Early olpc experiences in a rural uruguayan school

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss children's and teachers' experiences in a small rural town in Uruguay where every child in elementary school has received a laptop from the OLPC Foundation. In conducting activities in classrooms, observing children, and speaking with their teachers we found that the laptops have had a positive impact so far, with children accessing information resources that were previously unavailable, creating content for the world to see, collaborating and learning from each other, and increasing their interest in reading and writing. We also noted several challenges that need to be addressed, some directly related to human-computer interaction including problems with input devices, basic interactions, and the conceptual design and localization of user interfaces.