Making Digital Learning Work from offline servers to AI powered content - lessons from implementation research in humanitarian and development settings

Group Submission Type: Refereed Roundtable Session

Proposal

Children need the foundational skills of reading and writing to engage in school and life. Increasingly however for children to benefit fully and safely, from the technologies that increasingly power the present and future of their societies, they also need to build digital skills. Digital skills are critical to enter the world of work, to protect their rights and wellbeing, and to engage constructively as local and global citizens. And yet, the development of digital skills and the use of digital technologies in classrooms and education more broadly is still seen as a luxury. This disparity of who has access to digital learning is causing a widening digital divide that without action will likely widen inequities in learning and opportunities especially in the global south. As the world moves into a digital age, we must learn how to leverage technology to support learning for all children, including children with disabilities, children from low-income areas, and those in rural areas without access to devices or connectivity.
This panel discussion will delve into the tangible findings from completed and ongoing implementation research on the use of digital learning for marginalized children from challenging contexts. The panel will present recent research on digital learning that has been conducted by UNICEF Innocenti across a diverse set of digital learning programmes. This research covers a variety of educational contexts, providing a nuanced understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and how educators and policymakers can overcome barriers to effectively implement digital learning.

Presentation 1 – Digital Learning Offline in West Africa, evidence from Ghana and Guinea
First the panel will explore the use of offline servers for digital learning. A representative from the Ministry of Education in Ghana will present on the experience of developing a digital learning system designed for schools with low / no connectivity, drawing on lessons from recently completed implementation research, in Ghana and Guinea-Conakry. The research shows the experience of teachers, learners, administrators, and policy makers to create a digital learning systems, where schools face major issues of connectivity and infrastructure.

Presentation 2 – Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to create Accessible Digital Textbooks for Inclusive Learning in Uruguay
Second the panel will present evidence on how AI tools can be used to accelerate the development of accessible digital content for children with disabilities. A representative from government partner Ceibal in Uruguay will present key findings going through this process for UNICEFs Accessible Digital Textbooks Initative. In many parts of the world, children with disabilities face significant challenges in accessing quality education, and digital tools hold great promise for bridging these gaps. By examining the potential of AI to create and adapt content quickly and effectively, the panel will provide insights into how technology can be leveraged to ensure inclusivity in education.

Presentation 3 - Making digital learning work in classrooms the experience from implementation research in 12 countries.
Third, the panel will present findings from research from twelve countries who have implemented digital learning in classrooms. With Implementation research exploring the processes and tools that teachers, school leaders, governments and partners took to ensure that digital learning was a success in classrooms from diverse contexts including Mauritania, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Greece, and Italy.
Overall, this session will serve as a crucial conversation for educators, policymakers, and researchers looking to advance digital learning in challenging contexts. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges that digital learning presents, and how to implement solutions that are both innovative and grounded in real-world evidence.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Organizer

• Thomas Dreesen, UNICEF

Chair

• Thomas Dreesen, UNICEF

Individual Presentations

• Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to create Accessible Digital Textbooks for Inclusive Learning in Uruguay - Aldo Rodriguez, ANEP; Marta Carnelli; Mauro Carballo Rodriguez, Ceibal

• Making digital learning work in classrooms the experience from implementation research in 12 countries. - Thomas Dreesen, UNICEF