Parliamentary speech on the OLPC organisation

This is kinda long and poorly read by the Member for Solomon (N.T.) but it gives more information on the OLPC organisation and their quest. The XO laptop computer that they are distributing is ideal for use in remote communities (due to its hardiness and usability) and is designed to improve digital literacy as well as provide a fun tool for acheiving other educational outcomes.

OLPC are looking for government funding in order to roll out large scale distributions of the laptops to remote communities around Australia. This seems like an awesome initiative to me. The computers are cheap, hardy, made specifically for the conditions in which they'll be used. They seems really user friendly too. They have internet access. The works! Obviously there will be obstacles in getting something like this out to everyone who needs it, but all in all it seems that OLPC are doing a great job of making things happen in reducing the digital divide. Hats off!

Another great clip about the OLPC initiative

This is nice because it has some interview pieces from teachers involved in the communities targeted. You also get to see a fair few shots of the kids using the laptops. They seem really easy to use and one of the teachers interviewed actually reports that he was suprised and impressed by how quickly the kids picked up on how to use the computers.

Laptops in remote communities

Here we go. This is what I'm talking about! This SBS news piece pretty much sums up what I'm interested in for my second research analysis. The issue of providing ICT to disadvantaged children (financially, geographically, or both) in order to help their digital literacy and overall learning. This news piece reports on a fantastic initiative that will hopefully go a long way to reducing the digital divide for these students.

Access to ICT for financially/geographically disadvantaged Australians

This article on the digital divide for financially disadvantaged families in Australia provides some insight into the extent of the gap entering the 21st century.

The data (from 2002) shows that less than a third of the families surveyed (low income families) had internet access at home and three-quarters of the students surveyed did not use the internet at home. This is compared to almost half of the corresponding Australia wide population using the net in their homes.

The article stresses the importance of home internet access in improving student performance. I would say that level of importance has only increased since 2002 with many assignments/projects in schools these days requiring extensive internet use for successful completion.

In addition, having access to ICT at home will impact on studetns' digital literacy levels. This will potentially give certain students immediate advantages/disadvantages over other students in classrooms that integrate ICT in learning.

Thinking about my earlier idea of ICT access in remote areas, I guess that if all students in a given community have restricted access to ICT then no one has any advantage over anyone else in the way mentioned above. However, looking beyond that specific rural/remote community, these students as a whole may be disadvantaged when compared to students in other (urban) areas. This could potentially restrict their educational opportunities in future (tertiary education for example).

What does the world of wiki have to say about the digital divide?

Wikipedia (i.e. everyone in the world that has bothered to publish on it) defines "the digital divide" as

"the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen."

this is interesting for 2 reasons.

1. The first part is basically what I just said.
2. The second part wasn't.

SO, it not only includes the gap between those who physically, tangibly, have the technology and those who don't, but also encompasses inequalities in digital literacy levels.

i like that. i can work with that.

The wikipedia article also mentions that the term can refer to inequalities in broadband network (internet) access. Here it is not a case of tangible product, or of digital literacy, but of access to an intangible service. I guess there could be a number of reasons for this. The 2 most obvious that pop into my mind are income and geographical factors. Obviously, those with lower incomes cannot afford the service and those in geographical locations that do not have the service available simply cannot access it.

Actually, this could provide an interesting (more focused) topic for research: How does lack of access to broadband network facilities effect learning in remote communities? How can the digital divide be overcome in this case?

My last topic (efficacy of Wii use in PE) focused on how technology should/should not be used to enhance learning. I like the idea of this time focusing more on how we can get technology and technological skills to those who may not have them readily available. Kids need to have it before they can use it right. This time I'm gonna focus more on how we can get it to them maybe. hmmmmm...

"The Digital Divide"...

"The Digital Divide"

This phrase is the starting point for my second series of journal entries. I saw this phrase listed in the suggested topic areas in the details for our assessments on the LWT blog. The phrase was something I immediately recognised and had a reaction to. It's basically the gap between those who have technology and those who don't right?

I'm gonna look things up, check things out, and start researching what exactly "the digital divide" is and how it relates to education.

Research Analysis #1: Using the Wii in Physical Education

The Nintendo Wii (and its accompanying Wii Sports and Wii Fit games suites) simulates numerous physical activities. In recent years, the Wii has begun to appear in educational contexts. As a future PE teacher, I was interested in use of the Wii for physical education (PE) purposes. My initially broad investigations researched whether the Wii had been used in PE to date. Further inquiries led to more specific target questions such as whether the Wii could be a worthy substitute for ‘regular’ PE. Ultimately, my investigations led me to address the question: In what ways (if any) can the Wii be a beneficial tool in Physical Education?

