Strengthening educational technologies’ use and policies in Africa towards inclusive learning: Edtech Africa hub

 

Technologies applied to the school environment have long held promise for educational improvement in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, good and impartial evidence on the impact of education technology in developing countries is in short supply. This hinders LMICs´ ability to make informed decisions about the use of EdTech in response to local education needs. In addition, educators’ capacities to use these technologies need to be strengthened. Moreover, policy environments need to be ripe for these technologies to succeed within national education systems. Lastly, particular attention is needed to ensure that EdTech benefits those most vulnerable and enhances gender equality throughout its design, implementation and scaling.

This project aims to strengthen the capacities of key educational stakeholders, particularly technical teams within ministries of education (MOEs), to improve learning outcomes and expand access for vulnerable students by adequately assessing, adopting and scaling proven educational technology innovations and fostering the development of policies that enable Edtech to thrive and deliver on its promise.

Activities envisioned include the selection and deployment of Edtech evidence fellows from African research organizations to work with technical teams within MOEs in Kenya, Senegal and Malawi to generate evidence and co-design policy frameworks on Edtech. This work will progressively expand to two more countries in the region. Rapid-response mechanisms in the form of on-demand technical assistance (Help Desks) to address specific queries by national education systems on Edtech is also envisioned. Furthermore, a community of practice across diverse education stakeholders will be established to support and position research results in strategic national and regional fora.