Building Organizational Capacity for A/B Testing in EdTech

• In Event: A/B testing: Structured learning and iteration for program improvement in education

Proposal

In this session, Innovations for Poverty Action's Right-Fit Evidence Unit will present our approach to helping EdTech organizations transform their existing data and technology infrastructure into engines for continuous program improvement through A/B testing. Drawing from our partnerships with Colombian EdTech platforms, we will demonstrate how organizations can leverage their digital advantages—automated data collection, real-time user analytics, and rapid deployment capabilities—to embed rigorous experimentation into their operations. Our presentation will showcase how EdTechs can systematically ask the question "which version works better and more cost-effectively?" by building on the technological assets they already possess.

We will share practical frameworks for identifying and prioritizing what to test through a cost-effectiveness lens, focusing on critical levers that EdTech platforms are uniquely positioned to optimize like reach, efficacy, and efficiency. Through concrete examples from our partner organizations, we will illustrate how EdTechs can use their existing monitoring systems to track not just usage metrics but early outcome indicators that may signal whether interventions are achieving their intended impact.

The implications for the sector are significant: By building internal capacity for A/B testing, EdTech organizations can generate causal evidence about what version of their program works, often within weeks. Importantly, we will address the critical capability gaps that prevent many organizations from adopting these methods—from technical infrastructure to statistical expertise—and present pathways for EdTechs at different stages of maturity to begin their experimentation journey, ultimately contributing to a more evidence-driven and rapidly improving education technology ecosystem.

Author

• Andres Parrado, Right-Fit Evidence Advisory Unit @Innovations for Poverty Action