeted scholarships the right strategy and enough to reach the EFA goals before 2015?

Can it reduce the big disparies between districts and types of schools, so that students receive a good

quality educa on no ma er where they grow up?

The recent EFA mid-term evalua on es mated that out of the 18 na onal EFA goals only goals related to

ECD, survival rates primary level and educa on sector expenditure levels were highly likely to be achievable

by 2015.

With these challenges in mind, DoE has started inves ga ng if a new global educa onal inia ve called

One Laptop Per Child, or in short OLPC, contains strategies to assist to overcome some of the challenges

in ensuring all children a end school and a ain a quality basic educa on.

This concept paper is the first step in this inves ga on of the poten al usefulness of the OLPC inia ve

for Nepal. It discusses and highlights some of the areas that the authors believe that the OLPC inia ve

could help to Nepal to address the problems of access, quality, equity, curriculum relevance, educa on

management and issues of having educa onal programmes and content relevant to the economic

aspira ons of people and the overall na onal development agenda.

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1.2 The OLPC Concept

A group of US-based educators came together in 2001 with the aim of trying to help developing na ons

meet the EFA goals of providing access to a quality basic educa on for all children before 2015. They

looked for soluons for children especially in remote and hard-to-access areas and with poor infrastructure

like electricity coverage. This forma on of people is now known as the One Laptop Per Child NGO

The OLPC NGO has since 2001 worked on developing an inexpensive laptop that would assist in providing

quality learning materials to the remotest areas, to empower teachers and students with interacve

lessons that develop crical-thinking skills, and which could increase collabora on among educa on

officials at all levels. As such, the development objecves fall within the areas of challenges that the

educa on sector in Nepal currently faces.

What follows below is a short summary of what seems relevant and necessary for Nepal to appreciate

and consider of the OLPC concept.

Much more detailed informa on on OLPC can be found on OLPC’s official website:

h p://www.wiki.laptop.org/go/One_Laptop_per_Child

A Child and Learning-centred Laptop

The XO laptop is quite unlike any other laptop currently available for commercial sale. It is durable, ten

mes more power-efficient than a typical laptop and can be powered manually. It can connect to the

internet and run most types of soware programs. Like any other IT equipment, it is expected that the cost

of the laptop will fall steadily over me

, to under 100US$ by the end of 2009 and perhaps to around

50US$ within a few years. The current price in March 2008 is approximately 175US$.

Five years ago a laptop with these same features (but some features would not have been available five

years ago!) would have been priced at over $1,000. The history of technology shows that computer prices

fall steadily over me while the average cost of paper-books and materials stays constant or even rises.

Open-source Soware

The XO laptop is specifically designed with an open-source license. Hence, its soware and hardware can

be freely copied

. This means that Nepal will not have to pay for soware or future soware updates

Perhaps more importantly, it will allow Nepal to develop its own digital learning materials and freely and

easily shared it. Nepal will also be able to translate and use learning materials developed by other countries

at no cost except for localisa on and adapta on costs.

For more informa on/ideas on content from the OLPC NGO, please visit:

h p://www.wiki.laptop.org/go/Educaonal_acvity_ideas

The OLPC’s official website is: www.laptop.org where mission statements and details on project goals can be found.

Moore Law states that on average the cost of computer equipment is reduced by half every 24 months. h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore's_law

Except for a few hardware like parts of the screen

Most open-source soware are available free of cost or for a minimum fee

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It Does Not Replace Teachers and Paper-books

The XO laptop does not replace books or teachers. On the contrary, it will empower teachers just as any

other teaching material does [e.g. textbooks, science labs and libraries]. As such the XO laptop can be

viewed in the same way as any other teaching aid. Basically, it will enable the teacher to deliver teaching

and learning acvies more effecve. Involved teacher should also get access to a laptop and Internet.

However, the perspecve of a computer as a tool is only partly correct. The narrow view of computers as

single-purpose and single-user tools oen results in computers being perceived as just another piece of

equipment and not as an integral part of teaching and learning. One result of this view of computers is that

computer use may be restricted to selected groups of students. Oen only to students in computer science

classes and students who pursue a narrow set of training acvies such as word processing and computer

programming.

In fact, computer technologies can be thought of as boxes comprised of mulple intelligent tools that take

on new funcons and enable new results to suit the needs of different users.

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What is a computer?

Like the mind, [computers are open] to new use, new configura ons and rules, new means of

representa on, and always new applica ons. In addion, computers are adept at crossing boundaries.

Photos, words, sounds, and so on are all common objects that can be organized, manipulated, and

joined to one another with the same general technique, but in unlimited combina ons. This mobility

has provided previously unimagined power to the mind to think globally and develop unan cipated

connecons or contrasts. [Computers] can (and most likely will) lead to new ways of telling stories,

developing narra ves, recording history, and organizing experience. The computer is unique, both a

tool and an extension of the mind.

As Herbert Kohl (1996)

So yes, the XO laptop is a teaching aid like any other teaching aids but also a powerful and flexible teaching

aid. This was the main reason why OLPC in 2001 chose a laptop as the medium to reach children.

Hardware Tailored to Hard-to-reach Loca ons

The XO laptop computer is a general-purpose laptop, sized for children and adolescents (and not adults!),

with a 433 MHz AMD processor, 256 SDRAM and 1 GB on-board flash-based memory. It has mulple USB

ports and an inbuilt wireless connecvity.

Perhaps the laptop' most noceable technological advances in terms of hardware is its low power dual-

mode screen. This allows students to toggle between colour and black-and-white screens. Designed for use

in outdoor classrooms, the full-colour transmissive mode is similar to any other Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

but in its ultra low-power black-and-white mode the screen is readable in direct sunlight.

The screen can also swivel around to convert the laptop into an e-book or a games console. Together with

the screen, the processor is designed to be energy efficient. Unlike a standard chip, which remains acve

even when nothing changes on screen, the AMD processor is able to shut itself down, only waking up

when it is needed. The very low electricity demands make it possible to charge the laptop with very small

sonar panels or manually with hand pedals, cranks etc

The laptop is also designed with no moving hard-drive parts. This makes it significantly more robust than

normal laptops. It also demands less maintenance and technical assistance

. It can be dropped from 3 feet

high and walk in the rain with it

without it being damaged. It is built to be used outdoor and in less than

opmal condions in terms of dusty and rain.

Fore more informaon on power and baery, please visit: h p://wiki.laptop.org/go/Baery_and_power

For example, a faulty backlight on the screen – a common complain on aging laptops – can be replaced by undoing to screws.

The keyboard is completely waterght while the rest of the laptop is water and dust resistant.

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The XO with Limbo characters. © OLPC Nepal

Every country will be able to tailor the keyboard

on the XO laptop. So Nepal can design its own

keyboard layout.

For more details and the con nued updates

on hardware, please visit this website:

h p://www.wiki.laptop.org/go/Hardware_

specificaon

Soware that Facilitates Crea on, Sharing, Discussion and

Debugging

The XO laptop runs a Linux open-source based-opera ng system called Sugar that is specially designed

for children. it is very small when compressed, taking up just 130MB of space. By comparison, Windows

XP takes up around ten mes that amount, requiring 1.5GB of hard drive space.

It is designed with the aim of facilita ng a "Learning by Doing" learning approach. This will allow younger

students who have never seen or used a computer before to learn and use the computer with very limited

inial assistance. There are no passwords to remember as young students do not remember well

passwords. And there is an automa c backup of files and acvies done by the learner on a school server.

The laptop comes with standard programmes such as a web browser, a word processor able to handle

most common document types, including Microso formats, a PDF reader and media player. In addion,

it comes with games, a music crea on tool and drawing programs.

As an example of the child-oriented design can be men oned the Journal, which is a-kin of the Windows

Explorer but which keeps an automa c records of every acvies executed by the learner and it keeps it

by dates, so that it is easy to find for the learner what he/she did two weeks ago.

Thus, the XO laptop is different to the standard commercially available desktop and laptops. The normal

commercial computers are designed with the aim of increasing office producvity whereas the aim of XO

laptop is to assist young learners to help them “learn learning”.

The XO laptop is designed to help the learner "learn learning" by facilita ng learners to be able to do three

things easier;

•

Crea ng things,

•

Sharing them, and

•

Discussing them.

It is easy to see how laptops, or for that ma er any computer with some good soware, can help with the first

aspect by allowing learners towrite, paint, play music, record, takephotos, recordvideo etc. So the XOlaptop is

really like a mul-media machine which will reduce cost to other tools like a photo camera or a video recorder.

