How Can Decision-Makers Assess EdTech Interventions for Cost-Effectiveness to Enable Better Investments?

This Learning Brief is part of the EdTech Hub Learning Brief Series, providing practical resources for people working to improve the use of technology in education. In this brief, we look at how decision-makers should consider cost-effectiveness when contemplating investing in EdTech programmes. Cost-effectiveness is a critically important consideration for anyone planning investments in EdTech, but it is also a complex one, which requires understanding the total cost of an intervention and comparing it against the likely impact on education. We draw on work from EdTech Hub and other prominent researchers to distil key practical insights for decision-makers on how to apply cost-effectiveness analysis to their decision-making. Practical considerations include recommendations on gathering the right data for analysis; ensuring cost calculations are holistic; leveraging existing frameworks and tools for cost and impact calculations; and ensuring that comparisons are made against non-tech interventions as well as the broader resource envelope available for education to determine affordability in a given context. Finally, we explore areas where additional work is needed, including an increased understanding of the challenges faced by decision-makers in considering cost-effectiveness and the need for greater transparency and accountability in cost-effectiveness analysis in the sector. Keywords Cost-effectiveness; EdTech; education policy; total cost of implementation; affordability; Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org/

DOI: 10.53832/edtechhub.1018 ZenodoArchiveID: 10837295 ZenodoArchiveConcept: 10837294