Evidence needs to be at the heart of $300 billion global edtech industry - Jacobs Foundation (Jacobs Foundation, 2022)
The Jacobs Foundation calls for a “culture shift”. This follows the launch of a global CHF 40 million initiative for greater collaboration between investors, edtech companies, and premier research institutions to help bridge the gap between research and edtech.

Personalized education and artificial intelligence in United States, China, and India: A systematic review using a Human-In-The-Loop model - Bhutoria, Aditi (Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2022)
The traditional “one size fits all” education system has been largely criticized in recent years on the ground of its lacking the capacity to meet individual student needs. Global education systems are leaning towards a more personalized, student-centered approach. Innovations like Big Data, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have given the modern-day technology to accommodate the distinctive features of human beings - smart machines and computers have been built to understand individual-specific needs. This opens an avenue for “personalization” in the education sector. From, mushrooming of Education Technology (EdTech) start-ups to government funding in AI research, it is evident that the next generation educational reforms would take a quantum leap forward piloted by Big Data analysis and AI. The objective of this paper is to organize the vast literature on the use of AI for personalization of education and to shed light on the key themes by which an AI-driven approach makes structural modifications to the existing education system. To this effect, the paper employed a systematic review using a Human-In-The-Loop natural language processing model of past two years' literature (2019–2021) in English language from IEEE Xplore on countries China, India and the USA. This process yielded more than 2000 search results at first and these were eventually shortlisted to 353 relevant papers for in-depth analysis. Being the pioneers in EdTech innovations, insights from research done in these three countries provides valuable input for the development of global education systems and research. The findings bring forward AI's success in catering to specific learning requirements, learning habits, and learning abilities of students and guiding them into optimized learning paths across all three countries. Not just that, it is also evident from the literature that AI augments educational content, customizes it for any individual according to their needs, and raises the flag of caution for anticipated learning difficulties. This recalibrates the role of instructors as well as optimizes the teaching-learning environment for a better learning experience. The upward trajectory of educational development with AI opens a new horizon of personalized education for the future generation, but also comes with its challenges. Data privacy issues, availability of digital resources, and affordability constraints have been reported in the recent literature as impediments in the way of promoting such technologies for day-to-day practice.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Big data; China; India; Personalized education; USA; _genre:LR-literature_review

The More You Know, the Less You Stress: Menstrual Health Literacy in Schools Reduces Menstruation-Related Stress and Increases Self-Efficacy for Very Young Adolescent Girls in Mexico - Long, Jeanne L.; Haver, Jacquelyn; Mendoza, Pamela; Vargas Kotasek, Selvia M. (Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2022)
Improving the menstrual health literacy of girls and boys is a key strategy within a holistic framework of Save the Children's school health and comprehensive sexuality education programming. As menstrual health is an emerging area of study and programming, Save the Children continues to learn and adjust its interventions using program evaluations and rigorous monitoring. This paper will examine program-monitoring data from three cohorts, representing 47 public schools in Mexico City, Puebla, and Mérida, Mexico. The study focuses on female students in 5th and 6th grade who participated in We See Equal, a school-based program centered on gender equality and puberty education, between September 2018 and December 2019. This study used a cross-sectional quantitative cohort approach to document changes in girls' experiences and perceptions around managing menstruation in school. The analysis compares girls' knowledge and experiences before and after participation in We See Equal to understand how knowledge changes over the program and how those changes may contribute to menstruation-related school engagement, stress, and self-efficacy (MENSES) outcomes. Multivariate regression models explored relationships between MENSES outcomes, knowledge and socioeconomic status (SES). Overall, results show that the more knowledge girls acquired, the higher their self-efficacy score and the lower their stress score, however, certain MHH knowledge was more predictive of MENSES outcomes and varied by SES. Among girls from lower SES, we observed significant relationships between knowing what their period was prior to menarche and the three MENSES outcomes. Decreases in menstruation-related stress were driven by items related to the practical knowledge of how to dispose of sanitary pads and reduced feelings of nervousness on days they had their period at school. Increases in self-efficacy were primarily driven by girls' confidence in their ability to track their period from month to month, feelings that they could still do well on an exam if they had their period at school, and security that they could ask a friend to lend them a pad if they needed one. Implications for future menstrual health literacy programming and targeting populations for menstrual health education, as well as priorities for future research will be discussed.

Reading Audrey Watters: A reflection on personalised learning via education technology through a decolonial lens - Sarwar, Moizza Binat (EdTech Hub, 2022)
At EdTech Hub, we’ve been reflecting on how coloniality is embedded in the work we do: from the colonial roots of the international development sector, to colonial practices embedded in research methods, to “core-to-periphery” design and deployment of EdTech interventions.

Engaging in Pakistan’s EdTech Ecosystem: A strategy for UNICEF's engagement in the technology-facilitated learning arena in Pakistan - EdTech Hub Team (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

Do Behavioral Nudges Work Under Remote Learning? Evidence from Brazil During the Pandemic - Lichand, Guilherme; Christen, Julien; van Egeraat, Eppie (Social Science Research Network, 2022)
Behavioral nudges have been shown to increase student attendance and grades across a variety of settings. In low- and middle-income countries, these effects are often mediated by parents showing up in school to a greater extent, ultimately monitoring teachers more closely. As such, could nudges improve educational outcomes even under remote learning? In particular, could they prevent at least part of the dramatic learning losses in the context of COVID-19, which left billions of children around the world without in-person classes? We study this question using a cluster-randomized control trial with 18, 256 students across 87 high schools in the State of Goiás, Brazil. We find that motivational nudges sent through text messages to students or their caregivers under remote learning significantly increased standardized test scores relative to the control group, preventing 7.5% of learning losses in math and 24% in Portuguese. Additional experiments that varied the content of nudges at the student level illustrate the opportunities and challenges of using behavioral insights to motivate students in the context of remote learning.
Keywords: COVID-19; Learning Losses; Nudges; Remote Learning

Iniciativas para el desarrollo de habilidades CTIM de las adolescentes en la región de LAC - Villavicencio, Xuzel; Myers, Christina; Coflan, Caitlin (EdTech Hub, 2022)
El presente documento se elaboró en respuesta a una solicitud de la oficina de UNICEF en Argentina presentada al Servicio de Asistencia de EdTech Hub en noviembre de 2021. El equipo de UNICEF solicitó una lista seleccionada de iniciativas para el desarrollo de habilidades en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas (CTIM) de las adolescentes de la región de América Latina y el Caribe (LAC). El documento ofrece una introducción al concepto de igualdad de género y antecedentes acerca de la participación de las mujeres en los campos de CTIM en la región de LAC y en Argentina. El documento también ofrece una serie de recomendaciones transversales basadas en las iniciativas analizadas. Palabras clave: STEM; Género;CTIM; LAC; Argentina; tecnología; Ciencias; igualdad de género An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: F: Helpdesk response; _r:AddedByZotZen

How to Design EdTech Programmes That Lead to Gender-Transformative Change - Samuels, Fiona; Leon-Himmelstine, Carmen; Marcus, Rachel; Myers, Christina (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This paper outlines how EdTech programming can adopt a gender-transformative approach to improve gender equity in access and learning outcomes. It explains what the term ‘gender-transformative change’ means, and why it is needed. Some key dimensions of gender-transformative approaches in the specific context of EdTech initiatives are outlined, looking at how different approaches can enhance access to education and learning opportunities and improve outcomes, and challenge discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes. Based on a desk review of grey and published materials, this paper then presents and discusses insights from the approaches taken by four EdTech programmes. Keywords: EdTech; gender-transformative; country case studies; education; girls’ education An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

An Analysis of COVID-19 Student Learning Loss - Patrinos, Harry Anthony; Vegas, Emiliana; Carter-Rau, Rohan (World Bank, 2022)
COVID-19 caused significant disruption to the global education system. Early reviews of the first wave of lockdowns and school closures suggested significant learning loss in a few countries. A more recent and thorough analysis of recorded learning loss evidence documented since the beginning of the school closures between March 2020 and March 2022 finds even more evidence of learning loss. Most studies observed increases in inequality where certain demographics of students experienced more significant learning losses than others. But there are also outliers, countries that managed to limit the amount of loss. This review aims to consolidate all the available evidence and documents the empirical findings. Thirty-six robust studies were identified, the majority of which find learning losses on average amounting to 0.17 of a standard deviation, equivalent to roughly a one-half year’s worth of learning. These findings confirm that learning loss is real and significant, even compared to the first year of the pandemic. Further work is needed to increase the quantity of studies produced, and to ascertain the reasons for learning loss and in a few cases mitigation of loss.
Keywords: Coronavirus Impact on Learning; Covid-19 Student Learning Loss; Education; Education Disruption; Educational Inequality; Human Capital Accumulation; Learning Inequality; Pandemic Education Impact; Remote Learning Quality; School Lockdowns; Systematic Education Review

When teachers are asked to deploy other teachers, we learn a lot about teacher preferences - McBurnie, Chris; Godwin, Katie; Bernard-Jones, Lydia (EdTechHub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

Using technology to improve the equity of teacher allocation in Sierra Leone: the challenge and a way forward - McBurnie, Chris; Vijil, Alejandra; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

DRAFT Technical Report: Impacts of a 2-year EdTech program on early primary learning in Malawi amid disruptions due to COVID-19 - Imagine Worldwide (2022)

When teachers are asked to deploy other teachers, we learn a lot about teacher preferences - McBurnie, Chris; Godwin, Katie; Bernard-Jones, Lydia; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
In Sierra Leone, the availability of facilities such as electricity and water strongly influences the preferences of some teachers. Here, we found that several teachers wanted to relocate to areas where they could access better working conditions, more transportation options, and a wider range of things to do in their free time.

Learning and working in the digital age: Advancing opportunities and identifying the risks - Goger, Annelies; Parco, Allyson; Vegas, Emiliana (Brookings, 2022)
Annelies Goger, Allyson Parco, and Emiliana Vegas provide a high-level map of the landscape of education and labor market innovations in formal and informal education.

Home Schooling during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Assessment of Malaysia’s PdPR Program - Asadullah, Niaz (Asian Development Bank, 2022)
The majority of homeschoolers in Malaysia prefer to return to on-site education once schools reopen.

Telementoring and homeschooling during school closures: A randomized experiment in rural Bangladesh - Hassan, Hashibul; Islam, Asad; Siddique, Abu; Wang, Liang Choon (SocArXiv, 2022)
Using a randomized controlled experiment in 200 Bangladeshi villages, we evaluate the impact of over-the-phone mentoring and homeschooling support delivered by volunteers on the learning outcomes of primary school children during school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The telementoring program improved the learning outcomes of treated children by 0.75 SD and increased homeschooling involvement of treated mothers by 0.64 SD. The impacts on learning are driven primarily by the direct mentoring of children and to some extent also by the increased homeschooling involvement of mothers. Academically weaker children and households from lower socioeconomic backgrounds benefitted the most from telementoring.

Telementoring and homeschooling during school closures: A randomized experiment in rural Bangladesh - Hassan, Hashibul; Islam, Asad; Siddique, Abu; Wang, Liang Choon (SocArXiv, 2022)
Using a randomized controlled experiment in 200 Bangladeshi villages, we evaluate the impact of over-the-phone mentoring and homeschooling support delivered by volunteers on the learning outcomes of primary school children during school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The telementoring program improved the learning outcomes of treated children by 0.75 SD and increased homeschooling involvement of treated mothers by 0.64 SD. The impacts on learning are driven primarily by the direct mentoring of children and to some extent also by the increased homeschooling involvement of mothers. Academically weaker children and households from lower socioeconomic backgrounds benefitted the most from telementoring.