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For more details on soware and the opera ng system, please visit this website:

h p://wiki.laptop.org/go/Soware

Constant Contact with Other

Friends and Teachers – Mesh

Networking

The teaching methodologies that are oen not

done in the daily roune in schools

in Nepal are

sharing and discussion aspects. It does not happen

oen amongst learners themselves or with the

teacher. The XO laptop facilitates the discussion and

sharing aspects of learning because each XO laptop

has inbuilt a so-called mesh network.

A screen shot where a learner has grouped its friends online around different themes/acvies

This mesh network is a wireless network ability so that each learner behind an XO laptop is constantly in

contact with other learners behind another XO laptops within the wireless network range (app.1-2 km).

So even at home, it is possible for a learner to share a text, a report or a song with others learners and get

feedback, and discuss this feedback, before subming it to the teacher.

Hence, the XO laptop is portable and a learner will be able to ulize it 24 hours a-day, or as long he/she

can stay awake or have me for it. Thus, the XO laptop facilitates constant sharing and opportunity to

create and discuss 24 hours a day. And this is all without access to Internet.

Due to many reasons like inadequate classroom facilies and appropriate teaching and learning materials.

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Increased Access to Teaching and Learning Materials

With access to the Internet, the scale of learning materials and informa on increases of course manifold

for the learners but also for the teacher, the parents and the community members in general.

For the school, it would mean that teachers could access websites hosted by CDC, NCED, DoE etc. and this

way download supporng teaching and learning materials and informa on. It would facilitate access to e.g.

Nepali e-libraries

or e-libraries

111213

hosted abroad and to download other teaching and learning soware

available on the Internet.

The Internet – More Than Informa on

In adion to improving mathema cal, logical, and analycal thinking, networked computers enable

learners to interact with others across me zones, languages, and cultures, allowind them to develop

be er understandings of the world outside their immerdiate boundaries. The internet thus serves as a

democra zing tool for informa on and communica on exchange and opens up the world to those who

otherwise may not have the opportunity to venture outside their own villages or towns. From who

otherwise may not have the opportunity to venture outside their own villages or towns. From the words

of a female student parcipa ng in the World Links program in Mauritanis, the internet is a symbol of

liberty,

"We get Freedom from the Internet, since in our society firls are not allowed to go wherever we want….

the Internet takes us out to other people, places, and realies…. It is our way of escaping from our

closed society. It is vital to us, it gives us liberty (Carlson, 2002)

Another Student from the PROEM school fro street cildren parcipa ng in Brazil's River Walk project

descibed his feelings:

"All nega vcity from my background and where I come from is erased when I am communica ng with

my peers over the Internet. This is the first itme in my life I have ever felt like I am making a solid

contribuon of my ideas to others. I was equal to them and giving some of my knowledge back!"

(RiverWalk, LTNet Rusten, 2002)

Source: Digital opportunies for development, Page 213

It will also allow teacher in one school to engage in professional development and discussion groups with

teachers in other schools and/or NCED.

As a ma er of fact, the OLPC name should probably have been one laptop per child and teacher.

The open-source community con nues to develop and distribute freely thousands of teaching and learning

acvies/programmes. Several websites are relevant and interes ng teaching and learning be downloaded

free of cost.

E.g. www.brishcouncil.org/nepal-learning-library-pokhara.htm

E.g. www.worlddigitallibrary.org/project/english/index.html

E.g. h p://www.icdlbooks.org/

E.g. h p://www.childrensbooksonline.org

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Here are a couple of examples of these websites:

h p://www.linuxlinks.com/Soware/

h p://www.tucows.com/Linux/HomeEducaon

h p://www.linuxso.cz/en/sw_list.php?id_kategory=75

These websites are recognised globally. The introducon of laptops to many students and teachers in

schools would create a market in Nepal for local web-hos ng companies to develop local teaching and

learning materials, games etc.

Sharing and Distribuon of Internet Access

With the wireless network, the XO laptop facilitates sharing and distribuon of Internet access as each

laptop can serve as both an access point and a transmier. Hence, if one laptop has access to Internet in

one end of the village, then laptops with the help of the mesh-network can enable other learners living in

the other end of the village to connect to the Internet as along as they can connect to it each other via the

mesh network.

This is an opportunity for the country to bring out Internet connecvity to many users without having to

dig down and connect every household with physical cables.

For more details on mesh networking, please visit this website:

h p://www.wiki.laptop.org/go/Mesh_Network_Details

Global Inia ve and Parcipa on

The OLPC educa on inia ve and concept is a global inia ve. It is not thought of and developed for Nepal

alone or any other individual country. It is developed so that as many countries as possible and in the end,

every school-going child, should have access to a laptop.

As the name says it; One Laptop Per Child.

It is the economy of scale that adds value to the inia ve and some of the features. The mesh network

benefits, becomes stronger, the more laptops in a given area as each laptops act as a transmiers helping

other laptop users to connect. This global approach is one contribung factor for the rela ve low cost

So Nepal as a country will not be the only country working on ulising the OLPC concept and XO laptops

to improve its educa on sector. Other countries will be doing the same.

On the map from July 17, 2007 green are the countries where OLPC plans to pilot, red countries it plans

to include in a post-launch phase, orange countries who have expressed interest at the Ministry of

Educa on level or higher and yellow countries who are currently seeking government support. For updates

on the map, please visit h p://www.laptop.org/map.en_US.html.

The price can also be kept low because OLPC as an NGO does not have any profit-move on the sale of the OLPC laptop. Currently, the OLPC NGO charges 1 US dollar per

laptop for promoon and development acvies. This is very low compared to commercially produced computers.

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Map of OLPC involvement globally

As can be seen on the map, a number of countries are indica ng as pilong countries while countries like

Brazil

, Uruguay

, Nigeria

, and Thailand

already have schools where the current test build of the XO

laptop is being used by students and teachers.

So it will be possible for Nepal to learn from experiences in other countries. Nepal can learn what types

of learning materials and acvies that support learning achievement from other countries. Then, free of

cost except labour cost, Nepal can adopt the same learning materials and acvies for children in Nepal.

laptop. Currently, the OLPC NGO charges 1 US dollar per laptop for promoon and development acvies. This is very low compared to commercially produced computers.

Visit h p://www.olpcnews.com/countries/brazil/ for more informaon on OLPC in Brazil.

Visit h p://www.olpcnews.com/countries/uruguay/ for more informaon on OLPC in Uruguay.

Visit h p://www.olpcnews.com/countries/nigeria/ for more informaon on OLPC in Nigeria.

Visit h p://www.olpcnews.com/countries/thailand/ for more informaon on OLPC in Thailand.

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1.3 A Paradigm shi towards Low Cost Laptops?

The above secon has focused on the XO laptop but actually the XO laptop is not the only opon in what

seems to be an emerging new segment of the laptop market that could be labelled “low-cost laptop

market”. Currently available on this segment of the laptop market are Intel’s Classmate and ASUS Eee PC.

The cost of these laptops is around 200-300 US dollars depending on the exact versions of them.

In addion to these American-based producons of low-cost laptops, newspapers in both China and India

have regularly arcles about development acvies on other low-cost laptops. The latest news from India

is about a poten al 10 dollar laptop . However, an actual laptop or ICT device has actually to yet emerge

from both China and India.

But what seems clear is that a new market for low-cost laptops (or ICT devices in general) is emerging in

these years. Commercial firms have discovered that there are many poten al new customers in developing

countries but that these costumers can not be engaged with the normal standard available desktops or

laptops. To reach these customers new devices tailored for hard-to-reach loca ons that have less than

opmal or no electricity available in order are needed.

The XO laptop is currently the best suitable opon out of the available opons with its low electricity

usage, mesh network and sunshine screen mode. However, it seems likely that in the coming years, other

compe tors will emerge with other ICT devices that will be tailored to people living in hard-to-reach

loca ons. And at the speed of development now, these new ICT devices will be developed before Nepal

as a country will have fully developed its electricity grip to reach the majority of its households. Thus, the

compe on on the low-cost laptop market will only benefit countries like Nepal and its cizens who live

in places with no or only limited electricity.

For more informa on on both laptops currently available on the low-cost laptop market, please visit for

example these two websites:

h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classmate_PC

h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC

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The Classmate PC and the OLPC’s XO laptop

h p://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/31906/118/

It might be a bit similar to when mobile phone companies finally realized that the biggest market for new mobile phone subscribers where in Africa, despite the relave low

per capita income levels in many countries on this con nent. This was an untapped market and people wanted to get a mobile phone. Only when Vodaphone went into the

African market other internaonal phone companies realize the huge poten al market for new subscribers.

