y first memory of using a computer in school was waiting for my turn in the computer lab. We had to line up in a single file and wait our turn to use the computers. Once it was finally my turn I was excited as I got to explore the world of technology.

The teacher taught us a variety of lessons such as using MS Word and Paint, navigating around windows, typing documents, and more. Although the technology at the time was much simpler than it is today, I still enjoyed being able to learn how to use the computer.

We went to the computer lab only once a week, and most of the learning happened through textbooks.

While many parents and teachers saw how fast kids were learning on the computer, there was still an air of apprehension surrounding computers.

They were seen as being something that kids should be kept away from, and it wasn't until much later that they became accepted in the household.

Even when we could use computers we only explored them for entertainment and social media. In those times Orkut was trending and we used to go the internet cafes to chat with friends or strangers on yahoo chat. No one used computers for academic purposes as it was not encouraged. I don't remember if google was used a lot during those times.

When I started college, the use of computers changed drastically. Almost every class used the internet for research and assignments. We had to submit papers online and even do presentations on PowerPoint. Our learning process was heavily reliant on technology and it enabled us to access more information than ever before.

Today, computer usage is everywhere from businesses to small and large classrooms. It has changed the way we learn, communicate, and even socialize. Technology has opened up a whole new world of possibilities that I never even dreamed of in my younger days.

I strongly believe that computers and the internet can be a game changer in education and to validate my thoughts I started searching more about it and that is when I came across the works of Sugata  Mitra

Who is Sugata Mitra?

Sugata Mitra is an Indian educational technology researcher and professor at Newcastle University in the UK. He has conducted ground-breaking research on self-organized learning environments, exploring ways to promote meaningful learning experiences with minimal teacher intervention.

Sugata Mitra hole in the wall Experiment - hole in the wall project in the slum

Sugata Mitra had done an interesting experiment with the slum children to test the power of computer learning. He took computers and placed them in a slum in Delhi, with no prior instruction on how to use them. He then observed children quickly figure out how to work the machines and even teach themselves new things.

The screen was visible from the street, and the PC was available to anyone who passed by. The computer had online access and a number of programs that could be used, but no instructions were given for its use. 

Results from Sugata mitra's hole in the wall experiment

• Kids stopped working on the computers every time an adult walked around - He concluded that students could still learn even if teachers were not around
• The conditions included kids being left unsupervised, they were working in heterogeneous groups and they were accessing the internet in a large public space.
• The same experiment was repeated in the classrooms in England where a teacher would ask the question and the children would go around the system searching for the answer.
• This experiment once again proved that, if you leave the kids unsupervised, they would learn.
• This is not to say that teachers are not important.

Sugata mitra's studies gave startling results, it showed that when people are given access to technology without instructions or guidance, amazing results can be achieved.

This experiment was repeated in different places for both urban and rural kids, and similar results were seen.

This shows how technology can be used to empower people, and how access to the right tools can help people learn new skills and gain knowledge that can be used in their careers or everyday lives.

We should all strive to create more opportunities for people to gain access to technology and use it for their own benefit.

Mitra's hole in the wall experiment revealed a lot of things about self-learning and technology. It has highlighted how powerful modern technology can be in the hands of people who are eager to learn and explore.

Mitra argues that with the right tools, a person can teach themselves anything they want. The sky is really the limit when it comes to learning new things through technology!

Important points from Sugata Mitra's Ted talk

In his Ted Talk Mitra talks about:

• Children in Self-organized environments can learn anything by themselves.
• According to Mitra, In the future the role of teachers might change from being the "sage on the stage" to being the "guide on the side", he experimented with this model in various places and it worked very well.
• The jobs that were available during the 1920s and 1930s have been taken over by machines or they don't exist anymore.
• He says we need to change our view from a 'just in case type of learning to a 'just in time type of learning.
• He also believes that we need to move away from the idea of schooling, where everyone is in the same place, at the same time, learning the same thing.
• We need to move towards a more flexible model, where children can learn at their own pace, and in their own time.

He concludes his ted talk by saying

• Schools need to introduce the internet in classes as a formal subject
• Introduce complex dynamical systems
• Allow the use of the internet during exams
• Divide the curriculum into three parts- necessary for life, good to know, only for exams

Power of self-organized learning

Mitra defines a Self-organizing system as “A self-organizing system is a system where a structure appears, without explicit intervention from outside."

• This experiment reveals that self-learning is possible and powerful when equipped with the right tools and access to technology.
• It shows that knowledge can be acquired in a short amount of time and that people of all ages can learn new skills if given the chance.
• Self-directed learning through technology has great potential, especially for those who are disadvantaged or lack access to traditional education.
• We learn faster in groups, and technology can provide an incredible platform that allows us to share our knowledge and ideas with others. Mitra has organized self-organized learning environments (SOLEs) in which children can learn from each other and even teach each other. This type of learning is proving to be successful in many areas, including countries with limited resources. Technology has leveled the playing field when it comes to education and given everyone a chance to learn new things.
• When children are trusted with the tools and adults only act as mentors, amazing results can be achieved.
• If you give children questions and open resources to search for their answers, they will take it from there and create innovative solutions. In Mitra's experiment children could remember later what they had searched on the internet, and this demonstrates how powerful self-learning can be.
• Furthermore, this experiment showed that children when given the opportunity, individuals can teach themselves a variety of new skills and concepts with little or no assistance.

What is Mitra's School in the Cloud idea?

Mitra dreams of building a school in the cloud. It will be a school where kids go on intellectual adventures, driven by big questions. The model he proposes is a school free of classrooms, tests, and exams, where the teacher's role is to guide and facilitate learning while providing emotional support and mentoring. Every other thing is taken care of by the cloud.

Minimally invasive education by Sugata Mitra , is a concept of learning which focuses on self-directed, interest-driven learning in an environment that contains all the necessary materials and resources. This type of education allows learners to take ownership of their own learning process, allowing them to explore topics within the context of their interests, and providing them with opportunities for open-ended discovery and experiential learning.

What can change education

• collaborative learning
• open spaces to learn
• interactive learning methods
• more hands-on approach
• incorporating new technologies into the learning process.
• online learning

Children will learn enthusiastically if given the right environment and tools. This learning approach also fosters creativity, collaboration, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking among children.

Children must be made to move away from the linear, top-down style of education which was designed for a bygone era, outdated pedagogy,  and replace it with a new, dynamic and interactive approach.

We need to encourage children to ask questions and let them try new things.

If children from the poorest of slums can learn complex subjects like computer programming and molecular biology on their own, we can certainly use this knowledge to create a better education system, and educational technology at the school level, and make sure everyone has access to quality education.

The role of teachers in the future would be as facilitators who guide students in their learning process, instead of being the source of knowledge.

Probably this would have worked if I had easy access to a computer in my school, imagine the power of self-exploration and the brilliance of the knowledge that could have been created. Therefore, we need to provide access to technology and the tools they need if we want our future generations to be able to explore and create new things. Self-learning is one of the most powerful ways in which individuals can teach themselves things without traditional instruction, and Mitra's experiment has shown us just how powerful it can be.

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