Telementoring and homeschooling during school closures: A randomized experiment in rural Bangladesh - Hassan, Hashibul; Islam, Asad; Siddique, Abu; Wang, Liang Choon (SocArXiv, 2022)
Using a randomized controlled experiment in 200 Bangladeshi villages, we evaluate the impact of over-the-phone mentoring and homeschooling support delivered by volunteers on the learning outcomes of primary school children during school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The telementoring program improved the learning outcomes of treated children by 0.75 SD and increased homeschooling involvement of treated mothers by 0.64 SD. The impacts on learning are driven primarily by the direct mentoring of children and to some extent also by the increased homeschooling involvement of mothers. Academically weaker children and households from lower socioeconomic backgrounds benefitted the most from telementoring.

“How Dare They Peep into My Private Life?” - Han, Hye Jung (Human Rights Watch, 2022)
The 99-page report, “’How Dare They Peep into My Private Life?’: Children’s Rights Violations by Governments that Endorsed Online Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic,” is grounded in technical and policy analysis conducted by Human Rights Watch on 165 education technology (EdTech) products endorsed by 49 countries. It includes an examination of 294 companies found to have collected, processed, or received children’s data since March 2021, and calls on governments to adopt modern child data protection laws to protect children online.
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

Governments Harm Children’s Rights in Online Learning - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2022)
Governments of 49 of the world’s most populous countries harmed children’s rights by endorsing online learning products during Covid-19 school closures without adequately protecting children’s privacy.

The impacts of remote learning in secondary education during the pandemic in Brazil - Lichand, Guilherme; Doria, Carlos Alberto; Leal-Neto, Onicio; Fernandes, João Paulo Cossi (Nature Human Behaviour, 2022)
The transition to remote learning in the context of COVID-19 might have led to dramatic setbacks in education. Taking advantage of the fact that São Paulo State featured in-person classes for most of the ﬁrst school quarter of 2020, but not thereafter, we estimate the eﬀects of remote learning in secondary education using a diﬀerences-in-diﬀerences strategy that contrasts variation in students’ outcomes across diﬀerent school quarters, before and during the pandemic. We also estimate intention-to-treat (ITT) eﬀects of reopening schools in the pandemic through a triplediﬀerences strategy, contrasting changes in educational outcomes across municipalities and grades that resumed in-person classes or not over 2020’s last school quarter. We ﬁnd that, under remote learning, dropout risk increased by 365% and test scores decreased by 0.32 s.d., as if students had only learned 27.5% of the in-person equivalent. Partially resuming in-person classes increased test scores by 20% relative to the control group.

Teachers’ experiences of ICT training in Nepal: how teachers in rural primary schools learn and make progress in their ability to use ICT in classrooms - Rana, Karna; Greenwood, Janinka; Henderson, Robyn (Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2022)
This article reports on teachers’ experiences of ICT training in rural areas of Nepal. It discusses aspects of policy documents to help understand the Nepali educational context, before highlighting the challenges of establishing and maintaining infrastructure and professional learning opportunities across a country with challenging terrain and extreme environmental conditions. It then examines teachers’ perceptions in five rural primary schools about their experiences of training to use modern educational technologies in instructional activities. The findings indicate that none of the teachers received training in the use of ICT in their initial teacher education and that the Government has allowed non-governmental organisations to provide ICT infrastructure and training for rural schools and teachers. Although this is a small study, it offers insights into the gap between policy and practice and highlights the contextual challenges of Nepal’s attempts to operate on a global educational level as well as the challenges for teachers.
Keywords: ICT training; Nepal education; TPACK; rural education; teacher professional development

Livrable 5: Guide pratique pour les enseignants: comment utiliser la plateforme numérique? - Messa, Angele; Rasolohery, Hasiniavo; Koomar, Saalim (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update - Azevedo, Joao Pedro; Rogers, Halsey; Ahlgren, Ellinore; Akmal, Maryam; Cloutier, Marie-Helene; Ding, Elaine; Raza, Ahmed; Ning Wong, Yi; Montoya, Silvia; Chakroun, Borhene; Chang, Gwang-Chol; Guerriero, Sonia; et al. (The World Bank, 2022)

EdTech and Girls Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Which Intervention Types Have the Greatest Impact on Learning Outcomes for Girls? - Jordan, Katy; Myers, Christina (2022)
Gender-based inequality in access to education is an issue of global concern. The use of educational technology is often cited as a potential way to help close educational gaps and promote girls’ education. However, the existing evidence base in relation to girls’ learning outcomes when using educational technology in low-income countries is limited. The evidence base was recently boosted by a study in which findings from classic educational development studies were revisited and disaggregated by gender [7]. In this paper, we present a secondary analysis of this dataset, focusing specifically on the educational technology-focused interventions, and sourcing additional data. The analysis comprises 35 interventions, reported across 15 publications, published between 2003 and 2019.We discuss the relative efficacy of different types of educational technology interventions by comparing effect sizes of learning outcomes for girls. The findings suggest that interventions which focus on distributing hardware alone have mixed - and sometimes negative - effects on learning outcomes for girls. The impact of software-focused interventions is more positive, particularly personalised learning applications. Furthermore, we consider characteristics of the studies included in the analysis, and identify gaps in the literature which will help shape research in this field in the future.

Lessons from Kenya’s Education Reforms - World Bank (2022)

Teachers’ virtual communities of practice: A strong response in times of crisis or just another Fad? - Ghamrawi, Norma (Education and Information Technologies, 2022)
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived effectiveness of a virtual community of practice (vCoP) designed to support knowledge and expertise sharing between K-12 teachers during Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, it aimed at exploring the potential of such vCoPs in delivering effective professional development, in general, and during crisis in particular. The vCoP was developed by the researcher herself as part of a consultancy to the UNESCO. The sample included 696 participants who were members of the vCoP. The research methodology adopted was mixed methods. Quantitative data was collected through surveying; and qualitative data was collected through 8 focus group interviews each involving 6 participants. Statistical analysis was used to analyze survey data, while interviews data was analyzed using theme-based analysis. Findings showed that participants viewed vCoPs as effective tools for e-professional development in general and during crisis in particular. Facilitators and blockers confronting vCoP nourishment are presented and discussed. Discussions and conclusions are offered at the end of the study.
Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; Crisis education; Professional development; Remote education; Social networking; Virtual communities of practice

EdTech and Girls Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Which Intervention Types Have the Greatest Impact on Learning Outcomes for Girls? - Jordan, Katy; Myers, Christina (Association for Computing Machinery, 2022)
Gender-based inequality in access to education is an issue of global concern. The use of educational technology is often cited as a potential way to help close educational gaps and promote girls' education. However, the existing evidence base in relation to girls' learning outcomes when using educational technology in low-income countries is limited. The evidence base was recently boosted by a study in which findings from classic educational development studies were revisited and disaggregated by gender. In this paper, we present a secondary analysis of this dataset, focusing specifically on the educational technology-focused interventions, and sourcing additional data. The analysis comprises 35 interventions, reported across 15 publications, published between 2003 and 2019. We discuss the relative efficacy of different types of educational technology interventions by comparing effect sizes of learning outcomes for girls. The findings suggest that interventions which focus on distributing hardware alone have mixed - and sometimes negative - effects on learning outcomes for girls. The impact of software-focused interventions is more positive, particularly personalised learning applications. Furthermore, we consider characteristics of the studies included in the analysis, and identify gaps in the literature which will help shape research in this field in the future.
Keywords: educational technology; equity; gender; girls education; international development; low- and middle-income countries

Is the Movies and Mobiles intervention a smart investment? - Orozco-Olvera, Victor; Rascón-Ramírez, Ericka G. (2022)

Decolonisation of curriculum: the case of language education policy in Nepal - Poudel, Prem Prasad; Jackson, Liz; Choi, Tae-Hee (London Review of Education, 2022)
While decolonisation is usually discussed in relation to countries that were formally colonised, countries that have not been formally colonised have also faced challenges related to colonialism. In this case, it is worth considering whether decolonial theory has more widespread applicability to respond to global challenges faced in the postcolonial era. This article documents the historical trajectories of colonisation and decolonisation of the school curriculum in Nepal. Although Nepal was never formally colonised, the introduction of modern schooling in Nepal was informed by the British colonisation of India, where local languages were replaced by English in the curriculum, diminishing the value of local languages and knowledges. Against this backdrop, the Nepal government issued a series of policies supporting Nepali supremacy, but the expansion of English was not significantly challenged. Rather, the policies resulted in a double colonisation of ethnic/Indigenous languages: external colonisation by English, and internal colonisation by the Nepali language. However, significant decolonisation efforts have recently made space for minoritised languages in the curriculum. This article illustrates these colonisation and decolonisation waves, shaped by the government, local communities and other actors. Drawing on Nepal’s legislative and educational policies, the article relates language policy decisions and actions as decolonial efforts to support ethnic/Indigenous languages and explores the implications for understanding tensions around decolonisation of curriculum.

Artificial intelligence and the conduct of literature reviews - Wagner, Gerit; Lukyanenko, Roman; Paré, Guy (Journal of Information Technology, 2022)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to transform traditional research practices in many areas. In this context, literature reviews stand out because they operate on large and rapidly growing volumes of documents, that is, partially structured (meta)data, and pervade almost every type of paper published in information systems research or related social science disciplines. To familiarize researchers with some of the recent trends in this area, we outline how AI can expedite individual steps of the literature review process. Considering that the use of AI in this context is in an early stage of development, we propose a comprehensive research agenda for AI-based literature reviews (AILRs) in our field. With this agenda, we would like to encourage design science research and a broader constructive discourse on shaping the future of AILRs in research.
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024; _important-ailr-2024

Achieving gender and youth inclusivity in Malawi through Productive Alliances - Botha, Blessings (2022)
When I was young, there was a common adage “youth are the leaders of tomorrow,” and I was always looking forward, with optimism that this tomorrow will indeed come one day.

Edtech Should Be More Evidence-Driven - EdSurge News - Segura, Fabio; Sommer, Simon (EdSurge, 2022)
The $300 billion global edtech industry is full of promise – but its non-empirical approach has prevented true success

Back to the Basics: Curriculum Reform and Student Learning in Tanzania - Rodriguez-Segura, Daniel; Mbiti, Isaac (Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE), 2022)
In 2015, the Tanzanian government implemented a curriculum reform that focused instruction in Grades 1 and 2 on the “3Rs”—reading, writing, and arithmetic. Consequently, almost 80 percent of the instructional time in these grades was mandated towards foundational literacy in Kiswahili and numeracy skills. Other subjects such as English were no longer taught. Using student-level panel data, we evaluate the effect of this policy on learning outcomes using a difference-in-differences approach which leverages the variation in the timing of implementation across grade levels and cohorts impacted by the policy. We find that the policy increased learning by around 0.20 standard deviations in Kiswahili and math test scores one year after the start of the reform. Timely teacher training on the new curriculum was associated with even larger effects. Evaluating longer term outcomes, we find suggestive evidence that the reform decreased the dropout rate of children up to four years later. However, this was also accompanied with lower average passing rates in the national Grade 4 examination due to compositional changes as low-performing students became less likely to dropout.

Effective Assessment and Progress Monitoring in an Online Environment: A Study in Six Countries - T4 Education; EdTech Hub (EdTech Hub, 2022)
The study was undertaken in six countries – Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, and South Africa. The data collection involved focus group discussions with two held in each country..