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1.4 Expected Effects and Benefits - Short and Long Term

There are documented research on the poten al learning achievement gains on process and outcome learning

objecves from countries in Europe and the United States if compung services are introduced in an effecve

way .

For the XO laptop, case-story research from different countries in the world will start in 2008 and 2009 to

document the poten al areas of benefits to the educa on sector in Nepal.

This secon tries to outline some of the benefits that an OLPC inia ve in the Nepal context would bring

learners and cizens in Nepal. It is not easy to predict future benefits of IT equipment in general, and even

less of ICT equipment that is as new and different from previously laptops. The below statements also do

not try to quan fy the poten al future benefits.

Success of introducing IT equipment in any sector is very depending on local customs, tradions and

condions. Just because OLPC is documented to facilitate higher learning outcomes for learners in Brazil,

it not possible to conclude that it will lead to the same outcomes in Nepal. Every country is different.

Hence every country has to introduce it in a way that makes it work with, and hopefully also contribute

to, local customs, tradions and condions.

Nepal can study research from other countries but ulmately Nepal needs its own learning experiences

with XO laptops and use of its own digital curriculum.

For the learner

Introducing a laptop to every learner in Nepal will, judged from experiences from many different computers

and IT-projects locally in Nepal and abroad, generates profound changes and lead generally to a be erment

of the learning process and learning outcomes for learners. It will lead to a change for each learner as he/she

can create new things, communicate and sharing them as well as discuss and receive feedback on them.

Each learner will have access to a laptop and the learning materials on it all the day, and therefore it is

possible for learners to con nue studying while away from school and at mes that suits the family life

rhythm and life style

For the teacher

It will lead to significant changes for teachers as he/she will have an addional learning tool available in the

classroom and to each learner that will allow many more child-centred and interacve learning processes. It

will provide good reference materials atthe school but also online access tosupport materials like e-libraries.

Teachers can also easily contact other colleagues in other schools when assistance and exchange of teaching

ideas are needed. It would enable NCED toprovide quicker and more support materials out tomany teachers

like example of lesson plans, extra curriculum materials etc.

It will also allow students toexplore and search for new informa on and be more equal towards the teachers

in terms of access to informa on. This will puts demands on teachers to adopt their teaching methods,

pracces and process to ulize the facilies imbedded in the laptop and the connecvity between laptops

as well as addional teaching and learning materials and general informa on on the web. The laptop allows

E.g. see Learning with Technology, The Impact of Laptop Use on student Achievement, The Journal of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2005

This would feature would benefits children from households that s ll depend on children’s contribuon to its household income.

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for increased use of leaner-centred and acvity-based learning acvies and an integra on of the

environment outside the classroom into the curriculum. As such it can help to reduce the overcrowding of

classrooms in many schools.

For the local community

For the local community, it is expected that the introducon of the XO laptop will mean considerable

changes. For poor communies the value of the laptops will be of substan al worth in comparison to the

general surroundings. It will also mean in many places, an introducon to the Internet and as a result an

increased connecvity and wealth of informa on on every aspect of life. This will generate income-

genera ng opportunies for some residents and could cons tute a threat on their livelihood for others.

Introducing laptops into the schools would also increase the poten al for a be er collabora on and

interacon between the school and its local community. This would lead to a be er support to the school

and the learning acvies.

For Nepal as a country

For Nepal as a country, it will be a leap forward in terms of ensuring quality basic educa on to all children

as it is expected that the introducon of the XO laptop will help to increase access, reten on, and

a endance and comple on school rates. It will also bring needed technology, connecvity and informa on

out to remote loca ons which will assist the dialogue between people in regions, and in this respect will

help forfy the newly restored democracy. For the educa on sector, the laptops have the poten al to help

reduce the disparity gap between the quality of educa on between different types of schools and between

districts and rural and urban areas.

Forecas ng benefits and developments in the years to come is not easy in any sector. Below is a list of

benefits within the educa on sector - both short-term and long-term - that the wring team believes an

OLPC inia ve in Nepal would contribute towards – provided that efforts similar to the suggested

implementa on plan in chapter two are made.

1.4.1 Short Term Benefits (1-3 years)

Access to Educa on

•

Higher enrolment as out-of-school children will be a racted back to schooling by ge ng access to this

new powerful learning tool.

•

Accommodate alterna ve me schedules and out-of-school or out-of-coverage children.

•

Get teaching and learning materials to remote areas much quicker and easier than tradional

materials like text books and library books. Teaching and learning materials for a whole curriculum

year could be carried out to a remote village on a single USB drive, or download from the CDC website.

•

Provide access to online public available teaching and learning materials on the Internet like

Wikipedia, encyclopaedia, e-libraries, newspapers etc.

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Quality of Educa on

•

It is expected that the laptop will lead to higher a endance rates as children will like to con nue learning

and studying with this new laptop.

•

Children can learn at their own pace and can con nue learning even a er leaving the school as they will

have access to this learning tool 24 hours a day and with the laptop they can con nue to be in online

contact with their friends.

•

Accommodate different learning styles by allowing teachers to teaching acvity-based and group-based

teaching.

•

Improve the poten al for mul-grade teaching.

•

Generate greater interest in learning as the laptop will provide the learners with many different ways of

expressing their learning (photos, sounds, paint etc.).

•

Keep learners in school as both the learning process would be closer to their own development and local

context, and because parents would see and experience a great improvement in learning achievement by

the children.

•

The increased parcipa on in learning acvies is expected to lead to be er learning achievement and

therefore lower repe on rates in early grades

•

It would be easier for MoES to create and distribute new curriculum and teaching and learning materials

such as e.g. mother-tongue learning materials and mother-tongue training materials for teachers.

•

It will also be possible to get quick feedback via the Internet from learners and teachers on which

textbooks and learning materials that they prefer the most. This feedback mechanism could help CDC

and DoE in focusing producing of teaching and learning materials that user really like, and distribute

different sets of textbooks in different regions if feedback supports this choice.

Building of Ins tuonal Capacity

•

CDC and NCED could get instant feedback from teachers in the field on the usefulness of the curriculum

and teacher training.

•

CDC can distribute example of examples of lesson plans, and extra curriculum materials etc. electronically

to assist teachers in making their own lessons plans.

•

Each school will have a school server that will funcon as a virtual library. This library will have 1000 mes

more materials than the children currently have access to. This virtual library will be a huge benefit to the

en re community.

•

Enable educa on officials at all levels to communicate and collaborate more effecvely.

•

Assist in accurate recording of a endance, tes ng results, and other informa on and electronic storage

of this informa on.

•

It will be possible for every school to access DoE, CDC and NCED websites where a whole host of materials

could be made available to support the teaching and learning process.

•

Protect and invigorate historical works and literature and different language in Nepal by digitally scanning

them which enable greater sharing and usability.

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1.4.2 Long Term Benefits (4-8 years)

Access to Educa on

•

Improve enrolment, reten on, a endance and gradua on rates enabling Nepal to meet the 2015

EFA goals.

•

Provide high quality educa on to the most remote and disadvantaged popula ons in Nepal, such as

groups in the high hills, janaja s, learners with a disability, and child workers.

•

Equip Community Learning Centres with comprehensive life skills learning materials.

•

Raise literacy rate for adults. Literacy program to focus on learning skills with immediate benefits,

such as communica ng with distant rela ves by e-mail and reading the news.

Quality of Educa on

•

Provide individualized, child-centred learning to every child.

•

Substan ally raise average test scores in Nepali, Social Studies, Mathema cs, and English at SLC

examina on.

•

Promong and invigora ng local languages and local knowledge like local stories, believes and

customs.

Building of Ins tuonal Capacity

•

Reach all teachers with training through distance and in-person training.

•

Facilitate con nuous and easy communica on between educa on officials at all levels. Specifically:

•

CDC to get con nuous feedback from teachers on the effecveness of materials.

•

NCED to get con nuous feedback from teachers on the effecveness of training. NCED will also be

able to provide remote guidance and coaching for teachers and administrators.

•

School administrators will be able to accurately and consistently report school informa on using

EMIS.

•

Empower local educa on officials

•

Provide communies with informa on essen al to their prosperity and well-being

•

Agriculture informa on

•

Health Informa on

•

Weather Informa on

•

Demonstrate to adults the importance of educa on for their children and themselves

1.5 Discussion on ICT/laptops and Educa on

The expected short-term and long-term benefits outlined in the previous secon are the benefits that the

wring team finds that an OLPC inia ve in Nepal is likely to produce for the educa on sector in Nepal if

implemented as describe in the next chapter.

