Evaluations in OLPC What for ? What has been done ? What could be done ?

1. Evaluations in OLPCWhat for ? What has been done? Whatcouldbedone ? Pierre Varly, Independent Consultant October 22, 2010 Varlyproject.wordpress.com

2. Evaluations in OLPCWhat for ? “An assessment for learning and not an assessment of learning” Evaluation inputs : What works ? What’s don’t ?Why ? Knowledge sharing in successful XO implementations Capacity building of OLPC volunteers on education measurement and education intervention design Better advocacy for OLPC based on common scientific standards measurement

3. Evaluations of 1:1 projectsoutstide the OLPC world Only 22 researches produce estimates of ICT effects on pupils tests score Little information is given on the pedagogical supports embedded on the computers Evaluations mainly in US and Canada  Science or educationalbelief ??

4. 1:1 reportedoutcomes Bethel E.C. & al (2009)

5. OLPC deploymentcontextsIT perspective In the USA, the average access to home computer is 76% for 3-17 years old in 2003

6. OLPC deploymentcontextseducationnal perspective High repetition and drop-out rates Poor literacy environment Inefficient teaching methods Bad classrooms equipment Very little effective learning time Low social demand from parents Language of instruction not spoken home Very low learning outcomes High gender, rural/urban and ethnic disparities

7. The readingproblem in OLPC deploymentcontexts Adapted from Gove A. & Cvelich P. (2010), Early Reading: Igniting Education for All. RTI International

8. OLPC deploymentactualevaluations Only one paper published in a scientific review dealing with an OLPC deployment (Hourcade 2009) As bad or as good as others 1:1 evaluationsmethods  No measurement of effects size Little information is given on tests used to measure learning outcomes (except for Sri Lanka, Haiti) Too much emphasis on the attitudes and motivations of pupils in the reporting Impact evaluation reports expected 2010/2011

9. OLPC reportedoutcomes (7 countries) 7 countries, see (Varly 2010) for list of countries and data limitations

10. Whatisbeeingevaluated ? « That’s the answer, but whatwas the question? » What’sbeingevaluated ? XO ? SUGAR . SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVISM THEORIES ?

11. Developing OLPC evaluationstools Simple Cheap Adapted to OLPC deployments‘context Followingscientific standards Manageable by OLPC volunteers Shareexperiences in the deployment and problems/solutions in integrating XO in the school and social environment See (Varly 2010) for a proposal of tools

12. Case study of Nosy Komba : problems check list

13. Formative evaluationwellunderway Solomon Island framework and others OLPC France blog OLPC blogs and wiki reportingproblems and solutions with regards to implementation and not just IT issues Couldbe more systematic Couldbe more standardised to browse info easily Shouldbe more centered on specific OLPC problems

14. Impact evaluation : takeit or leaveit ? Impact evaluationso far initiated by international agencies and developementbanks Verycostly Long time for reporting but… Good accessible methodology documentation  OLPC communityshould catch thesepowerfulltoolsfurther

15. Thanks for reading Detailedpaper and references on a Blog on Education in the developing countries ACCESS PAPER HERE