Reference collection - Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

Experimental evidence on learning using low-tech when school is out - Angrist, Noam; Bergman, Peter; Matsheng, Moitshepi (Nature Human Behaviour, 2022)

Implementation of Kobo Collect in drought-affected Provinces (UNFPA Angola, 2022)
Implementation of Kobo Collect in drought-affected Provinces

COVID-19 – a boundary crossing event for teacher educators.pdf - Donitsa-Schmidt, Smadar; Ramot, Rony (Journal of Education for Teaching, 2022)

Using virtual reality to help teachers better support refugee students - Chinen, Marjorie; Oviedo, Ana María (2022)
Virtual reality (VR) offers teachers and school administrators opportunities to foster empathy and cohesion with refugee students, as is already happening through a World Bank-supported project in Türkiye.

Digitally Nudged Learning: A Nudged Gamification Study Intervention - Byrne, Jason; Ito, Takehiko; Furuyabu, Mariko (International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 2022)
The research focused on two elements of technology enhanced learning: the digital nudge and gamified online learning. The objective was to digitally nudge students towards a gamified online learning tool, thereby improving quiz test performance through a fun motivating language learning game. A mixed methods approach: the primary quasi-experimental methodology was regression discontinuity design, with a follow up survey. The findings show that few students actively participated in the fun gamified activities, yet none-the-less there was a significant 5% treatment effect afforded by the digitally nudged call to action. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of nudging students to complete L2 learning activity. It also somewhat shows the potential of gamification for voluntary engagement amongst first-year students at a Japanese university. Keywords—Digital nudge, Online learning, Gamification, L2 teaching/learning strategies.

Schools Are Looking for Evidence From Their Edtech. Are Companies Ready to Provide It? - EdSurge News - Tate, Emily (EdSurge, 2022)
Schools are awash in technology in a way never before seen, thanks to the mad dash toward digital that was prompted by the pandemic a little more than ...

Mapping EdTech interventions within the Ministry of Education of Ghana. Preliminary Data - Ampofo, Rudolph; Korboe, David; Radford, Kate; Mazari, Haani (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

How Chimple Encouraged Increase in Adoption and Engagement - Handa, Rhea (2022)
Chimple is now embarking on a journey of rigorous evaluation via a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of its teacher-led, at-home learning model in India, so that it is better prepared to be scaled up. There is an urgent need to build evidence on technology-based home-learning solutions, particularly in low-income contexts, so that we can understand what works, how it works, and whether it works at scale.

Design-Based Implementation Research Baseline Data Collection: Technical report - Koomar, Saalim; Adam, Taskeen; Massam, Winston Edward; Anthony, Gervace; Mrope, Winifrida Jacob; Mtenzi, Fredrick; Mwakabungu, Fika; Komba, Aneth; Hennessy, Sara; Barretto, Johnpaul (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This research study aims to investigate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of a tech-supported, decentralised, and school-based teacher continuous professional development (TCPD) model, to improve learning outcomes in rural Tanzanian primary schools. The research will test and iteratively improve the national TCPD model and roll-out (including the semi-structured Communities of Learning), as outlined in the Tanzanian National TCPD Implementation Plan (2021). We seek to understand the model’s effectiveness and the role that technology can play. The research team includes researchers from EdTech Hub, Aga Khan University, and the Tanzania Institute of Education. The study employs a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) approach in the first phase and an experimental study in the second phase. Keywords: teacher professional development; EdTech; design-based implementation research; Tanzania; Community of Learning; school-based An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

Data Access and Protection Laws in Pakistan: A technical review - Halim, Waqas; Upadhyay, Arjun; Coflan, Caitlin (EdTech Hub, 2022)
The advancement of technologies has supported an exponential rise in the collection and use of data. Data, when used appropriately, can support better decision-making and inform innovation. Data has value to entrepreneurs and innovators who seek to design products that respond to user needs. However, the widespread collection and use of data have also spawned concerns about individual rights and data privacy. Issues related to collection, usage, dissemination, and access to data have also come to the forefront. To address these concerns, many countries across the globe have introduced data protection laws. This policy brief identifies and analyses global best practices in data protection and data access. It is developed in response to an inquiry related to data and research in the education sector, specifically in Pakistan. The brief explores the potential practical challenges in the enforcement and implementation of global good practices in the context of the data protection environment in Pakistan; it proposes a set of key recommendations for the Government of Pakistan, provincial governments, development partners, and other education-related ministries and public departments. Keywords: Data protection (laws), good practices, data access, privacy rights, children's data, sensitive data, data-driven policy, data integration, third-party data sharing, open data, data security, data governance, encryption An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

What Matters Most for Teacher Deployment? A case study of teacher preferences in Sierra Leone - McBurnie, Chris; Godwin, Katie; Beoku-Betts, Iman; Bernard-Jones, Lydia; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _C:Sierra Leone SLE; _r:AddedByZotZen

EdTech Systems Research (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: _r:AddedByZotZen

The Relative Effectiveness of Teachers and Learning Software: Evidence from a Field Experiment in El Salvador - Büchel, Konstantin; Jakob, Martina; Kühnhanss, Christoph; Steffen, Daniel; Brunetti, Aymo (Journal of Labor Economics, 2022)

Parenting in the digital age: Attitudes, controls and limitations regarding children's use of ICT - Gür, Duygu; Türel, Yalın Kılıç (Computers & Education, 2022)
Today, with the development of technology, many possibilities are offered to users; however, these possibilities bring along some risks and threats. It is very important to ensure that users, especially teenagers, can benefit from the possibilities of technology at the highest level by minimizing the existing risks. At this point, the roles, attitudes and behaviors of parents have an important effect. The purpose of this study is to reveal the attitudes, behaviors, controls and limitations of middle school students' parents towards their children's use of information technologies. For this purpose, data were collected from parents through survey and interviews. The participants of the study consisted of 354 parents of 6th and 7th grade students from seven public schools and four private schools. The parents filled out a questionnaire. Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 volunteer parents. According to the results, parents ‘attitudes towards their children's ICT use were positive and they especially supported their use of ICT for educational purposes. However, it was revealed that parents were concerned about the possible risks and security threats that their children may encounter in virtual environments, and therefore they take precaution in order to prevent their children from possible risks by informing, controlling and limiting their children. Based on the results, while children benefit from digital opportunities, they need to prevent themselves from digital risks as well through precautions and interventions with the support of school-parent cooperation.
Keywords: Digital parenting; Information and communication technologies (ICT); Limitations; Online risks; Parental control

Hybrid learning International experiences with multimodal approaches - Villavicencio, Xuzel; Coflan, Caitlin (2022)
This slide deck was originally developed for a webinar series on blended and hybrid learning for UNICEF El Salvador and the El Salvador Ministry of Education. The online workshops were delivered in two sessions, with the teachers from El Salvador as a key part of the audience. Along with the lessons learnt from the various international initiatives mapped, subjects like the country's ICT infrastructure and the relevance of a Socio Emotional Learning (SEL) approach were also covered. Keywords: hybrid; blended; El Salvador; multimodal; teacher training; socio-emotional learning. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Blended and Hybrid Learning Initiatives: A curated list for El Salvador - Villavicencio, Xuzel; Coflan, Caitlin Moss (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This document was produced in response to a request from the UNICEF country office and Ministry of Education team of El Salvador that was submitted to the EdTech Hub Helpdesk in November 2021. The UNICEF team requested a curated list of global blended and hybrid initiatives with a focus on initiatives that have used a multimodal strategy, highlighting effective and ineffective practices. This report does not aim to cover every leading and innovative blended / hybrid initiative with relevance to the Salvadoran context. Rather, it presents a list of curated resources with examples of challenges, lessons learned, and teacher training approaches that can be used as a guide when designing a multimodal strategy for the education sector. Keywords: hybrid; blended; El Salvador; multimodal; teacher training; remote learning An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Education in Sub-Saharan Africa - John, Doe; Jane, Doe (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Teachers need training and support, not just an internet connection, to deliver quality distance education - Conover, Anna C (Teacher Task Force, 2022)
This blog is based on the findings of Distance learning and teacher training strategies. Lessons from the Caribbean, a recently published report by the Teacher Task Force. It was written by Anna C. Conover, Consultant Distance teaching and learning have expanded rapidly around the world since COVID-19 school closures first began in 2020. The transition exposed a wide digital divide in many countries, where lack of access to devices, online content and internet connectivity hindered universal access. Equally crucial, the shift shone a light on the need for more and better teacher training in digital and relevant pedagogical skills. However, in spite of this urgent need, ministries of education in many countries are only now integrating ICT competencies and standards into teacher policy frameworks. Moreover, traditional teacher training programmes do not necessarily adequately cover digital and related pedagogical skills in initial teacher training and continuing professional education. Teacher training can help improve learners’ and teachers’ experience of distance learning In response to the demand for training in distance learning and technology integration in small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean, the Distance Learning and Teacher Training Strategies in the Caribbean SIDS teacher training programme was created to enhance the capacity of national education systems. The Teacher Task Force, UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition, Blackboard, the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP), UNICEF Jamaica, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development collaborated to develop, implement and monitor the programme. Building on the 2020 pilot project, Professional Development for Teachers for Blended Learning and Online Strategies, the programme was designed to strengthen teachers’ digital and related pedagogical skills. It took a holistic and context-sensitive approach to strengthening teachers’ capacity to guarantee that the most vulnerable students were not left behind during the crisis. The project aimed to confront challenges such as: how to maintain engagement and interaction for learning; how to convert content into appropriate online learning formats; how to handle school management issues, such as the need to respect normal school hours; and how to work with students with diverse needs. Providing support in these areas also helped to address teachers’ psychosocial well-being, since the abrupt transition to online teaching led to significant disruption of teachers’ professional and personal lives, causing uncertainty and other emotional challenges. Careful course design, adaptable materials and supportive communities of practice are essential for successful distance learning A key lesson from the programme was the importance of high standards for course design, content, and capacity for collaboration and delivery. Online platforms or learning management systems must be intuitive and user-friendly; courses must include different forms of interaction and student-teacher feedback loops; and time and space must be allotted for collaboration, reflection and experimentation. Since parental involvement is important for successful distance learning, course design should also include guidance for parents and reliable channels for them to communicate with teachers. Preparing and adapting materials for online learning is one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks for teachers in transitioning to distance learning. So, teacher training should include guidance on tools to facilitate this work, such as “live worksheets”, which are interactive and support assessment at a distance. And programmes should use open-source materials where possible, or explicitly state copyright conditions when needed, to increase scalability and enable teachers to re-use materials. Teachers who participated in the teacher training programme particularly appreciated being part of a community of practice, enabling them to make new connections with distance education experts and other teachers in similar situations across their country and region. This feeling of belonging to a supportive network, as well as their newly acquired skills, boosted their personal and professional confidence in applying digital technologies and the required skills in their classrooms. Teacher training for distance education should prepare teachers to create inclusive online learning environments Ensuring inclusive education should be a priority in distance learning. Even though this form of schooling can limit teachers’ interactions with students (e.g., by reducing opportunities for spontaneous communication and gestural cues), it can also provide opportunities to promote inclusion. Designing courses with accessibility in mind is essential to create inclusive learning environments. For instance, to accommodate the needs of learners with disabilities, participants should be given a range of ways to access materials and participate in courses. This may include offering asynchronous* and synchronous** options for discussion, multimodal (visual, aural, textual, etc.) delivery of content, and downloadable as well as livestreamed content. In multilingual contexts, adapting to teachers’ language needs is also essential. In the SIDS programme, course content was often only available in French or English. However, to allow participants to conduct discussions in the language with which they were most comfortable, course facilitators allowed participants to form online breakout groups using other languages. Flexibility is a key feature in planning for teacher training Training teachers for distance education must be flexible, since teachers have competing and sometimes unforeseen demands on their time. Course content, pacing and assignments should be adjusted throughout the course according to participants’ changing needs. This is particularly important during emergency situations. For accreditation transparency and to maintain teacher motivation, courses can adapt to teachers’ time constraints by offering different levels of certification and micro-credentials for specific ICT skills. Careful planning that considers school calendars and teachers’ accessibility needs, as well as good communication campaigns, are essential to ensure successful enrolment and sustained attendance in teacher training. Registration should be easy and obstacle-free, and directly available online. In general, teacher training should not be scheduled at the beginning or at the end of the school year when teachers are busiest, or during long summer vacations when many teachers are not available. Partnerships are important for developing teacher training programmes for distance education Partnerships are particularly important in delivering distance education, since it requires considerable expertise and resources, including costly devices, uninterrupted connectivity, education software, open educational resources, and pedagogical and organizational expertise. Given that connectivity and device availability are often a barrier in online education, governments and stakeholders should develop partnerships with technology companies and internet providers to identify solutions, while ensuring that data security and participant privacy are respected. Educational technologies have proven to be useful to ensure continuity of education in emergency situations. Increasingly true to all societies, they are also among the basic tools needed to fully participate in our contemporary world. However, investing in these technologies will not achieve the desired results unless we also invest in teachers’ digital and related pedagogical skills. Initial and in-service teacher education must therefore be re-imagined including these skills and technologies. With their first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities of remote teaching, teachers must be involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of distance learning and technology integration. In such a way, they must effectively be placed at the heart of wider education transformation. Glossary  *Asynchronous online learning:  Education and learning that occur online at a different time compared to when the teacher is instructing. **Synchronous online learning: Education and learning that occur online at the same time, but not in the same place with teachers and/or other learners. Photo credit: Abir Roy Barman/Shutterstock.com

