Leveraging EdTech to improve teaching practices and student outcomes in developing countries

• In Event: Challenges of digital interventions and practical solutions for teachers and classrooms in resource constrained communities

Proposal

EdTech has been gaining significant traction in transforming India’s education system. Both public and private education systems are increasingly adopting EdTech to improve teacher training, enhance system efficiency and accountability, and ultimately boost classroom instruction and learning outcomes. Educational Initiatives (Ei) has been at the forefront of this transformation with its Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) solution, Mindspark, which supports Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) at scale. Mindspark offers tailored instruction and remediation for students while providing teachers with data-driven insights to inform their teaching.

Mindspark has been successfully deployed in diverse public-sector environments, ranging from well-resourced states like Andhra Pradesh to more challenging contexts such as Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in India as well as countries in Africa. Through partnerships with organizations such as J-PAL and the Quality Education India Development Impact Bond, Ei has generated substantial evidence of Mindspark’s effectiveness in improving student outcomes.

Ei’s fieldwork revealed that, although teachers have access to computer labs, the technology is often left unused. Many educators are unsure how to effectively integrate it into their teaching practices. These challenges arise from the top-down implementation approach of EdTech, which often overlooks the needs, concerns, and motivations of on-ground stakeholders such as teachers and school administrators.

To further understand and address these challenges, Ei has conducted extensive research, which involved ethnographic research, where teachers, principals, and government officials were interviewed and observed to understand their perceptions of PAL, the barriers they face in its adoption, and the support they need to incorporate EdTech into their pedagogy effectively. This was followed up with another phase of research built on ethnographic insights, whereby conducting A/B tests, Ei has been experimenting with strategies to optimize teacher engagement and improve student outcomes (by making the system more actionable and teacher-friendly). Ei will present preliminary findings from this research during the panel discussion.

The discussion will also highlight lessons learned from the on-ground implementation of Mindspark in low-resource settings over the past decade, as well as findings from the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted by J-PAL in both Delhi and Rajasthan. In Delhi, students using Mindspark in after-school centers showed significant improvements in both math and Hindi scores, with gains of 0.37 and 0.23 standard deviations, respectively, over a short period. A follow-up RCT in Rajasthan confirmed similar results, demonstrating the program’s ability to scale across various educational contexts and its effectiveness in addressing learning gaps, particularly for lower-performing students.

Ei’s discussion aligns with the theme of CIES 2025, "Envisioning Education in a Digital Society," by addressing the urgent need for scalable, effective digital solutions like Mindspark in underserved regions. The panel will provide actionable strategies and insights for leveraging EdTech to improve teaching practices, student outcomes, and the overall effectiveness of public education systems in developing contexts.

Author

• Paul Flowerman, Educational Initiatives