Bandarban Sandbox: Needs assessment and hypothesis development

The Covid-19 pandemic has catalysed the need for technology-enhanced education globally. This is no different in Bangladesh, where the Education Section of the UNICEF Bangladesh Country Office is seeking a better understanding of the role and potential of EdTech to improve numeracy skills among the most marginalised learners, working closely with the government and EdTech Hub to identify how EdTech can best be harnessed to support learning in Bangladesh. This partnership uses the sandbox approach — which provides a space for partners to test and grow ideas in conditions of uncertainty — to test how EdTech modalities that aim to improve numeracy outcomes for Grade 6 learners (early secondary) in Bandarban, one of the most remote areas of Bangladesh, can be used most effectively by learners and educators. This report outlines the process and findings from the needs assessment and hypothesis development phase. These findings (as well as the data collection which informs them) are organised around five research questions developed by EdTech Hub in partnership with Agami Education Foundation, the implementing agency for the sandbox. The findings of the research were distributed in themes that outlined the availability and utilisation of technology and a valid level of knowledge and interest in teachers and students towards using technology for education. While some findings shed light on the technical aspects of the context, some human factors also played a role in resisting the acceptance of technology in education. Building on the learning from this needs assessment phase, Agami Education Foundation and EdTech Hub have agreed to test this implementation plan in the upcoming staggered deployment phase. Keywords: EdTech; sandbox; numeracy; Bandarban; Bangladesh; UNICEF An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org

DOI: 10.53832/edtechhub.0103