Systems, applications and technologies for e-learning - Traore, Moussa (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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EdTech Horizon Scan: Blockchain technology in education - Beoku-Betts, Iman; Kaye, Tom (EdTech Hub, 2022)
EdTech Hub horizon scans are publications designed to provoke thinking on a range of topics related to the design, implementation, oversight, and monitoring and evaluation of educational technology (EdTech) tools, products, services, and related ideas. This EdTech Horizon Scan examines the use of blockchain technology in education. Beginning with an overview of blockchain technology, the scan explains what blockchain technology is and how it works. The next section focuses on how blockchain technology can be used in education. In particular, it looks at the benefits of using blockchain technology for micro-credentialing and ownership of learning credentials, the transfer of credits and smart contracts, storing student credentials, identity verification and intellectual property protection. Section 4 gives a summary of the use of blockchain technology, noting the different challenges that may be associated with adopting blockchain technology into education systems. Section 5, gives real examples of the use of blockchain technology in education and different education institutions. Key words: blockchain; cryptography; data; decentralised database; digitalisation; education; micro-credentialing; smart contracting; student credentials; verification An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Radical inclusion means teaching children in a language they understand - Bah, Chernor (Brookings, 2022)
Chenor Bah examines how Sierra Leone is trying to incorporate radical inclusion within the national education system by ensuring children are taught their mother-tongue for the first three to five years of schooling.

EdTech That Reaches Marginalised Learners: Relevant Examples for the Indonesian Context - Rui, Yang; Upadhyay, Arjun (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This curated list of resources presents a sample of education technology programmes that effectively reach marginalised learners, including children with SEND, girls, and children in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions. This list provides short summaries of lessons in using EdTech such as radio, television, and mobile phones to reach marginalised learners, emphasising interventions and evidence relevant to the Indonesian context. Keywords: marginalised learners, Indonesia, radio, television, mobile phones, girls, no-tech options An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Key considerations when developing an ICT in Education strategy - AlSheikhTheeb, Thaer; Chuang, Rachel; Pandit, Sanjana (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This report was commissioned by UNICEF and produced under UNICEF and EdTech Hub’s global partnership, in response to a request from the UNICEF Laos team that was submitted to the EdTech Hub Helpdesk. It presents key considerations on the overarching process to develop an ICT in Education strategy (e.g., components, stakeholders, timelines) and lists examples of other national ICT in Education and EdTech strategies. Keywords: EdTech strategies; ICT in Education strategies An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Bandarban Sandbox: Needs assessment and hypothesis development - Tanweer, Rabia; Nashtaran, Trishia; Plaut, Daniel; Rahman, Asad; Ahmed, Shakil; Chowdhury, Dilruba; Rabbi, BM Fazley; Hoque, Rashedul; Nahar, Nurun; Afroze, Sadia (EdTech Hub, 2022)
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
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Aprendizaje híbrido Experiencias internacionales con enfoque multimodal - Villavicencio, Xuzel; Coflan, Caitlin (2022)
Esta presentación se elaboró originalmente para una serie de seminarios web sobre aprendizaje blended e híbrido para UNICEF El Salvador y el Ministerio de Educación de El Salvador. Los talleres en línea se impartieron en dos sesiones, con los profesores de El Salvador como parte fundamental de la audiencia. Junto con las lecciones aprendidas de las diversas iniciativas internacionales mapeadas, también se tocaron temas como la infraestructura de las TIC del país y la relevancia de un enfoque de Aprendizaje Socioemocional (SEL). Keywords: híbrido; blended; multimodal; El Salvador; capacitación docente; aprendizaje socioemocional An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Elimu | Offline Intranet Resource Centre In Garissa - Elimu Resource Centre (2022)

Alarm over teen pregnancies as Kenya ranked third worldwide | Nation - Maichuhie, Kamau (2022)

EdTech Horizon Scan: Rapid scan on emerging EdTech research during the Covid-19 pandemic. - Ampofo, Rudolph; Kaye, Tom (EdTech Hub, 2022)
EdTech Hub horizon scans are publications designed to provoke thinking and provide insight into a range of topics related to the design, implementation, oversight, and monitoring and evaluation of educational technology (EdTech) tools, products, services, and related ideas. This edition of the Hub’s Horizon Scan provides a high-level summary of research, blogs, and think-pieces published between October and December 2021, that provide insights and learnings on the adoption and utilisation of EdTech during the Covid-19 pandemic. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Technology use in teacher preparation and professional development in low- and middle-income countries: 2023 GEM Report – Evidence review - Hennessy, S.; D’Angelo, S.; Koomar, S.; Kreimeia, A.; Adam, T.; Cao, L.; Haßler, B. (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Guidance Note on Education Data Mapping in Sub-Saharan Africa: Moving from theory to practice - Selwaness, Irene; Adam, Taskeen; Lawson, Laté; Heady, Lucy (EdTech Hub, 2022)
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What we are learning | What we are reading: Digital Personalised Learning – How can technology be used to maximise the effectiveness of personalised learning and teaching at the level of the student? - Mazari, Haani (EdTech Hub, 2022)
Significant financial resources are being invested in a wide range of DPL programmes, but there is no clear evidence on whether they are more effective as a complement or substitute to other learning content and how they might be used in low- and middle-income countries.

What we are learning | What we are reading: Digital Personalised Learning – How can technology be used to maximise the effectiveness of personalised learning and teaching at the level of the student? - Mazari, Haani (EdTech Hub, 2022)
Significant financial resources are being invested in a wide range of DPL programmes, but there is no clear evidence on whether they are more effective as a complement or substitute to other learning content and how they might be used in low- and middle-income countries.

Using technology to support teacher continuous professional development in Sierra Leone - Beoku-Betts, Iman; Plaut, Daniel; Tanweer, Rabia; Tanweer, Iman Beoku-Betts, Daniel Plaut and Rabia (EdTech Hub, 2022)
In Sierra Leone, EdTech Hub has been working closely with the TSC and the World Bank over the last 18 months to design a TCPD model that will provide primary school teachers with tools to improve their literacy and numeracy instruction.

No Teacher is an Island: A case study on the enablers and barriers for effective school-based teacher professional development in Sierra Leone - Lurvink, Anne-Fleur; Bangura, Zainab; Fortune, Alhaji; George, Alex H.; Godwin, Katie; Mason-Sesay, Miriam; Moseray, David; Tholley, Ibrahim; Turay, Emmanuel B.; Haßler, Björn; Open Development & Education (OpenDevEd, 2022)

Sandbox Handbook V.2.0 - EdTech Hub (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Online Examinations in Emergency Contexts: Can Proctoring and Other Technologies Be Feasible Alternatives for Facilitating Inclusive School Exams for All in Emergency Contexts? - AlSheikhTheeb, Thaer; Sahin, AynurGul; Abdelrahman, Salma; Chuang, Rachel; Affolter, Friedrich; Al Mekdad, Bayan; Sabboura, Rani; Shequem, Yazeed (EdTech Hub, 2022)
The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide that education practitioners working in emergency contexts can use to assess the feasibility of implementing online examinations and using proctoring technologies. The implementation of online high-stakes examinations in Syria and other emergency contexts will require significant investments in achieving the prerequisites needed for feasibility and credibility. Prerequisites include electricity, internet, and devices, as well as the development of the digital skills necessary for students to participate in online exams and for teachers and administrators to facilitate online exams. Further efforts are needed to prevent leakage of information on exam questions and content, and promote cultural change around online examinations. Key words: online examinations; proctoring technologies; emergency contexts; Syria An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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$3 Million ADB Grant to Support Pakistan’s Flood Response - Asian Development Bank (Asian Development Bank, 2022)
ADB approved a $3 million grant to support the Government of Pakistan’s emergency relief efforts amid widespread floods across the country.

Mapping and Analysing Digital Learning Platforms in Latin America and the Caribbean - Myers, Christina; Wyss, Natalie; Villavicencio Peralta, Xuzel; Coflan, Caitlin (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This document was produced in response to a request from the UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) submitted to the EdTech Hub Helpdesk in October 2021. The UNICEF team requested a curated list of digital learning platforms in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region and an analysis of a shortlisted series of platforms intending to explore their potential for at-scale implementation and impact. This report does not aim to cover every leading and innovative digital learning platform in the LAC region. Rather, it presents a list of promising platforms and discusses their design and implementation to explore their relevance and potential for at-scale impact. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing 2022 | 1GB Cost in 233 Countries - Cable (Cable.co.uk, 2022)
A global league table of mobile data costs. The average cost of one gigabyte (1GB) was then calculated and compared from over 5,000 mobile data plans in 233 countries.

