Pedagogical outlines for OLPC initiatives: A case of Ukombozi school in Tanzania

One-to-one computing initiatives in developing countries have been criticized for ignoring pedagogical considerations and for lacking tight integration with the local educational context. Ukombozi primary school in Iringa, Tanzania, faced the same situation in 2009, when we received 100 laptop computers for pupils to use. Through a collaborative effort of local and foreign teachers we designed and tested a pedagogical approach which starts from the local educational context, and builds on theoretical literature and documented experiences of using one-to-one computing in the classroom. We developed student-centered, exploratory, and creative practices for classroom pedagogy, and we experimented on using individual (one-to-one) laptops as a support tool. We identified a number of challenges, too, and propose further research directions that extend one-to-one computer-assisted learning to other school subjects, also. This paper is aimed at educators who work and develop education in similar challenging environments, as well as educational technology researchers who wish to gain alternative views about pedagogical design.