RESEARCHING ICT IN LATIN AMERICAN SCHOOLS: UNEQUAL RESULTS IN THE AFTERMATH OF 1 TO 1 MODELS

Since 2005, when the One Laptop per Child Project (OLPC) was launched at MIT, the one to one programs (1x1), where each student has one computer, spread over several countries in Latin America. Peru was one of the first countries in Latin America embracing the OLPC model and acquired a significant number of XO (900,000). This paper asks about how this massive introduction of ICT translates into the school scenario in Peru and what are the perspectives of students, teachers and head teachers about them. It is based in a qualitative research in three regions of the country, in rural and urban areas and in primary and secondary schools. The main findings show that students claim for more use of ICT in school, but consider XO a second-class computer; they have more intensive experiences outside school and with mobile devices, although this depends on the economic resources their families can devote to this. Teachers are not necessarily well prepared to introduce ICT in their lessons and many do not know how to use XO. Head teachers stress the need of more technical support, replacement policies and highlight the support of local communities to introduce ICT in school.