Inflation and price indices - Office for National Statistics - Office for National Statistics (2022)

UIS Data - UNESCO (2022)

World Development Indicators | DataBank - World Bank (2022)

Returning to school after COVID-19 closures: Who is missing in Malawi? - Kidman, Rachel; Breton, Etienne; Behrman, Jere; Kohler, Hans-Peter (International Journal of Educational Development, 2022)
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all countries implemented school closures to prevent disease transmission. However, prolonged closures can put children at risk of leaving school permanently, a decision that can reduce their long-term potential and income. This study investigated the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and associated school closures reduced school attendance in Malawi, a low-income African country. We used longitudinal data from a cohort of adolescents interviewed before (2017/18; at age 10–16) and after (2021; at age 13–20) the pandemic school closures. Of those students who had been attending school prior to school closures, we find that 86% returned when schools re-opened. Dropouts were more pronounced among older girls: over 30% of those aged 17–19 did not return to school. This resulted in further lowering the gender parity index to the greater disadvantage of girls. We also found that students already lagging behind in school were more likely to dropout. Thus, our data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified gender inequalities in schooling, at least partially erasing recent progress towards inclusive education. Urgent investments are needed to find and re-enroll lost students now, and to create more resilient and adaptable educational systems before the next pandemic or other negative shock arrives.
Keywords: Adolescents; COVID-19; Child marriage; Education; Pregnancy; School closures

Understanding the Potential of Using EdTech to Measure and Mitigate Learning Losses in Latin America and the Caribbean - Wyss, Natalie; Myers, Christina (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This document was produced in response to a request from the UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) submitted to the EdTech Hub Helpdesk in December 2021. The UNICEF team requested a resource that summarises what is known about the use of technology and other approaches to measure and mitigate learning losses related to Covid-19 impacts on education in the LAC region. This resource aims to support UNICEF country offices and partners in the LAC region to assess learning losses and inform school reopening and the development of hybrid education strategies. Our research found that there are limited EdTech approaches to measuring and mitigating learning losses, and fewer still that are specific to the LAC region. This piece outlines the following: What is understood about learning losses and how they can be quantified; What common guidance and evidence suggest are the most effective ways to mitigate Covid-19-specific learning losses; How established EdTech tools and non-tech-based approaches can be leveraged and applied to both processes. Keywords: learning losses; school reopening; personalised learning; assessment; remedial education An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Neglecting Students’ Socio-emotional Skills Magnified Learning Losses During the Pandemic: Experimental Evidence from Brazil - Lichand, Guilherme; Christen, Julien; van Egeraat, Eppie (2022)
Did the dramatic learning losses from remote learning in the context of COVID-19 stem at least partly from schools having overlooked students’ socio-emotional skills – such as their ability to self-regulate emotions, their mental models, motivation, and grit – during the emergency transition to remote learning? We study this question using a cluster-randomized control trial with 18, 256 high-school students across 87 schools in the State of Goiás, Brazil. The intervention sent behavioral nudges through text messages to students or their caregivers, targeting their socio-emotional skills during remote learning. Here we show that these messages significantly increased standardized test scores relative to the control group, preventing 7.5% of learning losses in math and 24% in Portuguese, consistent with the hypothesis that neglecting students’ socio-emotional skills magnified learning losses during the pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Learning Losses; Remote Learning; Socio-emotional Skills

‘6Ps’ audit tool - Rahman, Asad; Carter, Alice (EdTech Hub, 2022)
EdTech interventions so often fail to take into consideration the broader system they work within. EdTech Hub has created this tool to assess interventions and identify any gaps in the thinking that might stop an intervention from working. Keywords: innovation; education system; 6Ps; tool An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Global Health | Malawi | U.S. Agency for International Development - USAID (2022)
Over the last two decades, Malawi has achieved dramatic gains in most health indicators by focusing on the improved delivery of essential health services. Malawi is one of a few sub-Saharan African countries that achieved Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 for child survival by 2015. The Government of Malawi (GoM) reduced maternal mortality by 53 percent between 1990 and 2013, and increased the contraceptive prevalence rate from 7.4 in 1992 to 42 percent in 2010.

Designing for scale: Learnings from a design-based research study of a technology-based personalised learning mathematics platform - Bapna, Akanksha; Myers, Christina; Sharma, Namrata (2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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What is Capitation Grant for Basic Schools in Ghana? - Marfo, Nathlaine Matilda (Coverghana.com.gh, 2022)
Capitation grant for basic schools is the amount of money or funds allocated for public basic schools in Ghana operating under the Ghana Education Service to... What is Capitation Grant for Basic Schools in Ghana?

Government-led edtech initiatives to improve learning outcomes in Kenya (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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School Leaders’ Preferences on School Location in Sierra Leone: An individual and school-level study - Espinoza-Revollo, Patricia; Ramirez, Ana; Atherton, Paul; Mackintosh, Alasdair (EdTech Hub, 2022)
Attracting qualified teachers to remote areas is a challenge in Sierra Leone. The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio in rural areas is 76:1, rising to 83:1 for schools located more than 15 km away from urban centres — well above the national target of 40:1. As equitable teacher deployment is crucial to ensure high-quality education, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) aims to increase the deployment of qualified teachers to the most remote areas of the country. This paper describes a quantitative survey of school leaders’ perceptions of what shapes school location preferences and what factors need to be in place (i.e., incentives) to address the imbalanced distribution of qualified teachers in the country. We used data from a text message survey sent to school leaders around the country. This paper accompanies a qualitative inquiry on the same topic: What Matters Most for Teacher Deployment? A case study on teacher school choice preferences in Sierra Leone. Together with the qualitative study, our findings aim to address a gap in empirical evidence on teacher school preferences in Sierra Leone and contribute to a growing literature on teachers’ preferences in low- and middle-income countries. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Lowering Barriers to Remote Education: Experimental Impacts on Parental Responses and Learning - Beam, Emily; Mukherjee, Priya; Navarro-Sola, Laia (2022)
We conduct a randomized controlled trial with households of secondary school students in Bangladesh to investigate how parents adjust their investments in response to three educational interventions: an informational campaign about an educational phone application, an internet data subsidy, and one-on-one phone learning support. We find that offering an educational service in a context where other barriers to take-up exist can still trigger parental educational investments by acting as a signal or nudge. These behavioral changes result in lasting learning gains concentrated among richer households, reflecting that the relevant behavior changeincreased tutoring investmentis easier for them to implement. In contrast, when interventions do increase take-up, they have the potential to narrow the socioeconomic achievement gap. We observe that increased usage of the targeted educational service limits parental behavioral responses. This implies that learning gains in these cases are directly caused by the potential effectiveness of the services adopted. In our setting, remote one-to-one teacher support improves learning among students from poorer households, whereas receiving the free data package jointly with the app information has no impact on learning.
Keywords: educational inequality; educational technology; human capital; parental investments

Lowering Barriers to Remote Education: Experimental Impacts on Parental Responses and Learning - Beam, Emily; Mukherjee, Priya; Navarro-Sola, Laia (2022)
We conduct a randomized controlled trial with households of secondary school students in Bangladesh to investigate how parents adjust their investments in response to three educational interventions: an informational campaign about an educational phone application, an internet data subsidy, and one-on-one phone learning support. We find that offering an educational service in a context where other barriers to take-up exist can still trigger parental educational investments by acting as a signal or nudge. These behavioral changes result in lasting learning gains concentrated among richer households, reflecting that the relevant behavior changeincreased tutoring investmentis easier for them to implement. In contrast, when interventions do increase take-up, they have the potential to narrow the socioeconomic achievement gap. We observe that increased usage of the targeted educational service limits parental behavioral responses. This implies that learning gains in these cases are directly caused by the potential effectiveness of the services adopted. In our setting, remote one-to-one teacher support improves learning among students from poorer households, whereas receiving the free data package jointly with the app information has no impact on learning.
Keywords: educational inequality; educational technology; human capital; parental investments

Combining school-catchment area models with geostatistical models for analysing school survey data from low-resource settings: Inferential benefits and limitations - Macharia, Peter M.; Ray, Nicolas; Gitonga, Caroline W.; Snow, Robert W.; Giorgi, Emanuele (Spatial Statistics, 2022)
School-based sampling has been used to inform targeted responses for malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Standard geostatistical methods for mapping disease prevalence use the school location to model spatial correlation, which is questionable since exposure to the disease is more likely to occur in the residential location. In this paper, we propose to overcome the limitations of standard geostatistical methods by introducing a modelling framework that accounts for the uncertainty in the location of the residence of the students. By using cost distance and cost allocation models to define spatial accessibility and in absence of any information on the travel mode of students to school, we consider three school catchment area models that assume walking only, walking and bicycling and, walking and motorized transport. We illustrate the use of this approach using two case studies of malaria in Kenya and compare it with the standard approach that uses the school locations to build geostatistical models. We argue that the proposed modelling framework presents several inferential benefits, such as the ability to combine data from multiple surveys some of which may also record the residence location, and to deal with ecological bias when estimating the effects of malaria risk factors. However, our results show that invalid assumptions on the modes of travel to school can worsen the predictive performance of geostatistical models. Future research in this area should focus on collecting information on the modes of transportation to school which can then be used to better parametrize the catchment area models.
Keywords: Catchment area models; Disease mapping; Missing locations; Model-based geostatistics; Prevalence; School survey

Digital Divide or Digital Provide? Technology, Time Use, and Learning Loss during COVID-19 - Asadullah, M. Niaz; Bhattacharjee, Anindita (The Journal of Development Studies, 2022)
COVID-19 school closure has caused a worldwide shift towards technology-aided home schooling. Given widespread poverty in developing countries, this has raised concerns over new forms of learning inequalities. Using nationwide data on primary and secondary school children in slum and rural households in Bangladesh, we examine how learning time at home during the early months of school closure varies by access to technology at home. Data confirms a significant socio-economic and gender divide in access to TV, smartphone, computer, and internet among rural households. However, the analysis of daily time use data shows only a modest return to a technology in terms of boosting learning time at home. The learning-grade gradient is shallow and insensitive to TV, smartphone, and computer access at home. We also find no evidence that technology access per se helps learning by boosting time spent in online schooling and private supplementary coaching/tutoring. While technology access matters in households where parents act as home tutors, the magnitude of such a complementary effect are not large. The results imply a loss of out-of-school learning time during school closure even in households with technology access. We consider additional hypotheses relating to institutional and socio-economic barriers to home-based learning in developing countries.
Keywords: COVID-19; D10; I21; J22; Q50; home-based education; learning crisis; school closure

Developing a national EdTech strategy - Coflan, Caitlin; Wyss, Natalie; Thinley, Sangay; Roland, Mark (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Education system management / EMIS / education data – EdTechTools - EdTech Hub (2022)

الامتحانات عبر الإنترنت في سياقات الطوارئ: هل المراقبة، والتقنيات الأخرى، مجدية في سوريا لتيسير عقد امتحانات تشمل جميع الطلاب؟ - AlSheikhTheeb, Thaer; Sahin, AynurGul; Abdelrahman, Salma; Chuang, Rachel; Affolter, Friedrich; AlMekdad, Bayan; Sabboura, Rani; Sheqem, Yazeed (EdTech Hub, 2022)
كلمات مفتاحية: الامتحانات عبر الإنترنت، تكنولوجيا مراقبة الامتحانات، سياقات الطوارئ، سوريا خلاصة: الغرض من هذه الوثيقة تقديم دليل يمكن استخدامه من قبل الممارسين في مجال التعليم العاملين في سياقات الطوارئ لتقييم مدى جدوى تنفيذ الامتحانات الإلكترونية واستخدام تكنولوجيا مراقبة الامتحانات. سيتطلب عقد الامتحانات عالية المخاطر عبر الإنترنت في سوريا وفي سياقات طوارئ أخرى استثمارات كبيرة لتحقيق المتطلبات الأساسية اللازمة للجدوى والمصداقية. تشمل هذه المتطلبات الأساسية الكهرباء والإنترنت والأجهزة، بالإضافة إلى تطوير المهارات الرقمية اللازمة للطلاب لتقديم الامتحانات عبر الإنترنت وللمعلمين والإداريين لتيسير الامتحانات عبر الإنترنت. ينبغي بذل المزيد من الجهود لمنع تسريب المعلومات حول الأسئلة ومحتوى الامتحانات، ولتشجيع التغيير الثقافي حول الامتحانات عبر الإنترنت. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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A Theory of Change for Parents and Caregivers Towards a Technology-Enhanced Education System in Bangladesh - Clark-Wilson, Alison; Bashir, Amreen; Ahmed, Shakil; Mazari, Haani; Kaye, Tom; Radford, Kate; Otieno, Jennifer (EdTech Hub, 2022)
The third of a trilogy of Theories of Change (TOCs) that focuses on parents and caregivers as key agents of change in the development of an increasingly technology-enhanced education system in Bangladesh. The TOC was created following a period of desk research and in-country stakeholder workshops. It offers a theory for how parents’ and caregivers’ experiences in diverse programmes and initiatives will enable them to support children to improved educational outcomes, and take advantage of available technology. It offers a tool for programme designers, implementers, and evaluators to think critically about how their initiative(s) will impact parents and caregivers for the longer-term benefits of their children. Keywords: Bangladesh; Theory of Change; technology-enhanced learning; parents and caregivers; parenting; education An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Drought situation in the Kenya ASAL areas now at crisis level - Kenya | ReliefWeb - ASAL Humanitarian Network (2022)
News and Press Release in English on Kenya about Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Drought and more; published on 5 Oct 2022 by ASAL Humanitarian Network