Predicng future events and consequences in general or in any specific sector is a near impossible task and

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likewise for the educa on sector. When designing a new textbook in computer science, the author has a set of

outcome objecves (typically derived from the curriculum) but they have lile control about the use of the

textbook in the classroom (except wring a teacher guide) and hardly no control outside the classroom.

Sll, no one is in any major doubt that a textbook is of benefit tothe learner (and teacher), even if the design of

the textbook is less than opmal. Few,if any,would also ask the ques on if a new textbook is cost-effecve way

to enhance learning. Sure, textbooks need to be con nuously improved and updated in order to be an

appropriate, relevant, effecve and efficient way of enhancing learning achievement. And if a school has no

textbooks for its learners, then rightly so textbooks seem an appropriateinvestment objecve toassist learning.

Somehow the same discussion on use of other teaching aids like an ICT device like a radio and a computer

seems to have to qualify as an appropriate, relevant, effecve and efficient teaching aid only when it is

more appropriate, relevant, effecve and efficient than more tradional teaching aids and not in a

combina on with tradional teaching aids. Granted, the higher price of a radio or computers, to some

extent, jus fies a detailed judgement on the efficient ques on.

This secon will takeup this discussion, iden fy key ques ons and lessons learnt that should guide an introducon

of the OLPC laptop intothe educa on sector in Nepal. As the OLPC laptops wereonly introduced intopilot schools

in late 2006, it is not possible yet to present research finding the OLPC laptops specifically.

As described in secon 1.2, the OLPC laptop is a computer designed to enhance learning and is as such

markedly different from the computers/laptops in used so far. This element should be factored in when

reviewing conclusions from the extensive research that exist on the use of ICT and computers/laptops in

the educa on sector.

1.5.1 Does ICT [and laptops] have an Impact on Learning?

Extensive research has interna onally been focussed on this key ques on but it is s ll a hot debated

ques on. Hundreds if not thousands of case stories have measured a posive impact on learning from

the use of ICT/laptops in their study area. However, s ll the debate is on-going. The main reasons that the

research has not been conclusive are fairly straigh orward as there is no universal agreement on the

definion of “learning” or how to measure any poten al impact, and crics would contribute any

measured impact to depend on other factors.

Seeing computer technologies as mul-use and mul-user tools affects how to consider using them and

how to evaluate their effect on learning outcomes and improving educa onal quality. Studies and

evalua ons of computer educa on programs oen seek to uncover significant causal rela onships

between single uses of computers and individual changes in student learning and behaviour. The very

nature of learning and educa on, and the characteris cs of computer technologies, generally make such

studies ineffecve. It is not surprising, therefore, that results from these studies are rarely conclusive.

One study that seems to have convinced many about ICT/laptops’ usefulness and demonstrated an impact

on learning is the study from India named “Hole in the Wall” project. This project placed a normal desktop

computer into different slum areas and linked the computers up to the Internet. There was no maintenance

and children were le on their own (no user manual, no teacher) to find out how to use the computers.

So this project works on a similar premise as the XO laptop; that children - on their own - can learn to

ulise a computer, and that using it will lead to improved learning achievements.

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“Hole in the Wall” Concept

The central idea behind Hole-in-the-Wall is that groups of children learn on their own without any

direct interven on. It was found that children using Learning Sta ons required lile or no inputs from

teachers and learnt on their own by the process of explora on, discovery and peer coaching. .

Minimally Invasive Educa on is defined as a pedagogic method that uses the learning environment to

generate an adequate level of mova on to induce learning in groups of children, with minimal, or no,

interven on by a teacher.

MIE uses children's natural curiosity and focuses on providing an enabling environment where they can

learn on their own. Children, in the process of freely experimen ng with the Learning Sta on, pick up

crical problem solving skills. It also provides a collabora ve se ng where children can share their

knowledge and in the process, develop be er group dynamics, all in a highly natural environment.

MIE's uniqueness is its ability to a ract children towards the Learning Sta on driven purely by their own

interests. Conven onal pedagogy, on the other hand, focuses on the teacher's ability to disseminate

informa on in a classroom se ng. MIE thus complements the formal schooling system by providing

a much needed balance for a child to learn on her own and provides for a holis c learning experience.

h p://www.hole-in-the-wall.com

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The study results, which have been uniformly encouraging, show that children learn to operate as well as

play with the computer with minimum interven on. They picked up skills and tasks by construcng their

own learning environment.

An example of the findings on learning achievement scores is shown in the graph below where it can be

seen that while the performance of experimental group improved, that of control group actually declined

over the period.

Many other research studies have shown similar concrete examples on impact on learning by introducing

ICT/laptops into the educa on sector. But s ll research journals oen have researchers sta ng “that despite

thousands of impact studies, the impact of ICT remains difficult to measure and open to much reasonable

debate” .

It is the wring team’s opinion that given the emphasize on learning processes the XO laptop has the

poten al to generate similar or higher learning achievement gains to that what has been demonstrated

in India with the “Hole-in-the-Wall” project.

The study was conducted at a naonal level across 17 locaons in 8 states in India over 9 months. The control group comprised of children who did not have access to the

Learning Staon.

Source: Knowledge map: ICT in Educaon

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1.5.2 Are ICT/laptops in Educa on Cost-effecve?

ICT devices and laptops are expensive items especially in a context of a village in rural Nepal. So even if they

would generate a posive impact on learning achievement, are they cost-effecve compared to other

ways of genera ng the same amount of learning achievement?

This ques on is at best under-researched.

Only few studies have focussed on this issue and many of them do not include an opportunity cost analysis.

Given the fact that a commercial laptop normal cost around 1,000 US$ and desktops (in Nepal) have been

3-4 mes more expensive than the cost for the future OLPC laptops most of these studies may also be of

lile relevance to judge the OLPC concept with in terms of cost-effecveness. See secon 2.3 for more on

cost considera ons on OLPC focussed on a Nepal context.

Regarding a compara ve analysis between spending 100$ on addional paper-based textbooks, addional

classrooms or training teachers, lile research has been done interna onally and in Nepal. Given the fact

that the laptops are produced to last 5 years, the annual absolute cost would be 20 US$. Depending on the

laptops would contain several soware learning programmes and specific digitalised curriculum in addion

to e-book versions and textbooks, e-libraries and access to the vast informa on and informa on exchange

on the Internet, it could be discussed if not the extra 20$ versus the annual 2-3$ MoES spends on each

pupil’s the paper-based textbook is worth the investment.

At best, the decision on what teaching and learning materials are needed in a school, should be taken at

the school, by local decision-makers like the head-teacher, SMC members and parents.

Research on ICT has shown that only devices that reach a sufficient scale in terms of items in use tend to

be successfully adopted into a society

. So the number or satura on is an important aspect of success of

an ICT device. Research has also shown that widespread roll-out of ICTs in educa on generally has been

felt to be too expensive despite that ICT at the same me has been see a way to improve efficiency

problems in the educa on sector.

Source: Hole-in-the-wall study finding, h p://www.hole-in-the-wall.com

See “Models of Growth – Towards fundamental Changes in Learning Environment” for examples.

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Hence, at the same me that ICT might help cut costs its absolute and upfront costs has prohibited these

long term cost-savings investments. The OLPC laptop might represent a way to break this deadlock.

1.5.3 Lessons and Strategies from Previous ICT Projects and

Experience

The XO laptops are different from normal computers and the emphasis on enabling learners to “learn

learning” might not be fully researched but experiences from previous ICT projects could s ll be essen al

to guide a future implementa on of OLPC in Nepal.

This secon tries to dis l a list of key lessons learnt and strategies that an OLPC inia ve strategy and

implementa on plan would benefit to consider. It also proposes as an integrated framework for working

with XO laptops in the educa on sector in Nepal.

Lessons learnt and guiding principles on ICT in educa on:

•

focus on educa on, not technology

•

enable transparent, parcipatory decision-making

•

design projects with a crical mass of technology: if only a few computers are affordable, then student

use needs to be carefully orchestrated to enable a core group to use the computers enough to be able

to demonstrate achievement

•

integrate and infuse technology into the curriculum - rather than trea ng it as a separate subject to

be taught

•

build local stakeholders and teachers' computer ability and confidence

•

create local stakeholders and teachers' user groups

•

culvate community support and opportunies for parcipa on

•

plan for sustainability from the start

•

use parcipatory monitoring acvies

•

demonstrate applica ons and new uses

To keep the educa on concerns the principal focus of computers-in-school inia ves,

this paper organizes the educa onal benefits of computers into four main areas of focus (providing

increased opportunies for teacher professional development; improving school and classroom

management; strengthening school-community partnerships; and supporng broad educa on reform

efforts) that all support one common purpose - student learning.

