While researching for an upcoming assignment I stumbled across a very intriguing TED Talk speaker by the name of Sugata Mitra. His talk was called Kids Can Teach Themselves. The video is available below. Even though the talk focused on kids, I found that some of his research can also be applied to adult education. Especially when using a Flip Classroom or a Virtual Learning Environment instructional strategy.
Mr. Mitra conducted an experiment in various remote locations in India. Then experiment was called Hole In the Wall. A single computer was planted into a building wall where kids had access to information. Some locations had no internet, therefore, Mitra would load the computer with CD’s.
When discussing the term remote, Mitra claimed that it was applied in two meanings. Remote was towns that were a distance from larger cities and remote secondly meant locations that were considered slums and shantytowns.
His six years of researched concluded with four points:
- Remoteness affects the quality of education
- Educational technology should be introduced into remote areas first
- Values are acquired, doctrine and dogma are imposed
- Learning is a self-organizing system
However, I also found additional value in viewing what Mitra shared. What I found interesting and that I can apply to teaching adults when working with computers was:
- Language does not matter when learning. Indian children involved with the experiment had to Google information on how to read and speak English first
- It took a child an average of 8 minutes to learn how to operate a web browser on their own
- Younger children were teaching the older
- The children were learning by watching others operate the computer as much as they did by doing on the computer
- Children 6 years of age and older were self-instructing themselves. It is worth mentioning this was usually done in groups
In order to assist a non-techie adult student when computers are involved in your training, consider some of these ways to assist them:
- Have another student walk them through the computer process or better yet have their kid or grandchild help them with it at home
- Have an illustrated handout showing how to do the basic functions required . You could have an 8 minute online tutorial but don’t forget the student wont know how to play it!
- If the adult learner is still struggling getting onto the system, have them watch a student that is rolling with their computer work
The next time an adult student identifies that they do not know computers, remember this video and it should bring a smile to your face!
Mark McGregor MA (Leadership), RSE, PID 