Methodologies for mapping Ministry of Education EdTech interventions: Lessons from Ghana - Radford, Kate; Ampofo, Rudolph (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Livrable 1: Rapport de démarrage (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Behaviour change key principles for EdTech | MASTER framework - Rahman, Asad; Carter, Alice; Wambûi Kuria, Catherine; Mbugua, Ciku; Simpson, Lea; Kably, Nathan (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An EdTech Hub sandbox fast-tracks promising EdTech interventions by providing funding, tools, and access to evidence. It provides a space for partners to test and grow ideas in conditions of uncertainty. Since 2020, EdTech Hub has worked with partners in eight countries, to test and grow EdTech based on our sandbox methodology. When testing and growing EdTech, this tool aims to help you get started with ways to design for innovation behaviours or mindsets and make them stick. Keywords: behavioural change; behavioural design; behavioural innovation; EdTech; innovation; sandbox; intervention design An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Artificial intelligence for strengthening healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic scoping review - Ciecierski-Holmes, Tadeusz; Singh, Ritvij; Axt, Miriam; Brenner, Stephan; Barteit, Sandra (npj Digital Medicine, 2022)
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), AI has been promoted as a potential means of strengthening healthcare systems by a growing number of publications. We aimed to evaluate the scope and nature of AI technologies in the specific context of LMICs. In this systematic scoping review, we used a broad variety of AI and healthcare search terms. Our literature search included records published between 1st January 2009 and 30th September 2021 from the Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Global Health and APA PsycInfo databases, and grey literature from a Google Scholar search. We included studies that reported a quantitative and/or qualitative evaluation of a real-world application of AI in an LMIC health context. A total of 10 references evaluating the application of AI in an LMIC were included. Applications varied widely, including: clinical decision support systems, treatment planning and triage assistants and health chatbots. Only half of the papers reported which algorithms and datasets were used in order to train the AI. A number of challenges of using AI tools were reported, including issues with reliability, mixed impacts on workflows, poor user friendliness and lack of adeptness with local contexts. Many barriers exists that prevent the successful development and adoption of well-performing, context-specific AI tools, such as limited data availability, trust and evidence of cost-effectiveness in LMICs. Additional evaluations of the use of AI in healthcare in LMICs are needed in order to identify their effectiveness and reliability in real-world settings and to generate understanding for best practices for future implementations.
Keywords: Health policy; Translational research

No teacher is an Island - Lurvink, Anne-Fleur; Bokamba, Tania Elena Megogo; Mason, Miriam; Godwin, Katie; Godwin, Anne-Fleur Lurvink, Tania Elena Megogo Bokamba, Miriam Mason and Katie Godwin, Anne-Fleur Lurvink, Tania Elena Megogo Bokamba, Miriam Mason and Katie (Open Development and Education, 2022)
When we step into the head-teacher’s office in one of our project schools, Foday, the facilitator comes in and greets us. He asks us to be patient while they sort out lunch for the children and get the teachers together. We sit back and relax, and watch the hundreds of learners receive

Digital Tools for Real-Time Data Collection in Education - Gustafsson-Wright, Emily; Osborne, Sarah; Aggarwal,, Muskan (Brookings Institute, 2022)

Session 6: How do I ensure my EdTech investments are cost-effective? - Chuang, Rachel; Proctor, Jamie (2022)
The Strategic Choices for Education Reform workshop held in Zimbabwe in November 2022 aimed to provide a forum for senior government officials to reflect and consider the strategic reform options for their countries. The objective was to convene officials in key positions in the ministries of education, higher education, finance, and planning to learn about important issues and approaches in education; exchange experiences and lessons; develop an understanding of what is necessary to reconstruct better and more resilient education systems; and to transform the large potential of young people, through human capital investments, into development and prosperity. EdTech Hub was invited to facilitate the day of the workshop focused on harnessing ICT for better teaching and learning. This presentation is one of several used in the workshop to promote learning, discussion, and problem solving among the participants. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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How do I ensure my EdTech investments are cost effective - RachelChuang, JamieProctor (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Session 3: How can I develop an aligned and actionable EdTech strategy - Wyss, Natalie; Mbugua, Wanjiku; Kaye, Tom (2022)
The Strategic Choices for Education Reform workshop held in Zimbabwe in November 2022 aimed to provide a forum for senior government officials to reflect and consider the strategic reform options for their countries. The objective was to convene officials in key positions in the ministries of education, higher education, finance, and planning to learn about important issues and approaches in education; exchange experiences and lessons; develop an understanding of what is necessary to reconstruct better and more resilient education systems; and to transform the large potential of young people, through human capital investments, into development and prosperity. EdTech Hub was invited to facilitate the day of the workshop focused on harnessing ICT for better teaching and learning. This presentation is one of several used in the workshop to promote learning, discussion, and problem solving among the participants. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Telephone Survey: Caregivers' and Learners' Perspectives on SMS for Education in Kenya - Myers, Christina; Jordan, Katy; Khagame, Phoebe; Mumbi, Albina; Njuguna, Lydia; Zhao, Annette (EdTech Hub, 2022)
This document presents the structure and questions used for a telephone survey which was undertaken with a sample of learners who use the M-Shule platform and their caregivers, in Kenya, during July and August 2022. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Diverse definitions of engagement: Personalised learning analytics to support staff and students - Thoeming, Alix; Baird, Aaron; Weeks, Ruth; Liu, Danny; Flitcroft, Harriet; Bridgeman, Adam (ASCILITE Publications, 2022)
Although teachers design learning experiences, their pedagogical and pastoral connections to students and teaching are often unaccounted for in learning analytics approaches. What is needed for analytics to reconnect teachers and students at a unit and program level, and help unit and program coordinators support those students who need it most? We present the approaches and findings from a pilot initiative where a freely available learning analytics platform allowed unit coordinators to define their own contextually unique measures of engagement and allowed program coordinators to see across units. We discuss the forms of outreach afforded by the initiative, the support provided to coordinators, and the implications of learning analytics that are not one-size-fits-all on using data meaningfully to support human connection.
Keywords: relational pedagogy

Livrable 4: Note de conseils sur la plateforme numérique - Messa, Angele; Koomar, Saalim; Mitchell, Joel (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Evaluating the impact of technology-supported personalised learning interventions on the mathematics achievements of elementary students in India - Tailor, Kavita (2022)
Technology-supported personalised learning (TSPL) refers to the use of technology to personalise a learner’s experience by adjusting the pace and relevance of content based on the learner’s age, capability and prior knowledge (FitzGerald et al., 2018). Although technology has been epitomised in creating personalised and effective learning experiences for students, there are perennial debates on its role in enhancing quality, productivity and learning (Payal Arora, 2019; Zierer, 2019). This review explores the effectiveness of TSPL on the mathematics achievements of elementary students in India. This review argues that while evidence on using TSPL at scale to benefit all learners remains mixed and inconclusive, with continued iterative research, TSPL holds promise in serving learners’ needs irrespective of achievement level or socio-economic background. In doing so, this review outlines an agenda for future research to improve the efficiency, reach, and effectiveness of TSPL. This involves gaining a deeper understanding of whether TSPL works best as either a supplement or substitute in classrooms and the impacts of doing so in different quality schools. Mechanisms around how TSPL interventions can operate via low-tech mechanisms to better serve low-income communities and to advantage students of all learning abilities are also explored.
Keywords: India; education technology; elementary school; mathematics; personalised learning

The Sandbox Model: A Novel Approach to Iterating while Implementing an Emergency Education Program in Lebanon during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Boujikian, Michèle; Carter, Alice; Jordan, Katy (2022)
Jusoor’s Refugee Education Program helps Syrian refugee children living in Lebanon integrate back into formal schooling. When schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the refugee program adapted to distance learning by developing Azima, a novel program that used WhatsApp to enable children to keep learning. Azima had to respond immediately to the emergency context while maintaining high education standards, and it also needed to find an effective way to test and refine its content quickly. To do this, the Azima program adopted an innovative experimental approach called a sandbox. A sandbox model operates in rapid iterative cycles and uses multiple methods to quickly test a program’s assumptions about how it will meet its goals. In this field note, we use Azima as a case study to report on our experience of applying the sandbox model. We reflect on the benefits and limitations of this novel approach in supporting the use of education technology in a crisis situation.

Education Sector Contingency Plan: Guidelines and Templates - Vijil-Morin, Alejandra; Villavicencio, Xuzel; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Cohort 3 Digital Skills Training Completion | Digital Malawi - Ntha Foundation (Ntha Foundation, 2022)
The evaluation and assessment process of the first phase of the Digital skills training is taking place at the Kwathu Innovation and Creative Centre hub this week.

Model Safe Education Plan - Vijil-Morin, Alejandra; Villavicencio, Xuzel; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Monitoring and Evaluation Framework - Vijil-Morin, Alejandra; Villavicencio, Xuzel; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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USAID Announces $74 Million for Early Grade Reading in Malawi | Press Release - USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development, 2022)
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is supporting Malawi’s vision for early grade literacy through the new Next Generation (NextGen) early grade reading project. This investment of $74 million over the next five years, subject to appropriations, will improve the delivery of high-quality early grade reading instruction in all of Malawi’s over 5,700 public primary schools nationwide. Since 2015, the U.S. government has invested more than $136 million in Malawi’s early grade reading efforts.

Technology and School Mapping - Vijil, Alejandra; Godwin, Katie; Mackintosh, Alasdair; Ramirez, Ana (EdTech Hub, 2022)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Understanding Teacher School Choice Preferences: What Matters Most for Teacher Deployment in Sierra Leone? (EdTech Hub Preprint, 2023)
This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates the factors that shape where teachers want to work in Sierra Leone. We identify five dominant factors: monetary incentives, school conditions, opportunities for professional development and support, school location, and relationships with the school and the community. Importantly, these factors combine to push and pull teachers to different locations. Moreover, the factors interact with individual teacher characteristics such as gender, family status, and experience to influence school choice preferences. This set of factors — and their interaction with certain teacher characteristics — continues to shape preferences as teachers move up the career ladder. Keywords: Teacher deployment, teacher preferences, Sierra Leone, teacher supply, remote schools An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Cost-Effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning - What does recent evidence tell us are “Smart Buys” for improving learning in low- and middle-income countries? - Akyeampong, K; Andrabi, T; Banerjee, A; Banerji, R; Dynarski, S; Glennerster, R; Grantham-McGregor, S; Muralidharan, K; Piper, B; Ruto, S; Saavedra, J; Schmelkes, S; et al. (FCDO, the World Bank, UNICEF, and USAID, 2023)

Guidance note on using implementation research in education - Allison, C (Building Evidence in Education (BE2 ), 2023)

The Latest Tanzanian National Panel Survey Shows Progress in Education - Amankwah, Akuffo; Palacius-Lopez, Amparo; Gul, Maryam (2023)
The state of education in a country has cascading impacts across multiple facets of development. In line with SDG 4, providing equitable quality education remains a key mission for countries, especially those with low literacy rates. Zooming in on Tanzania...