These areas are not independent separate units but are interrelated. Projects are most mes planned and

implemented to concentrate on one or two of the areas. But experience shows that as inia ves mature

and evolve, their focus shis from one or two areas to include the others. Below follows examples but

not limited list on what could help guide the OLPC inia ve on all four areas.

The poten al for computers to significantly enhance learning and teaching are the most important reasons

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for introducing computers into schools and integra ng them into all aspects of educa on. For this reason,

improving student learning is the core of this model and is supported by the four other areas. See secon

1.3 on the OLPC concept on the many ways in which computers can be used to enhance learning.

(Source: Digital Opportunies in School, Erik Rusten)

Teacher Professional Development

One of the best ways to radically improve the quality of educa on is to increase educators’ knowledge and

improve their teaching skills. Conven onal professional teacher development through residen al degree

programs, conferences and workshops, and periodic visits from content experts or teaching specialists

can be effecve means of building teaching capacity. However, for most developing countries, including

Nepal, such programs are too expensive to be used extensively and cannot begin to meet the demand.

One promising new approach to building teacher capacity is computer-mediated internet professional

collabora on and exchange. Such programs can enable groups of teachers to engage in intellectually

challenging professional development delivered across the internet and facilitated by either local groups

or online instructors (if possible).

When educators parcipate in online professional development while acvely teaching, they are able to

use their classrooms as living laboratories to test new approaches. Results, ques ons, and concerns can

be shared with peers across the district or even with NCED and colleagues in Kathmandu for comments

and sugges ons. The collabora ve learning aspects of online educa on can provide valuable guidance

from more experienced teachers, migate feelings of isola on, and work to strengthen feelings of

professionalism among teachers. Addionally at a most basic level, curriculum content that may not be

readily available from exis ng textbooks can be transferred to electronic format and ulized in self-paced

learning environments.

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Brazil's Teacher Training Challenge

With the world's eighth-largest economy and more than 50 percent of La n America's high school

students, Brazil faces one of the largest teacher training challenges in the world. Several hundred

thousand uncerfied teachers, many with minimal educa on, staff thousands of remote rural and small

village schools throughout Brazil. A recent law required that by 2003, all of Brazil's public school teachers

were to receive training equivalent to a bachelor's degree. At the same me, the growing demand on

schools is forcing them to hire even more uncerfied teachers.

Conven onal face-to-face approaches to professional development could not begin to train teachers fast

enough to enable the states to comply with the law. Also, the cost of providing conven onal professional

training to the many thousands of teachers who need it far exceeded the educa on budget of the en re

country.

Given this forbidding situa on, how did Brazil a empt to meet this self-imposed deadline and build

the teaching capacity of its educators? The country had only one opon-educa onal technology. This

involved a combina on of television, radio, and computer mediated-professional development.

Source: Digital opportunies for development, page 221

Improving School and Classroom Management

Computers excel at managing data, and they can make it easier for teachers and administrators to maintain

accurate records to improve school and classroom management. As educa on systems seek to decentralize

services, financial support, management, and responsibilies, it becomes increasingly important for

schools to build the capacity to maintain financial and personnel records. Using computers can increase

accuracy, reduce the me and costs involved in entering data, and make it possible to quickly retrieve and

analyze informa on for decision making.

Computers also can make it possible for teachers to maintain accurate student records, track and analyze

performance, and use the resulng informa on to make decisions about how to individualize instrucon.

Burdensome and tedious record keeping takes me away from more important tasks and inhibits teachers

from maintaining records. Simplifying the process can encourage teachers to keep be er records and,

more important, make use of the resulng informa on.

Laptops might also increase the opportunies for leaner-centred and acvity-based learning acvies,

and as such improve the use of the classroom as well as integrate the environment immediately outside

the classroom as a resource of materials and inspira on. This might help to reduce overcrowded classroom

and get students involve in local issues and concerns; environment concerns and experiments are obvious

areas for outside-the-classroom and acvity-based learning acvies.

Strengthening School-Community Partnerships

Aer the purchase or dona on of computer equipment, schools generally are expected to maintain and

expand their computer system by genera ng needed funds from their own sources and by modifying the

school’s budget. Funds will be needed to maintain the computers, buy supplies and addional equipment

and soware to meet expanding demand, pay for monthly Internet access fees etc.

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Here are opportunies for the school to engage the local communies with marketable services. Some

services the school might be able to charge a fee for (e.g. computer training, informa on access) and

others might be done on a pro-bono basis in order to generate understanding in the local community that

support and cost-sharing are needed and acceptable on other aspects of the schools.

Lile research has been done to examine the sustainability of school-run, revenue-genera ng projects

that use school computers. However, given the rela ve scarcity of computer technologies and skills in

many developing countries, it is plausible that such funding strategies will work in the years to come.

Ulmately, however, as computers become more prevalent and businesses start providing these services,

it will become increasingly more difficult for schools to engage in non-core acvies to raise funds to

support core assets and funcons, and other, more sustainable funding strategies will have to be found.

Supporng Broad Educa on Reform Efforts

Many of the characteris cs and benefits of computer technologies can become instrumental for facilita ng

acve reform programs. Reform efforts can provide the na onal policy mandate to encourage schools and

teachers to try new ways of doing things and make room for alterna ves and change. This combina on of

forces can make it possible for computers-in-school projects to be integrated into school systems while

focusing on the interests of teachers, administrators, students, and parents.

Educa onal reform does not always occur as a result of changes in na onal policies. Reform, especially in

teaching and learning in the classroom, can occur when teachers have opportunies to change the way

they work with students and engage the learning process. Experience shows that such changes oen occur

when teachers are given opportunies to learn to integrate computers into their teaching.

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2.1 Proposed Implementa on Plan

With outlined poten al benefits for the learners, the teachers, the local communies and for the country

as a whole in the last chapter, where and how should Nepal embark on the process of making the ideas

and features of the OLPC inia ve possible in Nepal?

Should it start with a few schools or many schools, only grade 2 learners, digitalisa on of exis ng textbooks

or only producing new curriculum materials for the XO laptop?

In the Nepalese context several things seem clear;

•

Firstly, implementa on has to be in a phased manner involving all major stakeholders and central-level

agencies in the educa on sector in Nepal.

•

Secondly, an OLPC inia ve should be planned so that it helps to reduce the supply side constraints

(i.e. overcrowded classrooms, low teaching qualifica on and capacity) and the geographical disparies

(i.e. schools and districts with weak learning achievement levels) in the educa on sector.

•

Thirdly, a lot of ICT and computer equipment is already in place in many schools, so any digital

curriculum learning materials should be readily available and funconal on all major IT pla orms and

computers.

•

Fourthly, the XO laptop is only one opon of possible many other ICT opons arising for the condions

in developing countries like Nepal in the coming years.

What follows is a proposal on a general implementa on plan for OLPC in Nepal. More details will be needed

to outline acvies and concrete implementa on schedules and praccalies. The plan below only outlines

the broad trajectory of a na onal OLPC implementa on plan for Nepal.

In Phase 1 (dura on at least one school year: e.g. starng April 2008):

•

DoE will pilot OLPC in a select number of schools that reflect Nepal's ethnic, geographic and linguis c

diversity. If possible 5-6 schools and 2-3 community learning centres in different loca ons and at least

1 experimental school in the Kathmandu Valley that will be used for instant feedback and cricism on

content development.

•

CDC and NCED would implement curriculum for a limited number of grades (e.g. grade 2 and 6) and

in specific subjects. These grades will be the target students to receive laptops in the pilot phase. It

is expected that grade 6 learners would be of assistance to grade 2 learners in the use of the laptops,

and as such also support student interacon and support.

•

The pilot schools/centres will be connected to the Internet.

•

An implementa on team is assembled from DOE, NCED, CDC, NFEC and external collaborators. The

team will be the main force behind the pilot project on most aspects like teacher orienta on, pilot

school support, dissemina on and discussion, logis cs etc. The implementa on team will either carry

out the task themselves or be responsible for outsourcing the tasks.

•

The OLPC pilong in these schools to be followed by an extensive pilot evalua on that would report

back to central level agencies and MOES about programme progress on development of local content

as well as results in learning achievement and an cipated effect as unan cipated effects for the

learner, teacher and the local community.

