CREATE: Opportunities for Technology Appropriation

The “Create” research program proposes a holistic model for learning environments that draws from experiences based on technologically saturated environments. This paper presents the first pilot experience of the research program, which implemented a one-to-one computer infrastructure in a small rural community in Costa Rica. While the majority of experiences have been done in developed countries, the experience in Costa Rica is the first to concretely look at the idea of using one to one computer infrastructure in a developing country, and to analyze its implications. The case study of this experience will be used to suggest that "appropriation" is the most powerful theoretical lens for studying the effects of the computer presence in learning environments. The details of the model, the case study, and some examples that illustrate the students’ appropriation of technology are described.