The XOs have been in the field now for several years, and the numbers are starting to come in. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be working – at least not well enough to justify the expense.
The Economist called the project "a disappointing return from an investment," noting that after Peru put $225 million of XO laptops in the field, an Inter-American Development Bank study found no measurable improvement in math, reading, motivation or time spent on homework. Specifically, the study found that "although many countries are aggressively implementing the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program, there is a lack of empirical evidence on its effects." |