Initial investigations revealed that the Wii had been introduced in PE classes in a number of schools around the English speaking world (including Australia, England, and the USA). Chalk’s (2008) article in online magazine ‘The Escapist’ reported that the UK government had approved a program to introduce the Wii for PE programs across the country. This year The Daily Telegraph reported that a number of NSW schools were offering the Wii as an option in PE classes (Mayoh, 2010).

These reports show that the Wii is being embraced by the education sector. However, this does not certify that the Wii is effective. It appears as though these schools/organisations may have made the decision to use the Wii with little empirical evidence to support the notion that it is actually beneficial. My research found few reputable studies in this new field. Evidently, this is something that will need to be addressed before any solid conclusions can be drawn as to the Wii’s efficacy in a PE context.

Though few studies have been undertaken so far, one report that did give an indication of the validity of the Wii as a substitute for other forms of physical activity was released by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) last year. The press release by the ACE reported that in all cases performing the actual activity yielded much greater calorie expenditure than performing the virtual equivalent (ACE, 2009). Results also revealed that the Wii Sports suite provided opportunities for greater calorie expenditure than the Wii Fit suite. A small number of other studies have supported the suggestion that Wii Sports’ boxing activity provides the most vigorous physical activity and most closely replicates the activity levels of the actual sport (Baumann, 2007; Trout and Christie, 2009).

These results seem to suggest that the Wii may not be valuable in the realm of physical activity levels. Nevertheless, the console could prove useful for other purposes. Hayes and Silberman (2007) listed a number of potential benefits of using video game consoles for educational purposes. Using the military as an example of how simulations can help improve performance of the actual task (i.e. flight simulators), they argued that this same principle can be applied to video game consoles in schools (Hayes and Silberman, 2007). This means that although the Wii cannot replicate the physical activity levels of the ‘real’ sports, it may help students develop the motor and other skills needed to successfully play a given sport. Further research is needed to determine whether the Wii successfully simulates elements of sports other than physical activity levels.

In a classroom context, it should be noted that the Wii can only be used by a maximum of 4 students at a time. This means a significant drop in student participation levels when contrasted with traditional outdoor PE. Student engagement is also at risk of plummeting if the majority of students are inactive during much of the lesson.

Although the Wii seemingly cannot provide a suitable replacement for outdoor physical activity in terms of providing vigorous exercise, it may have other benefits. For example, it may have the ability to aid students in learning, improving, and refining their skills in a given sport. It could also be a useful tool in teaching students the basic rules and concepts of a new sport before they move outdoors and attempt to learn the practical skills of that sport. The Wii can provide an alternative for outdoor sports on rainy days. Furthermore, the Wii has the potential to aid students with disabilities to gain skills in sports that may otherwise be beyond their capabilities. Using this technology in PE classes may also help to improve student ICT literacy.

This is a relatively new field in the sphere of ICT in education. Studies focusing on the topics mentioned above will greatly increase people’s awareness of the benefits and shortcomings of this technology. This will ideally lead to the Wii being used more effectively in educational contexts.


References

American Council On Exercise (2009, November 11). Test Results Reported on Fitness Benefits of Nintendo's Wii Fit and PC-Based Exergame, Dancetown. Retrieved from http://www.acefitness.org/pressroom/442/test-results-reported-on-fitness-benefits-of/

Baumann, M. (2007). Slimming Down with Wii Sports. Information Today, Apr2007, 24(4), p.47.

Chalk, A. (2008, January 30). U.K. Government Endorses Wii For Physical Education Programs. The Escapist. Retrieved from http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/81028-U-K-Government-Endorses-Wii-For-Physical-Education-Programs

Hayes, E. & Silberman, L. (2007). Incorporating Video Games into Physical Education. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, March 2007, 78(3), p.18-24.

Mayoh, L. (2010, April 4). This is the future of sport in schools - Wii instead of PE. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/this-is-the-future-of-sport-in-schools-wii-instead-of-pe/story-e6freuy9-1225849277763

Trout, J. & Christie, B. (2009). Do Interactive Video Games Stimulate Enough Activity? JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, Aug2009, 80(6), p.3.