Building an evidence-driven future for EdTech in low- and middle-income countries: insights from an implementation research portfolio

• In Event: Is the tone changing on uses of technology in education? The 2023 GEM report one year on

Proposal

For the last five years, EdTech Hub has been at the leading-edge of a movement for evidence-driven EdTech across low- and middle-income countries, working closely with a wide range of governments, conducting leading-edge research on large-scale EdTech interventions, to understand what really works in using technology to improve education and how this is affected by both context and cost (Hollow and Jefferies 2022). The presentation will combine analysis of the GEM report with recent evidence from the last 12 months of EdTech Hub work - providing practical examples on the shifts taking place across the sector.

Verna Lalbeharie, Executive Director of EdTech Hub, will share insights on ‘what works, why, and how’ when working to embed evidence-based practices within government decision-making on EdTech. The presentation will include a snapshot from three large-scale research studies currently approaching completion, each of which demonstrate the way in which implementation research in EdTech can be used to improve how technology is used in education. These are: how implementation research is helping to inform how technology is used in in-service teacher professional development reform in Tanzania, through working in collaboration with government and other partners (Koomar et al 2023); how Digital Personalised Learning in Kenya is being used to help pre-primary learners from marginalised communities to more quickly develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills; and how data-driven decision-making in Sierra Leone is helping the government strengthen its approach to teacher allocation, leading to increased motivation across the workforce and ultimately better education for children (Beoku-Betts 2023).

In closing, the presentation will provide a simple framework for helping busy leaders make good evidence-based decisions in EdTech. This framework is closely aligned with the recommendations of the GEM report, and helps ensure that the audience can put these recommendations into practice in their work - as education researchers, policy-makers and implementers.

Author

• Verna Lynn Lalbeharie, EdTech Hub