Computer Aided Education in India:

A survey of the Azim Premji

Foundations junior school initiatives
Joyojeet Pal

Joyojeet Pal

Project Goal and Objective

Preliminary study of APF s
Computer Aided Learning
Centers (CALCs) program to
identify factors influencing
computer usage
Social issues
Operational issues
Cognitive issues

Children in Cuttack running an

OPEPA CD with a tracing game

Joyojeet Pal

MSR and TIERs Interest in CALC

Research arm that does
not have to have productorientation
Has a section looking at
Technology for Emerging
Markets
TIER working on several
levels of ICT for
development research

And my own interest

Joyojeet Pal

Research Methodology
Short field visits, interview and observation
based
Locations selected from three states on
basis of:
Language variations within Karnataka
Condition of local economy
Stage of the program
Feasibility of research
Joyojeet Pal

Locations

Orissa 4 locations
Karnataka 6 locations
Pondicherry 1 location
Mumbai 1 location
Joyojeet Pal

Locations
Language

Landscape

Child Labour

Poverty

APF involvement

CALC

Occupation

Kogadu

Multilingual

Hilly

Minimal

Moderate

I&C

Developed

Estates

Dakshin K.

Multilingual

Coastal

Minor

Moderate

I&C

Developed

SF, AL

Udupi

Multilingual

Coastal

Moderate

Moderate

I&C

Developed

AL, Fishing

Bellary

Monolingual

Arid plains

Moderate

Dire

I&C

Developed

AL, Livestock, Mines

Raichur

Multilingual

Arid plains

Serious

Dire

I&C

Developed

AL

Gadag

Monolingual

Agricultural

Moderate

Dire

I&C

Developed

Handlooms, AL

Pondi

Monolingual

Coastal

Minimal

Moderate

I&C

Nascent

AL

Mumbai

Monolingual

Urban

Minimal

Minimal

None

Developed

CL

Cuttack

Monolingual

Urban

Minimal

Moderate

Content

Nascent

CL

Mayurbhanj

Monolingual

Forest

Minor

Dire

Content

Nascent

Tribal, AL

Puri

Monolingual

Coastal

Minimal

Moderate

Content

Nascent

AL, SF

Ganjam

Multilingual

Coastal

Moderate

Dire

Content

Nascent

AL

Joyojeet Pal

Scope
9 observations most Orissa
130 interviews range 3 min 180 min
18 schools
15 HTs / HMs
28 subject teachers
7 computer teachers
27 students
15 parents
4 VEC/Panchayat
21 community
5 government
8 administrators/agency
Joyojeet Pal

Research Approach
INTERVEWS

DRIVERS /
ASSISTANTS

COMMUNITY
MEMBERS

OBSERVATIONS

JOYOJEET / APF
CO-ORD.

HEAD TEACHER

VEC /
PANCHAYAT

OTHER
TEACHERS

PARENTS

STUDENTS
Joyojeet Pal

GOVT.
OFFICIALS

A Computer Center

This is a computer center from Abishekapakkam in Pondicherry these

typically seat between 3-6 children per PC notice that the teacher has little
involvement in the actual class functioning. The aggressive users (often
standing) in this case are students from senior classes sneaking in for extra
time

Joyojeet Pal

Resource-strapped

In Baripada, Mayurbhanj district in Orissa, the local school has three

computers, to be spread over 500 students this numerical equation is not
uncommon, consequently, as many as 10 students can be using one
computer simultaneously notice the interactive work here

Joyojeet Pal

10

Observations: Social Issues

Clear enthusiasm, despite lack of understanding of computing

VEC/SDMC plagued by political issues
Parents do not question school no PTA involvement
Children seem to be doing better in areas with higher female parent
involvement in PTA, though causality not clear here
Child labour a comparatively minor issue, perceived value from
schooling more serious issue
Class retention follows a threshold pattern to lesser extent among
DL families
More homogenous or older communities tend to have comparatively
successful CALC programs

KEY TAKEAWAY: Village community endorsement of a project is

not a stable indicator of the sustainability of a project
Joyojeet Pal

11

Parent Profile
Except in the most remote
areas only poorest send
kids to govt. schools
Majority are DLs
Females more active in
schools (often breadwinners)
along the more developed
areas
Will question private schools,
not govt.
Joyojeet Pal

Parents in Pondi, peeved when

midday meal contained copper wire

Farmer affords one child in private

school, other in govt. school works
in local VEC
12

Dropout profile
Daily wager parents
extreme poverty (Rs. 20
daily)
Generally construction,
household help in rural
livestock, cottage
Seasonal absenteeism
highly prevalent
Urban rim more prone to
child labour, though
inland dropout rate higher
Poor school infrastructure
Abuse
Joyojeet Pal

