Friday, November 11, 2016

Untaught Technology Skills: The Hole in the Wall Experiment

Have you ever wondered why children cannot resist touching everything when they are little? Theories on the process of learning and knowledge acquisition in the early stages of development confirm that human beings start learning the day they are born. Newborn babies start learning by watching, feeling, smelling, and hearing. Even though formal language is not understood, babies learn to communicate to have their needs met. We learn through our senses and our sense help us understand the world around us.

As I am reading about the Hole in the Wall experiment in India back in 1999, I make a strong connection between the theory of natural learning and the reasons why it amazes me to see babies and toddlers find electronic devices to be fascinating tools.

In the Hole in the Wall experiment, Professor Sugata Mitra conducted an experiment in which a computer was placed inside a man made hole in the wall. There was also a camera installed to record activity near the computer. No instructions were given in any language. The location of this whole in the wall was in the slums of India with high populations of kids with no formal education or English language reading and speaking abilities. The findings of Dr. Mitra's experiment gave rise to the the concept of minimally invasive education  as it was observed that children learned basic computer skills on their own as well as curriculum content through games and other engaging activities. Kids just explored on their own and started to build knowledge structures that eventually allowed them to engage in more complex tasks.

The Hole in the Wall Experiment serves as a reminder that when it comes to technology integration in the classroom, children need to be given the opportunity to explore and learn through technology even if the adults in the room do not feel capable to handle or integrate technology. Fear of technology integration is more pervasive in adults rather than in children. A word of caution when allowing minors to freely learn and explore on electronic devices is the need for an internet filter. Children are capable of finding amazing things online, however, material not suitable for children needs to be kept out at all times. I believe that allowing students to learn with an electronic device has valuable implications for English Language Learners. ELL's can learn valuable concepts and skills by freely exploring an electronic device that has access to age appropriate pre-loaded resources.

I have included one of the only creative commons picture I found on the internet for the Hole in the Wall experiment. The computers depicted in the picture resemble the original one but the first computer and setting looked different.

Mitra, S., Rana, V., Campus, I. I. T., & Khas, H. (2001). Children and the Internet: Experiments with minimally invasive education in India. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(2), 221-232.


Trucano, M. (2010, June 18). Searching for India’s hole in the wall Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/searching-for-indias-hole-in-the-wall

22 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the reply. I am glad you like my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also you can sign into your tracking account from your PC or cell phone, which makes having control while in a hurry simple. https://callgear.com/product/speech-analytics/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, cool post. I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real hard work to make a great article… but I put things off too much and never seem to get started. Thanks though. körkort online

    ReplyDelete
  4. Robots can improve on any cycle. They can attempt any activity without relying upon anything. They have a considerable rundown of utilizations where they can help mankind. SLAM on astro

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is my first visit to your web journal! We are a group of volunteers and new activities in the same specialty. Website gave us helpful data to work. India-Visa-ya-Tiba

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is very interesting content! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your points and have come to the conclusion that you are right about many of them. You are great. Indie lékařské vízum

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was reading some of your content on this website and I conceive this internet site is really informative ! Keep on putting up. Ppsc jobs

    ReplyDelete
  8. Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting? I'm pleased I discovered it though, ill be checking back soon to find out what additional posts you include. methodikzentrum.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article... organization names

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very nice post , I'll be sure to come back again and again on this page. I am impressed with the way you write. e visa Turkey is the modern way to apply for a Turkish evisa

    ReplyDelete
  11. Technology It became easier for people to achieve their goals by employing existing knowledge and tools.

    ReplyDelete
  12. According to the 2012 report, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, published the US National Intelligence Council, four high tech blog arenas will shape global economic, social and military developments by 2030. They are information technologies, automation and manufacturing technologies, resource technologies, and health technologies. Information technologies Three technological developments with an IT focus have the power to change the way we will live, do business and protect ourselves before 2030.

    ReplyDelete
  13. According to the 2012 report, Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, published the US National Intelligence Council, four crypto blog arenas will shape global economic, social and military developments by 2030. They are information technologies, automation and manufacturing technologies, resource technologies, and health technologies. Information technologies Three technological developments with an IT focus have the power to change the way we will live, do business and protect ourselves before 2030.

    ReplyDelete
  14. With the advent of internet revolution, technology is no more a supporting function, rather it has become a driver for business growth in any sector and of any size. Small businesses in non-technology sectors, find it a daunting task to articulate a Technology Strategy, rather, most of them don't even have it. Not only are these companies cash strapped, they have minimal or no internal capabilities and limited access to expert guidance on Tech blog . Not having an effective Technology Strategy can drain a company's resources, push them behind the competition or they may even cease to exist. This article provides basic advice for small business owners on where to get started. Below are some factors to take into account while creating an effective Technology Strategy.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This article presents the problem and challenge web blog is creating for the human condition: Inhumanity. Technology is brilliant, but cold, lacking heart and soul; the fundamental essence of human qualities. We present one unique and effective process designed to bridge the gap between the needs of human development and ever progressing, high-speed technology: The Alliance.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The development of Wireless technology owes it all to Michael Faraday - for discovering the principle of electromagnetic induction, to James Maxwell - for the Maxwell's equations and to Guglielmo Marconi - for transmitting a wireless signal over one and a half miles. The sole purpose of Wireless technology is wireless communication, through which information can be transferred between two or more points that are not connected by electrical conductors. Wireless technologies were in use since the advent of radios, which use electromagnetic transmissions. Eventually, consumer electronics manufacturers started thinking about the possibilities of automating blog tech micro-controller based devices. Timely and reliable relay of sensor data and controller commands were soon achieved, which led to the discovery of Wireless communications that we see everywhere now.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Think about the blog internet that has come online in the last 100 years. The amount and breadth of life changing technology is astounding. But what about our present day? Let's look at three technologies that will profoundly change the way we live.

    ReplyDelete
  18. There is so much in this article that I would never have thought of on my own. Your content gives readers things to think about in an interesting way. Thank you for your clear information. https://skill4567s-site.yolasite.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great thanks for sharing this article post. Really thank you! Keep writing.
    best leadership training

    ReplyDelete
  20. hello!! Very interesting discussion glad that I came across such informative post. Keep up the good work friend. Glad to be part of your net community. unique business names

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am impressed. I don't think Ive met anyone who knows as much about this subject as you do. You are truly well informed and very intelligent. You wrote something that people could understand and made the subject intriguing for everyone. Really, great blog you have got here. https://medium.com/@cegos1/the-value-of-soft-skills-training-for-business-70b48adb532e

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.