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At the end of phase 1, the MoES will determine whether or not to proceed to phase 2 based on the findings

of a programme evalua on.

In Phase 2 (An “Expansion” phase with a dura on of 2-3 years):

•

DoE expands the program to all “relevant” the schools in certain VDCs and then districts. This

“satura on” or “waterfall” strategy will make best use of CDC, NCED and local resources. Teachers,

local administrators, and RP's who worked on the pilot schools will help train their counterparts in

neighbouring VDCs.

•

Curriculum for more grades and subjects are developed and tested and curriculum for the exis ng

grades is revised and refined.

•

A training course on OLPC curriculum and how teachers can best ulise OLPC is developed and

integrated into NCED’s teacher training programme

•

The DoE will also begin implemen ng a comprehensive EMIS that can be used on the XO laptops.

•

NFEC is assisted to start integrate OLPC into more Community Learning Centres and the general out-

reach approach in order to reach and assist out-of school children. At the same me NGOs and INGOs

that work towards reaching hard to reach children with educa on is approached for collabora on

on reaching s ll out-of-school children with educa on opportunies using OLPC.

•

Local content development is promoted, e.g. Wikipedia and establishment of local servers with e-

library services are supported and promoted.

•

Na onal curriculum textbooks are developed and distributed both in a paper form and e-book format

and the e-book format can be downloaded from CDC website.

•

A curriculum/textbook feedback mechanism from learners and teachers in the field using an online

feedback channel is developed and piloted in a limited number of schools.

•

Remote access, distance educa on and teacher training materials are developed and piloted in pilot

school/VDCs.

In Phase 3 (Satura on phase – long term up to 2015):

•

DoE implements the OLPC program regionally, and perhaps eventually covers the “whole na on”, in

relevant schools include non-formal educa on learners and tries to reach out-of-school children with

a laptop for self-learning.

•

Fully implement mother-tongue educa on for indigenous groups with materials that are available

several places (CDC website and more locally via DEOs) so that it can be distributed and a demand

driven approach as well as through the na onal textbook distribuon channel.

•

CDC and NCED con nuously improve and revise learning materials based on feedback from in-the-

field teachers using established feedback mechanism.

•

NCED has a full package of online teacher self-learning material and a number of distance educa on

training packages and ulised by relevant teachers.

•

Educa on officials at all levels would use EMIS that can be used on XO laptops and normal desktops

to report all school data both up to DEOs and DOE as well as down to SMC, PTA and parents

It is hoped that local vendors or NGOs would start seeing a market/interest in developing training and orientaon packages on OLPC that local groups and schools also

will be able to access either on a commercial basis or through NGO services towards its target group. OLPC Nepal has already talked about a naonal training center in

Kathmandu.

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Phase 1: Pilot at a small number of schools including ones that serve

disadvantaged groups. Milestones:

•

A curriculum with digital soware, materials and learning acvies that meets the na onal

curriculum standards

•

Test schools selected and OLPC introduced

•

Digital library created and in use at pilot schools

•

Teacher orienta on and support and net-work systems developed and in use

•

Communies connected to the Internet

•

OLPC supports teaching in mother-tongue and project- and acvity-based learning

•

Evalua on results that shows test scores and a tudes towards learning has improved and that

technically OLPC works

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The cost of this phased implementa on plan has not yet been es mated.

Below are outlined some milestones that would be essen al to reach for each implementa on phase in

order for an OLPC inia ve in Nepal to be successful. The listed indicated milestones are a minimum list

of what seems to be required for the OLPC concept to be successful.

Phase 2: Expansion phase in selected VDCs

Milestones:

•

Implement in all schools for purposefully selected VDCs or districts

•

Laptops used in more than 50% of all schools (in selected VDCs) as a learning tool and it supports

teaching in mother-tongue and project- and acvity-based learning

•

Modules on mul-grade teaching supported by the laptop is developed and piloted in selected

schools

•

Teachers and administrators from pilot schools train other teachers

•

Teacher orienta on and support and net-work systems developed and in use for all involved schools

•

Feedback mechanism on textbooks and learning materials are developed and in use

•

Schools and learners are able to download/access CDC, NCED and DoE website to get addional

teaching and learning materials and informa on.

•

Local e-libraries are established (perhaps at a server at DEO) in 50% of parcipa ng districts

•

Schools in an area with sufficiently good Internet connecon reports Flash data online to a dedicated

Flash server

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Phase 3: Satura on phase with District/Regional-wise Implementa on

Milestones:

•

Implement OLPC in all schools in a region or the whole of Nepal

•

Provide training to all teachers, both in-person training and distance learning

•

Mul-grated teaching modules are introduced in all schools in relevant areas like most of the

mountain districts.

•

Mother-tongue educa on for most indigenous groups is supported by the use of OLPC

•

A scheme at DEOs is established that provides XO laptops and learner support to child workers,

orphans, and street children

•

Local e-libraries are established (perhaps at a server at DEO) in 50% of parcipa ng districts and

Wikipedia being used in more than 20 different languages

•

All schools have a digitalised EMIS that can be used on a XO laptop and report electronic data up

to DEOs and down to SMC, PTA and parents

2.2 Needed Stakeholders and Feedback Mechanisms

A na onal investment and implementa on plan of the proposed scale will not be successful without the

posive involvement of many stakeholders. This secon tries to outline a list of stakeholders at different

levels that would be needed to play a posive role – of not always an acve role - in an OLPC na onal

inia ve as outlined above.

If one or more of these stakeholders take a nega ve a tude towards OLPC, it could block the whole

inia ve despite good efforts from every other stakeholder. For example if NPC does not find that OLPC

is a na onal priority scheme, then funding would be difficult to secure or if teacher unions do not find that

OLPC is beneficiary to the teachers, the school level implementa on would not be near impossible.

Therefore, an extensive informa on sharing and discussion campaign is needed and should involve both

high-level government officials and agencies and MoES, civil society right down to district and school level.

Feedback mechanisms from all stakeholders, especially from local levels will be needed to be established

in order to ensure that local condions will not block for future implementa on acvies and in order to

get local feedback and sugges ons on the shape and direcon of an OLPC inia ve in Nepal as outlined

above. Websites, newspapers and na onal and local community radio seem essen al tools to establish

these feedback and discussion venues but it might not necessary limited to these ones.

The list below assumes that the OLPC inia ve at least reaches the “expansion phase”.

Na onal Level:

•

MoES

•

DOE, CDC, NCED and NFEC

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•

Interna onal donor agencies

•

Ministry of Finance

•

INGO's currently involved in the educa on sector

•

High Level Commission for Informa on Technology

•

Nepal Telecom

•

Na onal Planning Commission

•

Teachers Unions

District Level:

•

District Educa on Officials

•

Nepali NGO's and INGOs

Sector Level:

•

Sector Management Commiee

•

Resource Persons

VDC Level:

•

Village Management Commiees

•

Village Educa on Commiees

•

School Headmasters

•

School Teachers

•

Parents

•

Children

2.3 Costs Considera ons

Despite that the XO laptops has been labelled “low-cost” then 100-200 US dollars is not a low-cost price

in the context of Nepal. The es mated per capita income in Nepal in 2005/2006 was 322US$.

Thus, for Nepal an investment decision of 100-200 US$ for a laptop is a very significant investment decision.

This fact holds whether the investment is taken by the government for a large number of individuals or by

an individual household. For MoES, the investment should be compared to an es mated annual cost per

child of 44US$ currently.

As a strategy for Nepal on purchasing and distribung OLPC laptops has not yet been decided – this concept

paper is the first step in the discussion towards these decisions – it is difficult to calculate poten al cost

for Nepal to involve itself with an OLPC inia ve. Likewise, it is not possible to es mate with any precision

the size of short-term and long-term benefits from an OLPC inia ve in Nepal.

Assuming that Nepal decides – in the future - to provide an XO laptop to all primary age-school going

children, then the one-me cost would be approximately 432 million US dollars for the country as there

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in 2006/07 were 4,320,175 pupils enrolled at primary level and assuming a price of 100 US dollars for each

laptop

As the NER of primary level is current 87%, approximately 500,000 children in the school going age are not

a ending school. Some of these children a end non-formal educa on community learning centres while

some do not a end any schooling. Should Nepal decide to provide an XO laptop to these children - and

they would benefits in same degree or more from them - it would mean an addion cost of approximately

56 million US dollars, and total about 490 million US dollars.

