OLPC Mozambique

OLPC in Mozambique

This page is dedicated to those interested in XO machines in Mozambique. While there are currently no national-level deployments in place, some machines will be sent to the country by other interested parties, and there are groups interested in smaller pilot studies of the computers.

CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Last edit:Jumpbean 13:28, 19 May 2008 (EDT)

Location

Mozambique is located on the eastern side of the southern part of Africa.

Projects

Health Education Intervention

A health education activity is currently being designed for a pilot study in rural

Motivation

Given that the XO laptops will be distributed to a large number of children in the developing world for them to “explore, experiment, and express themselves,” these machines provide the possibility of an added educational component for these users. It is necessary, therefore, to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology as an educational tool. This project will demonstrate the existence, size, and scope of this effectiveness in the pressing area of HIV/AIDS/infectious disease knowledge and attitudes.

The researchers at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education will be able to contribute in multiple dimensions to this project. First, they will begin to model the causal relationship between this new educational technology and student outcomes. Second, they will be able to profoundly inform the pedagogical construction of the specific software for the intervention to increase the likelihood of its effectiveness. The OLPC machines offer unique capacities that could be exploited for the greatest educational impact.

Research Question: Does the presence of software related to HIV/AIDS/infectious diseases on the XO laptop have an effect on a child user/owner’s knowledge of and attitude towards HIV/AIDS?

contact: jumpbean@alum.mit.edu or feel free to leave a message on my page Jumpbean.