Read Write Web has a story on literacy organization Worldreader.org (which we previously covered in March and April), which is using Kindles to bring literacy to Ghana, Africa (“kind of like One Laptop Per Child, but with Kindles” as one site we quoted in March put it).
The organization’s March trial, with 20 Kindles, went very well, and Worldreader reports obtaining permission to do a larger trial, with 336 Kindles in 4 schools, in October. They already have plans to go even larger in the future.
Despite the group’s connections with Amazon, its spokesperson notes it intends to be “e-reader agnostic” and will work with whatever the best e-reading device turns out to be.
I’m still a bit doubtful that they couldn’t do better by spending the same amount of money on OLPCs—but on the other hand, if they can get Kindles at a discount due to those Amazon connections, perhaps it costs less money this way. And literacy is better than non-literacy no matter what the tools involved—perhaps the perfect would be the enemy of the good in this case.
African author Mukoma Wa Ngugi and I discuss ebook impact on BBC’s The Strand radio program today–you should be able to hear the archive if you miss the show. This is one of the issues–democratization and access. http://bit.ly/95ZRel
Wouldn’t it be better to use the OLPC as an ereader? Then they have a multifunctional device for the same price.
Piet: That’s what I think, too. But on the other hand, if they’re able to get e-readers cheaper because of their association with Amazon, their budget stretches that much farther—and Kindles are easier to read on than a heavier laptop.
If you’re a literacy group, a Kindle probably meets your goals better than the OLPC. A Kindle will be used for reading; without supervision, an OLPC will be used for other things, not necessarily bad things, but not necessarily things that promote literacy. Plus, looking at the specs for OLPC, it uses WiFi, which I suspect isn’t as available as a cell phone signal.
Chris OLPC’s may actually be worse for students in developing countries in the long run. I saw two studies one regarding domestic reading and math score gaps being widened because of improper use of the donated laptops; while the second study found that laptop for every child programs abroad failed abysmally due to lack of adequate resources to support the devices. Kindle and e-readers may be better suited due to their long battery life and relatively more robust form factor.
I am a techy webby computer guy through and through. But I really believe that we would be far far better spending the money on setting up real local libraries with hard copy books and that we would achieve far greater bang for the buck in promoting literacy and love of knowledge in these parts of the world.
On the bigger picture, I’m with Howard. High tech gizmos require infrastructure, and developing countries generally lack reliable infrastructure.
Piet, Alex and Sherri,
Indeed we are a literacy group and as our mission statement says, we want to bring “Books to All” in places where paper doesn’t reach. Like OLPC, we are both using technology but for different ends. Teachers/educators often say that laptops are classroom disruptors, where as access to books and e-readers increases literacy. Another major facet of our work is to partner with local publishers to digitize local content- African authors. Overall, our aim is to build a platform for literacy- working with publishers, manufacturers (to create the best e-reader device) and local governments. Thanks for your interest in our project and for your comments!
A point to consider, Howard: an ebook reader is a library unto itself. And a device that might require a couple hours charge once a month doesn’t require all that much infrastructure.
A print book library would require checking the books in every few weeks anyway, so checking the reader in for recharging every few weeks shouldn’t unduly stress infrastructure. At least no more than cellphones.
Anything that helps promote reading is worth looking into; some things will undoubtedly work better than others but the only way to separate theory from reality is to try. Time will tell.
Felix: I appreciate your point but it doesn’t persuade me.
If the Charity managed to get eReaders for, say, $100 each .. They could get almost 1,000 second hand books for that or far more if donated. Each eReader can only be used by one person at a time instead of >1,000 readers benefiting from those hard copy books. Any damage to an eReader denies access by a huge number of potential readers. I see the recharging thing as a red herring.
The encouragement of reading needs support and a network which imho is far better provided by a central point of a small local physical library. The process of borrowing and returning and mixing with other borrowers and returners provides an invaluable form of such support and is too often overlooked.
It seems to me therefore that in a continent dominated by rural environments, hard copy locally based libraries are vastly superior to this techy driven drive which I feel is driven by an underlying western desire to somehow ‘use technology’ to bring solutions rather than simply bring solutions through the most effective means.
@Howard:
“If the Charity managed to get eReaders for, say, $100 each .. They could get almost 1,000 second hand books for that or far more if donated. Each eReader can only be used by one person at a time instead of >1,000 readers benefiting from those hard copy books.”
You forget that there is a library to be build. A bit of research shows that is costs about 13000 dollar to have a libabry with books in Africa (http://www.roomtoread.org/Page.aspx?pid=482#Africareadingroom)
“Any damage to an eReader denies access by a huge number of potential readers. I see the recharging thing as a red herring.
The encouragement of reading needs support and a network which imho is far better provided by a central point of a small local physical library. The process of borrowing and returning and mixing with other borrowers and returners provides an invaluable form of such support and is too often overlooked.”
A lot of people are beginning to have cell-phones in Africa. I would argue that a cellphone is more compicated and less sturdy device then a basic ereader. However after reading “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” i think it is important to have the community involved (that they contribute themselves) therefore a library is still important. Ideally the most avid readers could be given an ereader, so that these children coumd be further supported.
Tony – it’s not my wish to drag things off topic but that 13k cost for a library is so much horse manure and in my humble opinion totally non-credible. Firstly we are talking about Africa, a continent, so the cost will vary astronomically depending on whether it is in Capetown City or in rural Ghana. I would find it shocking if establishing a small library in a local school, or home in most of rural Africa would cost more than 500 dollars. Even in a major city how on earth could a spare room in a school cost 13k to use as a library. I accept that this is obtained from an apparently legitimate charity source, but common sense causes me some scepticism.
Your point about cell phones is taken. I would ask so what. We have no idea how many cell phones are broken every day and if one is broken it does not prevent a whole crowd of users from making calls, only one person.
The easy and dirt cheap availability of second hand books from all over the world allied with the benefits of the social impact of a library confirm my own belief that hard copy libraries are what Africa and any 3rd World country needs to develop it’s reading and literacy – and not modern gadgets that we, affluent and fortunately well educated westerners, enjoy.
I stumbled upon this page after a “eureka moment” when it occured to me that a student may need one ereader all his student life to access hundreds of books for his schooling career. I am in Zimbabwe, currently publishing some booklets for primary schools. Printing and distribution are a nightmare!!! With ereaders,3g and other technologies, we can change the gloomy picture of limited access to books and progressive ideas. Costs remain a big challenge but at least in Zimbabwe we appreciate that ignorance costs much more. So kudos to the pioneers of this work!