However, as MoES does not support ins tuonal schools financially, approximately 50 million US dollars

of the 490 million would not be needed by the government of Nepal, so the cost would be down again to

around 430 million.

The XO laptop is es mated to, on average, to be completely funconal for minimum five years. So the

annualised cost of introducing XO laptops would be max. 86 million US dollars if all grade 1-5 learners in

community schools were to receive a laptop each.

However, it is also fair to es mate that a significant number of schools already have sufficient ICT

equipment, and other schools would decide not to go for the XO laptops. This would also reduce the total

poten al cost to a na onal-wide distribuon.

It is perhaps easier to discuss if the one-me per capita cost of 100 US dollars is rela vely costly than the

absolute 400 million for the whole country as some individual children/households are already buying

compung services in schools and at home.

Focusing on the school, the 100 US dollars could be compared to the cost for individual learners that

currently benefits from a new public private partnership in providing computer services to learners in

public schools in Pokhara municipality.

The partnership is between four community-managed secondary schools and Phoenix Soware Ltd, a

private computer service company. The partnership is structured so that Phoenix Soware Ltd under its

Aptech Computer Educa on Inia ve provides computers (hardware and soware), maintenance and

computer teachers while the schools charges a monthly fee from each student for the use of the computers

and computer teachers. The schools then pay a monthly payment to Phoenix for its services.

For a grade 4 student, the average cost per hour in front of a computer is app. 6 NRs or 3 NRs when the

computer theory periods are included. It rises to 15 NRs for a grade ten student per hour in front of a

computer or 8 NRs when the computer theory periods are included.

Learners up to grade nine have two periods per week i.e. 90 min in total in front of a normal desktop

computer. Hence, the annualised cost per students is app. 510 NRs for a grade four student and rising

gradually to 1,300 NRs for a student in grade ten. The total cost for taking part in these computer lessons

for the 6 years is approximately 6,300 NRs

This figure assumes that schools are open all 12 months which is not the case. Assuming that schools are

closed three months a year, the total cost for a student would be approximately 4,700NRs. Thus, the cost

Including any other cost (adaptaon cost, distribuon, teacher support etc.) for shake of argument.

Or as of June 26, 2007 in US dollars 97 US dollars with an exchange rate of 65 NRs to 1 US$

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of 100 dollars to an XO laptop is not far away from what cost a student would incur during the six years of

computer training in the public schools in Pokhara involved in this private public computer service

partnership.

Considera ons on XO laptops versus desktop computers in schools:

•

Firstly, there is no doubt that the cost in the Pokhara schools as outlined above is at the low end of

the cost spectrum in Nepal and that e.g. cost in private schools or schools in more remote areas to

computer teaching is significantly higher.

•

Secondly, the learners have to share two to one computer and he/she only has app. 84 hours a year

(assuming 12 months) which is only 1 per cent of the me that an XO laptop learner has (assuming

he/she never sleeps!

•

Thirdly, the normal desktop computers are not designed to facilitate learning in other subjects like

Nepali, social science, biology etc. and do not have many interacve features

that allows sharing,

discussion and collabora on that XO laptop has.

•

Fourthly, it is rare that community schools in Nepal have adequate (if any) computer facilies for

students, so most learners/households do not have the choice of choosing to pay a fee for this

teaching component. However, many schools in Nepal are trying their utmost to provide computer

facilies to their learners and some mes at high cost compared to the end result in terms of learning

achievement

•

Fihly, observa ons from schools and parents seem to indicate that they feel that access to computer

facilies to support the learning

process is a priority for them and that they are willing to support

financially towards this.

So the financial annual per capita cost towards an OLPC inia ve in Nepal on par with cost of other

alterna ve computer provisions.

With the inbuilt features towards learning of the child- and learning centred XO laptop and the much

longer me learners would have access to the laptop as compared to desktop computers in a school

computer lab, it is the authors’ expecta on that the XO laptop would results in higher learning outcomes

than when using conven onal desktop computers.

Lastly, the XO laptops would provide computer services to all household members, therefore increase the

range and benefits far beyond the limits of only the classroom and educa on sector.

2.4 Sustainability Issues and Risk

2.4.1 Sustainability Issues

A poten al OLPC project in Nepal poses several long-term challenges. The first such challenge is that the DOE,

CDC or any other government ins tuon in Nepal has minimal experience managing technology projects and in

developing educa on materials to be used on computers. A secondary major challenge will be to pay for the

Whereas if he/she sleeps 8 hours and has to do another 4 hours of domes c household chores the learner in the Pokhara school only has 2 per cent of the me in front of a

computer that an OLPC learner has.

You remember now which one? …… yes, e.g. the mesh network. See appendix 3 for more technical details on OLPC – hardware and soware.

This was e.g. observed in Mustang district as outlined in appendix 4.

This was stated at different schools in Mustang and can also be observed by the good parcipaon and payment by households for the learners in the public schools in

Pokhara benefing from the computer services and teaching as outlined in appendix 5.

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laptops and related development and maintenance costs.

This secon iden fies several sustainability issues and risk, and discusses way toovercome these issues and risks.

Building-up Ins tuonal Capacity

To get involved in an OLPC project will mean for Nepal exploring new technologies and working areas on

which only limited experience and know-how exists within MoES and government ins tuons. MoES and

its central level agencies therefore will need to both develop its own capacity to handle these processes

and tasks and reach out to ins tuons and organisa ons in Nepal that possess relevant skills and know-

how.

MoES currently does not hold experience and manpower to implement the implementa on plan proposed

in secon 2.1 alone. As outlined in the previous secon, an OLPC project in Nepal would demand many

stakeholders to work collabora vely and engaged for several years.

It is therefore recommended that:

•

DOE selects an external technology partner/s to help it and CDC/NCED develop digital educa on

materials and deploy the laptops in the schools parcipa ng in a pilot project. This partner/s would

work in close collabora on with DoE’s implementa on team and CDC and NCED.

•

DOE should insist on an arrangement with this technology partner where the partner has a

responsibility to systema cally build up capacity within the department and other relevant central

level agencies to administer different aspects of this project and to develop digital educa on

materials.

Paying for the Laptops

$100 per laptop quickly adds up to a large amount once you consider that Nepal has roughly 6 million

children aged 6 to 16. However, there are many ways to make the cost more manageable.

•

The XO laptop is expected to last five years minimum

. You can spread out the cost of laptops over

the course of five years to $20 per year.

•

The government should only provide laptops to children in public schools. Government could

establish a scheme to sell XO laptops to children in private schools – on a somewhat commercial

basis

•

Parents could contribute to the cost of the laptop depending on their financial means. This fact and

parents’ willingness to contribute to be er learning opportunies for their children was strongly

stressed by parents and SMC members in schools during a DOE field visit to Mustang district.

Communies and individual families will be willing to contribute more towards the cost of a laptop

if it holds – or provide access to - informa on related to farming, health, and entertainment, factors

relevant to household needs and income-genera on acvies. For example there is a good

opportunity to workout a micro-credit scheme.

•

Develop an innova ve financing scheme in partnership with the donor community. The government

Except for the baery which OLPC currently es mate to funcon opmally for a period of 18-24 months.

This could contribute to a cost-sharing arrangement for the Government for the whole OLPC project!

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could establish a system where the donor community, government, and local communies pay a

specified poron of the cost of each laptop. For instance, the donor community could contribute 40%

of the cost of each laptop, the Nepali government 40%, and the local communies 20%.

•

Increase the value of the laptop by adding life skills learning materials. For instance the Ministry of

Health would have an opportunity to provide informa on about simple health check-up rounes that

parents can do themselves or provide updated and accurate informa on on HIV/AIDS related issues.

This would increase the value of the laptop as it would not only be useful and limited to MOES but

also other ministries and sectors.

•

Provide access to private enterprises to posted informa on (commercials) or informa on and

products on a school server or directly on the laptops. For instance Nepal Telecom and other mobile

phone companies might have an interest in roung phone services through their opera on, or private

companies might pay to get commercials and ads out to costumers in remote areas that otherwise

would be difficult to reach.

Covering the Cost of Internet Access

The currently phone and internet services in Nepal is limited to mainly urban areas. Many remote districts

and VDCs lack even the basic landline phone connecons. Compared interna onally, Nepal’s basic

telecommunica on infrastructure is poor and very uneven distributed between rural and urban areas

Ge ng learners and schools access to the Internet will therefore be a challenge. At the same me, the

OLPC project and inbuilt new technologies offers a chance for Nepal to improve on its overall

telecommunica on infrastructure.

