Socio-Technical Insights Deploying Rural Solar Computer Housings for Informal Learning and Information Access

The deployment, maintenance, monitoring and long-term support of information and computing solutions in rural and under-resourced environments requires innovative thinking and an integrated approach to addressing the multi-faceted challenges of such an undertaking. This paper presents recent developments and ongoing challenges faced after an extensive period of real-world interactions with multiple solar-powered computer housing deployments in rural South African communities. The solar housings are complex cross-disciplinary socio-technical systems providing a versatile digital library and physical access to computer terminals. Technical, social, and external challenges need to be understood and overcome for the installations to have a meaningful impact on the communities. Examples from field deployments are described in order to highlight lessons learned and corrective actions that could be implemented to reduce socio-technical difficulties in both existing and subsequent deployments.

1. Introduction

Acquiring basic computer skills training with access to educational content and digital literacy tools is important to people in almost every sector of society. This is especially challenging in rural and under-serviced communities. The e-Government impact area of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in partnership with a South African Government Department, has been deploying information and communication technologies (ICTs) in remote South African communities since the early 2000s. One aspect of this initiative is the installation of Solar-powered “Digital Doorway” housings or “DDs”. The long-term goal is to progress beyond basic computer literacy and contribute to the effective utilisation of digital technology in the community. “What is most important about ICTs is not so much the availability of the computing device... but rather people's ability to make use of that device and line to engage in meaningful social practices” [1]. Studies have concluded that a major benefit of the digital library aspect of the DD installations is in short-term educational support in the form of school-related research [2].