Thursday 8 March, 2007

How is Hole-in-the-wall different from Computer aided learning(CAL) efforts of Gov,NGOs & private sector

As usual, unless i get a hang of basic questions, i feel uncomfortable about the thing.

and this is one of those basic questions buzzing in my mind now. Not that i have no idea about it but need to crystalize my thoughts a lot on it. I guess understanding CAL more would certainly help.

for one, CAL is a teacher-assisted learning program which precludes some of the basic outcomes of HITW like self learning, fun, working in team, leadership traits, invoking the curiosity of children etc. So although CAL and HITW both in the end train kids in using computers and internet, the means of doing that are quite different. I think, the HITW doesnot really aim at computer training. Computer training is just incidental outcome. The gains from HITW interventions actually happen in the overall development and accelerated learning capacity of kids.
Secondly, carrying on from first argument, since CAL requires teaching computers in a controlled and teacher assisted environment, given that teachers are reulctant to move in to rural areasm I am not sure about its scalability into deep rural pockets. HITW on the other hand, can reach the deepmost area since it is minimally invasive and completely unassisted program.

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