Building Resilient Education Systems: Evidence from Large-Scale Randomized Trials in Five Countries - Angrist, Noam; Ainomugisha, Micheal; Bathena, Sai Pramod; Bergman, Peter; Crossley, Colin; Cullen, Claire; Letsomo, Thato; Matsheng, Moitshepi; Panti, Rene Marlon; Sabarwal, Shwetlena; Sullivan, Tim (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2023)

Using Technology to Improve Education for Marginalised Girls: Lessons in implementation from the Girls’ Education Challenge - Anonymised for Peer Review Purposes (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This article presents the findings of an in-depth study on the implementation of six EdTech-supported projects within the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s Girls’ Education Challenge portfolio, which aims to improve education for the world’s most marginalised girls. Using primary key informant interviews and secondary data from sampled projects, the study identifies the core components related to the implementation of EdTech within the sampled projects: evidence-informed design and delivery; building and maintaining relationships across and between stakeholders; comprehensive and continuous training and capacity development; and situating EdTech within a broader holistic model that prioritises gender inclusion to optimise implementation for marginalised girls. In doing so, the study provides key lessons for optimising the future implementation of EdTech for marginalised girls. Keywords: educational technology; girls’ education; programme implementation; Covid-19 An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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2023 Cost-effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning - What does Recent Evidence Tell Us are “Smart Buys” for Improving Learning in Low- and Middle-income Countries? - Banerjee, Abhijit; Andrab, Tahir; Banerji, Rukmini; Dynarski, Susan; Glennerster, Rachel; Grantham-Mcgregor, Sally; Muralidharan, Karthik; Piper, Benjamin; Saavedra Chanduvi, Jaime; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Ruto, Sara; Schmelkes, Sylvia (World Bank Group, 2023)
2023 Cost-effective Approaches to Improve Global Learning - What does Recent Evidence Tell Us are “Smart Buys” for Improving Learning in Low- and Middle-income Countries? (English)

Teacher Deployment in Sierra Leone: Lessons learnt and moving forward - Beoku-Betts, Iman (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This report provides an overview of the teacher deployment process in Sierra Leone prior to and including 2022. Through interviews with key stakeholders in the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), we look at lessons learnt from the deployment process and next steps for how teacher deployment can be implemented. Although there are a number of volunteer teachers in Sierra Leone, the TSC are aiming to increase the number of qualified teachers on the government payroll as well as retaining teachers in rural areas. It was noted that teachers from rural areas being put on the government payroll and deployed to rural schools are better placed to teach in rural schools than teachers moving from urban to rural areas. Hpwever, it is still challenging to find qualified teachers in these rural areas. The TSC want to look at how they can target teachers to take up rural positions, either through distance learning to gain the right qualifications or working with teacher training institutions (TTIs) to prioritise schools in rural areas for placement. Overall, the TSC want to use data as the basis for decision-making on deploying teachers equitably. Keywords Teacher deployment; teacher training; unqualified teachers; volunteer teachers; rural schools; data for decision-making An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Investigating the Activity Levels of School Quality Assurance Officers in Sierra Leone - Beoku-Betts, Iman; Leh Wi Lan (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Since the launch of the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) Programme in 2018, the Sierra Leone Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has prioritised the use of data for decision-making across several education reform programmes. Part of this vision has been to build systems to measure school quality through School Quality Assurance Officers (SQAOs) using data collection and feedback. This system includes using tools for teacher management, lesson observations, school improvement, and attendance monitoring. This report presents findings from qualitative research conducted in three districts in Sierra Leone. The aim is to provide the MBSSE and other partners with insights to understand the variation in and what is needed to maximise SQAO activity levels, increase principal engagement with digital tools, and support and promote quality visits to schools. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Under the Hood of an EdTech Study in Kenya: Implementation challenges, successes, and lessons learnt - Büchel, Konstantin; Crossley, Colin; Cullen, Claire; Letsomo, Thato (EdTech Hub, 2023)
In the years following a global pandemic that left 1.6 billion learners out of school, the global learning crisis has grown more urgent. Governments worldwide have sought technology-enabled education platforms that can support higher quality, resilient education systems. One cheap and easy tool for delivering remote educational support is basic mobile phones, which represent a potentially cost-effective and remote platform for adapting a range of proven pedagogical methods. To do so successfully, programme delivery should consider three key factors that include (1) careful training on delivering pedagogical methods in a phone setting, (2) Appropriate monitoring systems to ensure weekly delivery fidelity and, (3) an appropriate data and/or delivery infrastructure to enable programme monitoring. If done successfully, mobile phone programmes can present education ministries with an efficient delivery option for quality education at a fraction of the cost of higher-tech solutions. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Edtech and marginalization: scaling for learning equity - Castillo, N. M.; Wagner, D; Alrawashde, G; Moog, C (UNESCO GEM Background paper, 2023)

Teacher Continuous Professional Development in Tanzania: Lessons Learnt - Chachage, Kristeen; Thakrar, Jay (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This report shares the experience and learning from the activities carried out as part of the Government of Tanzania's efforts to operationalise its National Framework for Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD), which shifts TCPD from discreet workshops to cost-effective, ongoing, school-based professional development. It is among the first of its kind at a national level, particularly in low- and middle-income country contexts. Through a collaborative and responsive approach of adaptive technical assistance and innovation, the EdTech Hub team supported Government of Tanzania partners in developing and implementing a technology-enhanced, school-based, national TCPD system. This report begins with an overview of the activities implemented and then consolidates reflection through nine lessons learnt that could help inform current and future thinking on the design, delivery, and funding of TCPD programming in Tanzania. The TCPD reflected in this report is specific to Tanzania's teaching and learning environment. While we recognise that environments can vary widely, even between countries with similar goals and objectives, the report also seeks to contribute to any current and future analyses that collate features of effective TCPD from around the world. Keywords: teacher professional development; teacher training; technology; learning management system; communities of learning; teacher needs assessment; An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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V-Dem Dataset v13 - Coppedge, M. et al. (Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project, 2023)

Live tutoring calls did not improve learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone - Crawfurd, Lee; Evans, David K.; Hares, Susannah; Sandefur, Justin (Journal of Development Economics, 2023)

The Future of EMIS: A Public Financial Management Perspective - Cresswell, Simon; Long, Cathal; Fraser, Alasdair (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Policymakers in low- and lower-middle-income countries are in a bind: while more complex EMIS designs may make processes more likely to fail following donor exit, simple EMIS designs do not provide enough information to track the effects of reforms and progress addressing the learning crisis. Even for basic measures, EMIS appear to generate inaccurate data in many cases. Reflections on EMIS implementation challenges point to demand and supply issues, with the former being the more important determinant for realising EMIS potential and their ongoing development. This paper considers demand and supply for EMIS from a public financial management (PFM) perspective. Keywords: public financial management, budgeting, digital, data governance, education An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Results – Rapid Scans – The EdTech Hub - EdTech Hub (2023)

School-to-School Mobility Patterns and Retention Rates of Payroll Teachers in Sierra Leone - Espinoza-Revollo, Patricia; Ali, Yusuf; Garrod, Oliver; Atherton, Paul; Mackintosh, Alisdair; Ramirez, Ana; Beoku-Betts, Iman; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This report is one of several on the research project on the Impact of GIS-Supported Teacher Allocation in Sierra Leone. Recent studies from this series have shown that being put on the government payroll can incentivise teachers to relocate to remote areas of the country. There is a concern, however, that being put on the payroll does not necessarily ensure the retention of teachers in these areas and that teachers will soon move to locations they consider more favourable. As there is no data on teacher mobility patterns and schools’ teacher retention rates, policies tend to be based on anecdotal evidence. This paper aims to fill this evidence gap by exploring teachers’ school-to-school mobility trends and retention rates using the Annual School Census (ASC) data from 2015 to 2021. Using data on teachers’ individual characteristics, as well as geospatial location data of each school, the paper explores whether mobility patterns vary by teachers’ gender or qualifications and whether the teaching workforce is urbanising. While studies have looked at teacher retention, this study is the first in a low-income country to use school census data to create a panel dataset to study teachers’ movements and school retention rates over time. Keywords: teacher mobility; teacher retention rates; mobility patterns; teacher deployment; Sierra Leone; education An output of the EdTech Hub https://edtechhub.org
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Can A/B Testing at Scale Accelerate Learning Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Environments? - Friedberg, Aidan (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023)
On current trends the world will fail to reach the objectives set in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for Education by 2030 or even within the 21st century. Changing this trend will require a significant acceleration in learning outcomes. Digital personalised learning (DPL) tools are a potentially cost-effective intervention that can contribute to this acceleration. In particular, the continuous experimentation afforded by these tools through software A/B testing, has considerable potential to create compounding improvements in learning outcomes. This paper provides an overview of EIDU, an educational platform combining student focused DPL content with digital structured pedagogy programmes in public pre-primary schools in Kenya. Collection of student’s longitudinal unsupervised assessment data at scale creates the possibility of learning outcome focused A/B testing. This is a novel contribution to the development and research field as up until now this type of capability has largely been confined to students in high-income environments.

Education Sector Budget Proposal Report 2023/24 - Government of Kenya (Government of Kenya, 2023)

Report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform: ​​Transforming education, training and research for sustainable development in Kenya - Government of Kenya (2023)

Building Educational Foundations through Innovation & Technology (BEFIT): Malawi Scale-Up Program Overview - Government of Malawi (2023)

Fiscal Transfers: View Consolidated formulae - Government of Uganda (OTIMS, 2023)

The National Numeracy Programme — Outputs Register - Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Outputs Register: The Impact of GIS-Supported Teacher Allocation in Sierra Leone - Haßler, Björn; McBurnie, Chris; Beoku-Betts, Iman (EdTech Hub, 2023)
EdTech Hub, Fab Inc, and the Education Workforce Initiative have produced the outputs listed in this document as part of the EdTech Hub-commissioned research project on ‘GIS-supported teacher allocation in Sierra Leone’. This research project began in January 2022. This document lists all outputs produced under this project. All outputs are available to the public via the EdTech Hub Evidence Library. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
Keywords: Author:OpenDevEd; HLR3; _C:Sierra Leone SLE; _r:AddedByZotZen

Technology use in teacher preparation and professional development in low-and middle-income countries - UNESCO Digital Library - Hennessy, Sara; D'Angelo, Sophia; Koomar, Saalim; Kreimeia, Adam; Adam, Taskeen; Cao, Lydia; Haßler, Björn (Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Background paper, 2023)

Uzoefu wa Walimu katika kufundisha kwa kutumia teknolojia nchini Tanzania Mapendekezo Juu ya Sera na Utekelezaji - Hennessy, Sara; Koomar, Saalim; Kreimeia, Adam (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This is a Swahili version of the policy brief Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching With Technology in Tanzania: Recommendations for policy and practice published in October 2022. Muhtasari huu wa masuala ya kisera unatoa ripoti ya utafiti wa walimu nchini Tanzania (Julai-Novemba 2021) ambao EdTech Hub iliagiza HakiElimu kuufanya ili kuchangia taarifa itakayosaidia mchakato endelevu wa serikali kuleta mageuzi ya MEWAKA katika ngazi za shule na vituo vya walimu. Dodoso zilichukuliwa kutoka katika uchunguzi wa kihistoria wa kimataifa uliohusisha takriban walimu 20,000+ , kuhusu uzoefu na changamoto zao katika ufikiaji na matumizi ya EdTech, ufundishaji na ujifunzaji, na maendeleo ya kitaaluma katika mwaka 2021, iliyoripotiwa na timu kutoka T4 Education na EdTech Hub. Maneno muhimu: teknolojia ya elimu; matokeo ya kujifunza; mahitaji ya mwalimu; mafunzo endelevu ya taaluma ya ualimu; sauti ya mwalimu / Kauli ya mwalimu; ufikiaji wa teknolojia An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Automated Knowledge Extraction from IS Research Articles Combining Sentence Classification and Ontological Annotation - Huettemann, Sebastian (2023)
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024; ⛔ No DOI found

