Rural connected communities: a project in online collaborative journalism

We describe a web-based collaborative educational project in an under-served rural community in Northern Thailand. The rural community enjoyed high internet connectivity via a satellite internet link installed as part of a larger research endeavor directed by Seymour Papert. Project Lighthouse is exploring the role of computers in educational reform throughout Thailand. The goal of this particular pilot project was to help villagers of all ages and backgrounds gain technological fluency, cultivate a sense of ownership and mastery, and develop knowledge and pride about their cultural heritage and history while creating an on-line magazine for their village. The constructionist methodology guided our work and helped people to view themselves not only as consumers but also as producers of information. The project employed a software environment named Pluto, an authoring tool specially designed at the MIT Media Lab to support community-based collaborative electronic publishing.