13

Child labourer from Raichur

Observations: Operational Issues

Timetables highly improvisational
Head Teacher critical interest in CALC highly varied
In resource strapped areas (infrastructure and teacher time), junior
classes tend to be excluded
Implementing agency (APF, Aptech. Etc.) usually seen as the owner
of the project thus operational role critical
Teachers training for CALC very likely to have different expectations
from trainers motivations
No effective student testing mechanism currently
Financing patterns ad-hoc for CALC services
Equipment maintenance still an issue

KEY TAKEAWAY: Most rural schools are not prepared to function

without significant handholding
Joyojeet Pal

14

Head Teacher profile

Usually not locals
Generally near retirement
Usually lower academic
qual., longer experience
Often face social issues
in taking up appointments
Play link role with the
government machinery
Tend to multi-task
classrooms
A Maharastrian head teacher
in Raichur, Karnataka
Joyojeet Pal

15

CC Instructor profile
From local families
(teachers often not)
Reasonable to expect Rs.
1500 pm as saleable
wage - BUT
Salaries in risk most
places

Use of CCs for additional

rev. generation not
ensured
Empowerment, respect,
openness to work away
Play a tenuous role with
the rest of the institution
Joyojeet Pal

A successful CC Instructor
from Udupi Dist.

16

Observations: Curricular / Cognitive

Teacher Difficulties (and student difficulties, largely):
English (Pondi, Karnataka)
Geometry (Orissa, Karnataka)
Labs, Geography (Orissa + Encylopedia demands)

Student Benefits
Match concepts fractions / LCM
Geography (Pondicherry CD popular even in Orissa)

CALC teaching generally adaptive children positioning, time-sharing

Teachers reinforce classroom standings in CCs
High variance in terms of learning / computing ability
Children easily tire of the repetitive content and want to move to games
Picking up Linux OS quite painless for younger children

KEY TAKEAWAY: Actual computer time for children is very low, but
learning within the limited access time fairly good optimization an
issue.
Joyojeet Pal

17

Seating patterns
No conclusive evidence, but enough to merit further investigation
Using the ANOVA test for Statistical Significance we find:
The correlation between the position occupied by the student during the
computer class and
the students familys economic position is statistically significant to
over 95.1%
and to a students performance in class is statistically significant to
over 99.8%

Seating Position
L2

L1

R1

R2

Class Performance

1.50

2.00

2.68

1.95

1.50

Economic Affluence

2.00

2.36

2.68

2.24

1.00

Joyojeet Pal

18

Position and Family Affluence

Class Size: 21
Poorest
9%

Poorest
24%

Rich
46%

Rich
47%

Rich
Average

Rich
Average
Poorest

Poorest
Average
45%
Average
29%

RIGHT

LEFT

Poorest
0%

SD=0.66

SD=0.83

Average
32%
Rich
Average
Poorest
Rich
68%

Joyojeet Pal

CENTER
SD=0.48

19

Position and Classroom Performance

Class Size: 21

Good
32%

Poor
32%

Good
33%

Poor
38%

Good

Good

Average

Average

Poor

Poor

Average
29%

Average
36%

RIGHT

LEFT
SD=0.82

SD=0.86

Poor
0%
Average
27%

Good
Average
Poor

Good
73%

Joyojeet Pal

CENTER
SD=0.48

20

Shuffling seating

Children in positions R2 is the smart kid in class, R1 is average, and C and

L1 were among the poorer performers C being the poorest according to
the teacher. Before the seating intervention, R2 was the most active,
controlling the mouse and running ahead with the game all the three
remaining were inattentive. There was no dialogue.

Joyojeet Pal

21

Recommendations
QUICK FIX

Shuffling students on an experimental basis

Single set of instructions per active class, streamlined instead of self-paced

CURRICULAR
Quick modules that deal with one specific problem
Adapting to number of users at start-up stage
Use of icons as characters in CD content
Games (incremental scope)
ORGANIZATIONAL
Headmaster training preferably on-site
Door-to-door campaigns on computer proficiency
Coordinators and Computer instructor essential in short term (see Pratham model)

LONG TERM
Test CALC using current SSA student evaluation metrics
Increase amount of offline teaching CALC dependable for fraction of time
Support policy level initiatives Childcare, English earlier

Joyojeet Pal

22

Thanks
For Questions: joyojeet@berkeley.edu

Joyojeet Pal

23

Thanks
Sukumar Anikar
Kentaro Toyama
Santhosh R.
Lopamudra Jena
Rajashekhar Pandi
Prema
Shankar
Joyojeet Pal

24