OLPC research

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Research, Outcome Monitoring & Impact Evaluation

Introduction

This page provides links to reports related to the OLPC project. We begin by looking at the resources used; share instruments and frameworks as well as white papers and inform about the organizations involved.

We then arrange the reports under three main headings: Research(link), Outcome Monitoring(link), Impact Evaluation(link). Research, Monitoring & Evaluating is not only important as a way of improving, assessing and understanding what is happening in respective OLPC projects around the world, but also to connect this growing community at the forefront of technology integration in education to help build, suggest, and inform this field as it quickly grows and develops. In addition to the work itself, we are also at the apex of rethinking these approaches and models and innovating them to make sure the appropriate information and outcomes are being collected. The OLPC Learning Team, lead by Dr. Claudia Urrea have put forth a paper outlining the need for “Innovation in Evaluation.” (link)

We look forward for OLPC communities to continue contributing and sharing their work as well as welcome those looking for information on OLPC projects.

Please see also Experience, Constructionism, Reviews of OLPC, and Class Acts (a FLOSS Manuals community publication) for articles and other anecdotal works.

Resources

Instruments & Framework

to be added

White Papers

Urrea & Bender, Innovation in Evaluation

Assessment and Overview of international M&E Reports, by the the OLPCF Learning Team.* OLPC Foundation Learning Team: Assessment and Overview of Existing M&E Reports Recently published assessment of existing international M&E literature by local and government actors on OLPC distributions

Ghana: The One Laptop per Child Project and Its Applicability to Ghana (BOA), Buchele & Owusu-Aning (pdf). Designed as an academic overview of work in Ghana so far, providing data and raising questions for anyone considering a national implementation. The assessment refers to Ghana as a country most suited for OLPC collaboration. Challenges for implementation and funding, and questions for the government to answer, are discussed.

Research

Research(link) is defined as the intent to add new general knowledge to the field using gathered information and data, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBER/article/viewFile/2532/2578

Outcome Monitoring

while Outcome Monitoring(link) is a form of evaluation or assessment. It allows programs to determine what is working, and what is not working, based from expected results, so that it may be addressed and improved on an on-going basis. http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/340-evaluation-monitoring-outcome-and-impact.html

Literature

Early OLPC experiences in an Uruguayan School (pdf)

This report on the first Uruguayan XO pilot, with 150 students in a rural school, provides a good observational overview of XO activities in the classroom.

Ceibal Assessment 2010 Summary Document .doc

English translation of Evaluación del Plan Ceibal 2010 DOCUMENTO RESUMEN http://www.anep.edu.uy/anepweb/servlet/main004?403

File:Ceibal Assessment 2010 Summary Document .doc

Síntesis del informe de monitoreo del estado del parque de XO a abril de 2010.

Executive Summary of the 2010 OLPC monitoring report (Spanish) (http://www.ceibal.org.uy/docs/Plan_Ceibal____Informe_Estado_XO__Abril_2010.pdf)

Monitoreo y evaluación educativa del Plan Ceibal

Primeros resultados a nivel nacional

Plan Ceibal 2010 Monitoring Report (Spanish) Salamano, I., Pagés, P., Baraibar, A., Ferro, H., Pérez, L., & Pérez, M. (http://www.ceibal.org.uy/docs/evaluacion_educativa_plan_ceibal_resumen.pdf)

One to One Laptop Schools review

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/One-to-One_Laptop_Schools Excerpt: High-level overviews of the major 1:1 projects around the world, including the Magellan project and many OLPC projects.

OLPC Haiti pre-pilot evaluation report (IDB)

The Education Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) conduted an assessment following their partial funding of the current program in Haiti. The report provides an analysis of usage trends and outcomes for grades 1-5 after studying 50 students, assessed by interviews and observations.

Gains were observed particularly in literacy (reading and writing) and student preparedness for the future (research about / envisioning their future work options). Teachers, technical staff, and administrators were also interviewed. Data analysis and interview guides are included in the document.

Impact Evaluation

“Impact Evaluations(link) are a particular type of evaluation that seeks to answer cause-and-effect questions. Unlike general evaluations, which can answer many types of questions, impact evaluations are structured around one particular type of question: What is the impact (or causal effect) of a program on an outcome of interest.” http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTHDOFFICE/Resources/5485726-1295455628620/Impact_Evaluation_in_Practice.pdf http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/340-evaluation-monitoring-outcome-and-impact.html