Resolving User Contradictions through Fieldwork

Kentaro ToyamaMicrosoft Research India

IJCAI Tutorial on ICT for DevelopmentJanuary 6, 2007, Hyderabad

Individual

Group

Interdisciplinary ResearchAishwarya Lakshmi Ratan

–Public Administration and International Development

Jonathan Donner– Communications

Nimmi Rangaswamy– Social Anthropology

Rajesh Veeraraghavan–Computer Science and Economics

Indrani Medhi– Design

Kentaro ToyamaKentaro Toyama– Computer ScienceComputer Science

Randy Wang

Udai Singh PawarUdai Singh Pawar

–

–

Computer Science

PhysicsPhysics

Society

Innovation

Understanding

Impa

ct

Innovation

Understanding

Impa

ct

Technology

Computers in Agriculture

Rural Microfinance and IT Rural Kiosk Entrepreneurs

Multimouse for Education Digital Study Hall

IT and MicroentrepreneursGovernment and Kiosks

Udai Singh PawarAssistant Researcher

Randy WangResearcher

Jonathan DonnerResearcher

Aishwarya Lakshmi RatanAssociate Researcher

Nimmi RangaswamyAssociate Researcher

Rajesh VeeraraghavanAssociate Researcher

Renee KuriyanResearch Intern

Information ecology of small businesses in developing markets

Multiple mice to multiply the value of PCs in schools.

DVD exchange over postal service and TVs as display for rural education

Study on the challenges and uniqueness of rural kiosk entrepreneurs

Experiments with computing and communication systems in agriculture

The state’s role in rural kiosk projects, with a focus on Kerala and Andhra

Text-Free UI

Indrani MedhiAssistant Researcher

UIs without text for users who are illliterate and may never have seen a computer before

Can computers help existing structures for rural microfinance?

Sample ProjectsMSR India:

Technology for Emerging Markets

Importance of Fieldwork… to resolve contradictory issues:

• Resistance to new technology – But computers have glamour

• Poverty systemic and multi-dimensional– But households functional

• Stark lack of money– But willing to spend

• Information critical…– But rarely the bottleneck

• Computing needs are minimal– But there are opportunities!

Resistance to Technology…Many factors inhibit use of

technology:

• High cost

• Reluctance to depart from habits and traditions

• Fear of breaking technology

• Lack of awareness of technology’s functional value

• Barriers of education or literacyA child trying to explain to

her mother what is on a laptop screen.

But, Computers have GlamourExamples of interest in computing

technology:

• Retention rates at schools rise when the school has PCs.

• Rural PC kiosk owners see a rise in their confidence and status in community.

• Office service staff eager to learn about PCs and how to use them.

These examples have little to do with computer function.

A kiosk operator running a near Tiruvallur, Tamil

Nadu

Poverty is Systemic…Stable system makes escape

difficult:

• Lack of money means lack of time to do anything other than survive.

• Lack of time means less time for education.

• Lack of education means fewer job opportunities.

• Lack of job opportunities means lack of money.

“Shocks” to household create downward spiral, and there are always shocks:

• Health problem requires loan• Loan incurs interest• Interest payments prevent capital

accumulation

A government-sponsored mid-day meal in a Tamil

Nadu school.

But, Households still Functional“Good enough” solutions exist:

• Credit: All kinds of loans available

• Healthcare: Traditional medicines, primary healthcare services

• Agriculture information: agriculture extension, word of mouth, salesmenA kiosk operator running

a near Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

Persistent Lack of Money…

Bangalore guideline for 45 minutes of housework a day: Rs. 150 (US$3)… per month!

Typical daily wage for agricultural labor: Rs. 60 per day (US$1.33; Rs. 30 for women)

Public-school teacher’s salary varies from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 8000 (US$67-178) per month.

Teachers on a school trip in Karnataka

But, Willingness to SpendLuxury and aspirational

consumption not unusual:

• Weddings costing Rs. 1 lakh (US$2200) in rural villages not infrequent (cf., avg. per capita GDP of ~US$700)

• Mobile phone ring tones popular even at Rs. 10 (US$0.20) per song

• Photography services to “enhance” photos popular. Cost range from Rs. 100 to Rs. 600 (US$2-12)

A Photoshop’ed photo of a village bride (Maharashtra)

Information is Critical…General lack of information hampers

quality of life:

• Hygiene and healthcare knowledge shallow or superstitious

• Poor fundamental and vocational education impedes career growth

• Very practical knowledge not readily available:– Government schemes for the

poor– Job information– Value of savings and investment

A 12-year-old enrolled in typing lessons at a rural

PC kiosk

But, Information not the BottleneckAccess to information not the

problem:

• Physical transfer of goods/cash often required. Transport infrastructure is poor.

• Levels of formal education very low, even with literacy. Education required to distinguish good information from bad.

• Other factors…– No faith in information source– Lack of time or money– Rigid mindsets

A petty shop owner in Tamil Nadu

Computing Needs Minimal…

Information processing rarely required…

• Little use of documents, charts, spreadsheets.

• Paper , pen, and manual calculation difficult to out-do:– Low cost– Lightweight, durable– Additional training not required

But, Technology can Help!

To draw interest of community.

To process and analyze aggregate data.

To streamline or improve existing processes.

Focus group on a potential technology-for-agriculture

project

Conclusions

Removal of preconceptions is the primary value of fieldwork.

General lessons are difficult to draw; contradictions abound.

Fieldwork helps to identify the specific constraints that apply to a given domain or application. School boys near Bhopal,

Madhya Pradesh