Ten Lessons from a Goan Classroom

In this piece, Frederick Noronha explores key lessons learned from the computers-in-school project in Goa, India, which aims to improve the levels of computer literacy and computer access of secondary-school students. Click here to view a summary of this community-based project.

Noronha offers the following reflections on the project:

1. Successful models are needed: Noronha claims that, unlike journalists, most educationists have not yet realised exactly what a computer can do to help their institutions. The problem: lack of understanding of how information and communication technologies (ICTs) work; furthermore, there are limited shareable, free software tools. One solution: school principals need to discover the utility of a PC in their own work.
2. "Lethargy is a major killer: "Pressures of doing well in exams, completing the syllabus, and just keeping the huge machine working all add up to make innovation and experimentation difficult. We need to accept this reality and find work-arounds."
3. Hardware is not all: "Computers are reaching the school; the big question is: How effectively are they being used?"
4. Volunteers have a role: "a huge project of this size, one which cannot be dumped entirely on educationists, needs the involvement of a wider section of society to make it successful."
5. The need for networks - Noronha emphasises the need for broader networking initiatives (beyond sporadic volunteers).
6. Plant the idea, sow the seed - Interdisciplinary skills, the author stresses, are key in supporting the vision to go ahead. It is unwise to wait for governments to make plans to help develop such skills.
7. Build national, international links: Schoolforge, LIFE, and the Demo-School are examples of networks that support, say, the delivery of free software to schools.
8. Sharable solutions offer much potential: Noronha says, "See ofset.org for some ideas. The FreEDUC CD has tonnes of educational software. It costs just Rs 30 plus postage (actuals), and is available from Aniket Navelkar at Assolna (aniket@gmx.net). The best thing is that you can copy this CD on as many PCs as you wish."
9. Look beyond the syllabus: Educational software may not be directly related to the school syllabus, but Noronha reminds readers that computing serves additional purposes for schoolchildren - like learning how to communicate with "the outside world".
10. There is never enough: "The tragedy is that in Goa, as of now, we are still doing only little. Very little."