From New Zealand to Mongolia:
Co-Designing and Deploying a Digital Library for
the World's Children

Allison Druin
Benjamin B. Bederson
Anne Rose
Ann Weeks
Human-Computer Interaction Lab
University of Maryland

Citation: Druin, Allison, Benjamin B. Bederson, Anne Rose and Ann Weeks (2009). "From New Zealand to Mongolia: Co-Designing and Deploying a Digital Library for the World's Children." Children, Youth and Environments 19 (1): 34-57. Retrieved [date] from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/

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Abstract

There has been an explosion of Internet users throughout the world.  Low-cost computing options are now emerging for developing countries that are changing the world’s educational landscape.  Given these conditions, there is a critical need to understand the obstacles and opportunities in designing and deploying technologies for children worldwide.  This paper discusses seven years of strategies and methods learned in co-designing and deploying the International Children’s Digital Library (www.childrenslibrary.org) with children in multiple countries.  Our experience with iterative, international co-design and developing world deployment shows that acquiring site-specific knowledge is critical to adapting the methods needed for success.  In the case of co-design, a combination of face-to-face and email collaboration is important for building on-going partnerships.  With deployment activities, it is important to be prepared for the unexpected—managing complex technologies in rural settings is very difficult.  The more site-specific knowledge that can be acquired the more likely there will be a successful outcome.

Keywords: children, educational technology, design methods, digital libraries, co-design