UDL to improve literacy in school and community settings: lessons learned from leveraging EdTech in Africa and Asia

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO argues that education systems should always ensure that learners’ interests are placed at the center and that digital technologies are used to support an education based on human interaction rather than aiming at substituting it.
To ensure that learner’s interests are at the forefront, especially the most vulnerable learners, testing and implementation of EdTech innovations in education programming must be guided by the three main principles of the Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDL) (Rose, 2001). UDL is a practical, research-based approach for educators that meets the variable and individual needs of all learners through designing inclusive goals, methods, materials and assessments. and creating learning environments that reduce barriers to learning for all learners.

Engagement: Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners’ interests, challenge them appropriately and motivate them to learn.
Representation: Multiple means of information representation to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge.
Action and Expression: Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know. (Meyer, Rose & Gordon, 2014)

The UDL 3.0 updated guidelines also address systemic barriers to learning, the critical role of context, and the impact of social dynamics. This includes emphasizing the importance of playful learning approaches, cultivation of socio-emotional skills, consideration of cultural context and intersectional identities, and addressing systemic biases and exclusionary practices in classroom teaching and learning (Gordon, ed. 2024). These components are highly relevant in the holistic approach WV takes in its education programming, with the goal of transforming and reducing barriers to learning and supporting learner agency.

Many of World Vision’s 100 national offices have tested approaches to integrating Education Technology (EdTech) to enhance literacy programming and specifically, WV’s Unlock Literacy model. World Vision recognizes that technology is a means to improve learning and address learning gaps, not an end in itself. We use three questions to help determine if integrating EdTech is appropriate in a given context:

Does the tool provide access to a child who was previously unable to access a WV program, content or learning goal?
Does the tool lower the cost of delivering quality learning programs to a child or a group of vulnerable children?
Does the tool exponentially improve learning outcomes as compared to the status quo?

World Vision supports learning in a number of ways ranging from education systems, to schools and classrooms, to communities and homes. Our education programs are implemented in 42 countries working with EdTech partners, local implementers, and research organizations to explore innovation in EdTech by engaging with communities and Ministries of Education to support technological interventions in various settings including:

In School: Teacher Training and Professional Development;
In School: Student Access to curriculum and reading practice;
In the Community: Student Access to Supplementary reading materials in languages they use and understand, both in school and in community reading clubs;
In the Home: Parental use of reading materials to support their children’s reading at home.

In this panel, we explore three case studies from World Vision programs focusing on what has worked, what challenges were encountered and recommendations for future integration of technology in learning:

Learning Toolkit+: Abracadabra/Concordia University (Rwanda/Kenya)
Safe Schools Program (Philippines)
T365 Digital Books & Nepal READS (Malawi/Nepal)

The panel will focus on sharing practical examples of what worked and what did not by answering the following questions:
What interventions had the greatest impact on learning outcomes?
What challenges did you encounter?
What solutions or adaptations or lessons learned are relevant for others?

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Nancy Del Col, World Vision Canada

Individual Presentations

• Learning Toolkit+: Abracadabra/Concordia University (Rwanda/Kenya) - Anne Wade, Concordia University

• Safe Schools Program (Philippines) - Haein Park, World Vision Korea