•

Improving the telecommunica on infrastructure is a high priority for the government of Nepal and

e.g. the High Level Commission for IT is an example of this priority. By offering a wireless connecvity

opon via its mesh networking technology, the OLPC project offers a chance for Nepal to link up many

households in remote areas with phone services and Internet connecon without having to lay costly

landline wires into each individual household.

•

For any commercial or government (e.g. Nepal Telecom) plans to expand its coverage this opon of

reaching many more users – via the sharing opportunity offered by the mesh networking – should

significantly alter any exis ng business plan for when it would be profitable to expand phone and

internet service in currently non-serviced loca ons in Nepal.

•

In addion, villages in even the most remote parts of Nepal have large numbers of community

members working overseas. And current experiences show that these communies are likely very

willing to pay to use the Internet to communicate with their rela ves overseas. Nepalwireless

, for

instance, has had great success connecng rural villages in Myagdi and Kaski districts to the Internet.

In each case the local villages have found ways to pay Internet access charges and to maintain the

equipment.

Thus, establishing access points to the Internet will not be an easy task of the OLPC project. On the other

hand, it represents an opportunity for Nepal to in a cost-efficient way tailored to its current and short-

term telecommunica on environment to link many people and users in remote loca ons up with

telecommunica ons services.

Source: The Digital Divide to Digital Opportunies

See h p://nepalwireless.net/ for more informaon on Mahabir Pun’s efforts.

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But for it to be successful, it demand collabora on between government and local resources as well as

involvements of telecommunica on agencies like Nepal Telecom and possible private companies.

Support to Income-genera ng Acvies

For local communies to get access to wider areas – both people in different physical loca ons such as the

neighbouring district, Kathmandu or abroad or different sectors like health, agriculture etc. – will mean an

opportunity for new business and income-genera ng acvies.

It is impossible to say currently in which sector and where opportunies will be arise and who take them

up. But experiences from other countries and sectors document that if a new technology is successfully

brought into local communies on a sufficient scale, it sets of a spiral of new business opportunies, oen

in areas that were not expected at the outset

Support to Local Knowledge Gathering and Conserva on

An OLPC project would offer local communies tools and skill development that has the poten al to offer

the local communies venues to generate interest in local customs and tradions.

•

An OLPC project would bring into local communies the chance to pracse and discuss a given local

language. It would also provide the opportunity to preserve and perhaps reinvigorate the use of local

languages by more opportunies pracse and use and by offering tools like Wikipedia to gather, share

and preserve local languages.

•

The same technical opportunies are likely to offer the same opportunies to local groups to gather,

sharing and preserve local customs, games and stories.

These opportunies for a local community to gather around tasks on local customs, games and stories are

likely to help generate a be er and more opmis c atmosphere in a local community as it will bring people

from many different ways of life and across age groups together.

All these examples of areas men oned in this secon will both individually and collecvely contribute to

increase the sustainability of an OLPC project in Nepal.

2.4.2 Risks Involved

The risks of this project are many. However, Nepal can benefit from the fact that other countries; in

parcular Brazil, Argen na, Uruguay, Nigeria and Rwanda are also implemen ng this project. Nepal will be

able to learn from their experiences.

Laptops Stolen or Resold

There are many technical soluons to combat the and sale of laptops but ulmately community support

of this program will best ensure against these problems.

Here are some of the technical opons to reduce this risk.

•

The XO laptop can be remotely disabled.

•

Further, DoE and its technical partners can configure the laptops to only work in the community they

The mobile phone sector is probably the sector that should be used for comparisons/parallels on what business opportunies could arise following an OLPC implementaon

phase in Nepal.

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have been assigned to. The laptops will iden fy themselves as part of a group of laptops. Once taken

out of that community for a specified period of me, they can disable themselves. This technical

opon would probably not be effecve in the beginning of a project, and only when the s get to

know that the laptops will actually stop working once taking out of the specific network community

for a specific period of me.

On the community support features these opons could be considered:

•

To require parents to put a cash "security deposit" towards the laptop's cost. They get this security

deposit back when the laptop meets the end of its expected term of use or breaks due to no fault of

the child. If the laptop is stolen or broken, the parents would not get the security deposit back.

•

Require parents to sign a statement that they will take care of the laptop, take care so that it is not

stolen, and not sell it.

The laptops break and the local community cannot repair them

Communies will need local people who can repair and maintain the laptops and their related

infrastructure.

Experiences from other sectors and countries shows that the number of en es of a given technology

within the local community is crucial for communies to be self-reliant and able to maintain and repair

instruments, machines and new technology.

If there is only a limited number of a given technology, e.g. expensive desktop computers, then there are

firstly not enough spare parts available locally to repair other en es with and the limited number of the

technology within the local community (or business area) restricts the profitability of a business

opportunity in establishing a repair/maintenance shop

Visit this website for more on maintenance and repair: h p://www.wiki.laptop.org/go/Support

Children access obscene materials on the Internet

Children will likely primarily if not solely access the internet through a shared connecon hosted by their

school.

There are many free soware packages that can restrict access to "obscene" websites. The school's Internet

connecon point could use this soware to stop children from accessing inappropriate materials.

However, ulmately the responsibility lies with the school and parents on how learners and children used

teaching and learning materials. Educa on and orienta on will always be the best way to guide children

to avoid and deal with unpleasant materials and situa ons.

The laptops become obsolete

This is highly unlikely. While technology changes quickly, old computers and mobile phones can meet our

needs for many years. For example, computers bought in the year 2000 can run all of the soware

applica ons that people use today, such as Microso Word, Internet Explorer, and E-mail. Mobile phones

from the year 2000 can s ll send and receive calls, though they may not be as a racve as newer mobiles.

Bike cycles or motorbikes repair shops in Nepal are example of repair/maintenance shops that are profitable because there are enough en es of the given technology

within a given local community to generate a business opportunity that interests local people in gathering skills and know-how of this technology. In other countries, where

the density of computers per households is much higher than Nepal, computer repair/maintenance shops have sprung out in local communies by local people.

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Digital Learning Materials will be of poor quality or very expensive to develop

It will take a great amount of effort for CDC to develop digital educa on materials that take full advantage

of computer as a medium. It would also need support and capacity building in this respect. New ICT

equipment might be needed and new staff capabilies need to be sourced and funded. Fortunately, there

are a number of groups developing digital content in Nepal and abroad these years.

•

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya is heavily involved in digizing classic Nepali texts and in developing

digital educa on materials. They have also developed a version of Linex in Nepali and a Nepali

keyboard layout.

•

OLCP Nepal and OLE Nepal also have as their mission to generate digital curriculum content for

children in schools. OLPC Nepal has already developed a prototype for the OLPC laptop using Nepali

and Limbo fonts.

•

The private enterprise MIDAS in Nepal has also shown the way by having developed up to more than

30 CD-ROM with interacve learning acvies that follows the na onal curriculum for several grades

and subjects.

Interna onally, groups such as the Centre for Open Source Learning (COSL), the Open Learning Exchange

(OLE), eShiksha, and others are developing open-source learning materials.

CDC therefore has an opportunity to generate interest to keep the curriculum up-to-date. To do this, CDC

needs to develop a mechanism to channel the interest and support from civil society organisa ons so that

they contribute concretely to the development of new digital curriculum. This could both be through open

compe ons where everyone can submit new curriculum content (and the best are rewarded) or through

close hands-on collabora on.

Using the interest and excitement that OLPC is likely to generate in Nepal to enlist volunteers to help

develop educa onal content should be seen as opportunity to allow people to work on the curriculum.

In the end CDC will s ll be able to cerfy new educa onal materials as "official" in order to ensure that they

meet na onal standards and follow the na onal curriculum guidelines and learning objecves.

Children is not allowed to use the laptops when at home

Community orienta on programmes - 1-2 days orienta on for parents and children on how to handle the

laptop and its proper purpose – will be needed when introducing the laptops in to a local school. However,

if parents are using the laptop for their own personal use, this could also produce spontaneous posive

effects.

But it is more likely that the parents could come to rely on the child to manipulate the computer for them.

As such, this would s mulate the child – parent rela onship and enable the children to do something very

useful for their parents and household.

Polical Instability – may have to shi deployment in areas affected by conflict

MoES could pilot the laptops in several geographically dis nct regions to reduce this risk. However, MoES has a

duty to provide an educa on to Nepal's children. Those children do not need educa on any less when a region

or district is in conflict. If there was access tothe Internet the provision of laptops might even help in informa on-

sharing that could reduce risks for local inhabitants who might not have the overview of the situa on.

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