Hole in the Wall.

Mitra et al.
Title: Acquisition of computing literacy on shared public computers: Children and the "hole in the wall"

I found this article very interesting. The fact that children can learn with minimal assistance just shows how powerful curiosity can be. This paper talks about letting children learn on their own through a pedagogic method called "Minimally Invasive Education" (MIE). MIE speculates that children can learn to use the computer on their own. It is an approach that promises to bridge the digital divide by helping diverse populations achieve computer literacy. "Minimally invasive" refers to the least possible amount of help given to children before they can continue using basic computer-handling skills. Help can be offered by friends, siblings or other children who are more familiar with computers. Children are found to provide support for each other. The learning environment is described as free of adult intervention, structures and rules. It is also done in an open, public space where children can share and help each other. It  is designed for use by children.

The findings were that children are able to learn how to use the computers without help from teachers, parents or other adults. They manage to learn through experience or in other words, they let their curiosity guide them.
I remembered when I was a child and I used to go to my father's office to use the computer because we didn't have one at home, yet. I learnt how to type and also explored other softwares. But this was wayyy before the Internet was even a household name.

The point is, I think this research is really beneficial to adults, rather than children themselves. After reading this article, adults, teachers, parents should know that children can learn on their own and learning may even be more effective without the structures and rules enforced upon them by adults.

Very interesting, no?

Read more here!