Low-tech personalised learning to improve girls' education in Kenya. - Jordan, K; Damani, K; Khagame, P; Mongeau, C; Mumbi, A; Myers, C; Njuguna, L; Otieno, J; Zhao, A (EdTech Hub and M-Shule, 2023)

How can messaging apps, WhatsApp and SMS be used to support learning? A scoping review - Jordan, Katy (Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2023)
In response to disruption to education during the Covid-19 pandemic, mobile phone-based messaging has emerged in some instances as an accessible, low-connectivity way of promoting interactivity. However, no recent reviews have been undertaken in relation to how social media and messaging apps can be used to effectively support education in low- and middle-income countries. In this scoping review, 43 documents were identified for inclusion and three main thematic areas emerged: supporting student learning (including interacting with peers and other students, peer tutoring and collaborative learning; and interacting with teachers, through content delivery, teaching and assessment); teacher professional development (including structured support and prompts, and informal communities of practice); and supporting refugee education. The discussion and findings are both of practical use, to inform responses to the current pandemic and designing initiatives in the future, and will also be useful for advancing research in this expanding field.

Learners and Caregivers' Barriers and Attitudes to SMS-based Mobile Learning in Kenya: Key findings from a telephone survey - Jordan, Katy; Damani, Kalifa; Myers, Christina; Khagame, Phoebe; Mumbi, Albina; Njuguna, Lydia (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Nudging or Nagging? Conflicting Effects of Behavioral Tools - Kalil, Ariel; Liu, Haoxuan; Mayer, Susan; Rury, Derek; Shah, Rohen (SSRN Electronic Journal, 2023)

The evolution of systematic evidence reviews: Past and future developments and their implications for policy analysis - Lemire, Sebastian; Peck, Laura R.; Porowski, Allan (Politics & Policy, 2023)
Abstract Evidence reviews are widely used to summarize findings from existing studies and, as such, are an important base for policy analysis. Over the past 50 years, three waves of evidence reviews have emerged: (1) the meta‐analysis wave, (2) the mixed‐methods synthesis wave, and (3) the core components wave. The present article first describes these waves and reflects on the benefits and limitations of each wave in the context of policy analysis. Informed by this historical account, the article then identifies and discusses three trends that are likely to influence future directions of evidence reviews: (1) using data science tools, (2) embedding an equity focus, and (3) translating research into practice. The concluding discussion connects these developments to public policy, identifying how evidence from systematic evidence reviews informs—or could better inform—policy decisions. Related Articles Nunes Silva, Carlos. 2012. “Policy and Evidence in a Partisan Age: The Great Disconnect—By Paul Gary Wyckoff.” Politics & Policy 40(3): 541–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00363.x . Sinclair, Thomas A. P. 2006. “Previewing Policy Sciences: Multiple Lenses and Segmented Visions.” Politics & Policy 34(3): 481–504. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2006.00025.x . Smith‐Walter, Aaron, Holly L. Peterson, Michael D. Jones, and Ashley Nicole Reynolds Marshall. 2016. “Gun Stories: How Evidence Shapes Firearm Policy in the United States.” Politics & Policy 44(6): 1053–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12187 . , La evolución de las revisiones sistemáticas de evidencia: Desarrollos pasados y futuros y sus implicaciones para el análisis de políticas Las revisiones de evidencia se utilizan ampliamente para resumir los hallazgos de estudios existentes y, como tales, son un tipo importante de análisis de políticas. En los últimos 50 años, han surgido tres oleadas de revisiones de evidencia: (1) la oleada de metanálisis, (2) la oleada de síntesis de métodos mixtos y (3) la oleada de componentes centrales. El presente artículo primero describe estas oleadas y reflexiona sobre los beneficios y limitaciones de cada oleada en el contexto del análisis de políticas. Basado en este relato histórico, el artículo luego identifica y analiza tres tendencias que probablemente influirán en las direcciones futuras de las revisiones de evidencia: (1) usar herramientas de ciencia de datos, (2) incorporar un enfoque de equidad y (3) traducir la investigación a la práctica. La discusión final conecta estos desarrollos con la política pública, identificando cómo la evidencia de las revisiones sistemáticas de evidencia informa, o podría informar mejor, las decisiones de política. , 系统性证据审查的演变:过去和未来的发展及其对政策分析的影响 证据审查被广泛用于总结现有研究结果，因此是一种重要的政策分析类型。过去50年里，出现了三次证据审查浪潮，即荟萃分析、混合方法综合、以及核心组分法。本文首先描述了这三种方法，并在政策分析情境下反思了每种方法的优势和局限性。根据这一历史叙述，本文随后识别并探讨了可能影响证据审查未来方向的三种趋势:(1)使用数据科学工具，(2)嵌入公平视角，(3)将研究转化为实践。结论将这些发展与公共政策相联系，识别了来自系统性证据审查的证据如何影响政策决策(或如何能更好地影响政策决策)。
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024; análisis de políticas; componentes básicos; core components; evidence review; meta-analysis; metanálisis; mixed methods; métodos Mixtos; policy analysis; research synthesis; revisión de evidencia; revisión sistemática; systematic review; síntesis de Investigación; 政策分析; 核心组分; 混合方法; 研究综合; 系统性综述; 荟萃分析; 证据审查

Introduction of an EdTech intervention to support learning of foundational skills in Sierra Leone: policy, teacher, and community perspectives - Lurvink, Anne-Fleur; Pitchford, Nicola J. (Frontiers in Education, 2023)
Background: Like many other countries, Sierra Leone faces significant challenges with primary education resulting in many children leaving primary school without acquiring basic foundational skills. To address these challenges, an educational technology (EdTech) intervention was implemented in 20 primary schools located in two marginalized districts in Sierra Leone. While this EdTech intervention has been shown to raise learning outcomes, little is known about the impacts on the broader education ecosystem. This paper investigates how this EdTech intervention might address some the challenges faced with primary education in Sierra Leone, by examining policy, teacher, and community perspectives. Method: A mixed methods approach was employed which included a policy mapping exercise, a survey of teachers training needs in supporting the development of foundational skills with grade 1 learners, an interview with teachers after they had delivered the EdTech intervention to garner their perceptions and experiences of using the technology in their class, and focus groups with teachers and other community members to gain insights into how the EdTech intervention had been received. Results: Findings from the policy mapping exercise and quantitative data from the survey of teacher training needs were triangulated with qualitative data from the interviews and focus groups. Four key themes emerged relating to the effective and sustained use of this EdTech intervention to support the acquisition of foundational skills by primary school children in Sierra Leone: (1) the need for continued teacher professional development, (2) the use of English as the language of instruction, (3) access to the technology by children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and (4) the importance of active community engagement in supporting the intervention. Discussion: Collectively, results indicated that the EdTech intervention employed in this study aligned well to the education policy in Sierra Leone. Enhanced teacher training is needed, especially in using English as the language of instruction, and continued community engagement is essential for scaling the intervention effectively and ensuring that all children, including those with SEND, access the technology at primary school. These results have implications for other EdTech intervention deployed in resource-poor settings to enhance learning of foundational skills.

Randomised Controlled Trial Protocol: Digital personalised learning to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in Kenyan classrooms - Major, Louis; Daltry, Rebecca; Otieno, Mary; Otieno, Kevin; Zhao, Annette; Hinks, Jessica; Sun, Chen; Friedburg, Aidan (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This protocol provides a detailed overview of a cluster-randomised controlled trial (RCT) being undertaken in pre-primary schools in Kenya. The RCT seeks to rigorously investigate the impact of a classroom-integrated digital personalised learning (DPL) tool on early grade numeracy and literacy learning outcomes. The protocol is being disseminated prior to endline data analysis to promote transparency and a comprehensive understanding of the RCT approach and design. Keywords: digital personalised learning; DPL; Randomised controlled trial; RCT; research methodology; learning outcomes; Kenya An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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A dialogic design-based research partnership approach: developing close-to-practice educational technology theory in Kenya (Forthcomming) - Major, Louis; Daltry, Rebecca; Rahman, Asad; Plaut, Daniel; Otieno, Mary; Otieno, Kevin (Global Perspectives on Teaching with Technology: Theories, Case Studies and Integration Strategies, 2023)
Design-based research (DBR) has promise for investigating educational technology in low- and middle-income contexts. However, DBR is implemented infrequently in such settings, highlighting a need for guidance on implementation. This chapter critically reflects on innovative DBR involving Kenyan teachers and research partners over two years. This focused on the iterative evaluation of a ‘digital personalised learning’ tool to improve its integration into classroom practice. This DBR promoted teacher-researcher engagement through adopting a dialogue-informed 'intermediate theory building' framework, bridging the theory-practice gap. Additionally, it enhanced inclusivity by broadening the concept of partnership through an ‘integrated’ approach. Lessons learned and practical implications are highlighted. Outcomes establish a novel foundation for applying DBR to enhance educational technology for marginalised learners.

Building Education Foundations through Innovation & Technology: Malawi Scale-Up Program Overview - Malawi Ministry of Education (Government of Malawi, 2023)

Building Education Foundations through Innovation & Technology: Malawi Scale-up Program Overview - Malawi MoE (2023)

Building Education Foundations through Innovation & Technology: Malawi Scale-up Program Overview - Malawi MoE (2023)

Learning continuity in response to climate emergencies: Pakistan's 2022 floods - Mazari, Haani; Baloch, Imdad; Thinley, Sangay; Radford, Kate; Kaye, Tom; Perry, Freya (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Building on EdTech Hub's preliminary insights, this extended resource explores Learning continuity in response to climate emergencies following the 2022 Pakistan floods. The intention is to support stakeholders in identifying scalable and feasible ways of using EdTech in response to Pakistan’s 2022 floods and improving learning responses in future climate emergencies. We identified these approaches by interviewing flood-affected parents and teachers, government education officers, development partners, local NGOs, and international experts in education in emergencies. We find that during the different phases of response to the emergency, communities’ needs and infrastructural realities keep changing. However, existing responses to support learning have not been able to address these needs at scale. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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The current landscape and future of tablet-based cognitive assessments for children in low-resourced settings - McHenry, Megan S.; Mukherjee, Debarati; Bhavnani, Supriya; Kirolos, Amir; Piper, Joe D.; Crespo-Llado, Maria M.; Gladstone, Melissa J. (PLOS digital health, 2023)

National Numeracy Programme (NNP) - Objectives - National Numeracy Programme (NNP) (2023)

EdTech Evidence From Covid-19 Response: A thematic review of primary research from Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan and Sierra Leone - Nicolai, Susan; Jefferies, Kate; Stepanek Lockhart, Ashley (EdTech Hub, 2023)
To better understand the use of EdTech interventions as part of response to the Covid-19 pandemic, EdTech Hub commissioned ten small-scale research studies in five low- and middle-income countries: Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sierra Leone. This paper includes insight into research methodologies across these studies, with particularly interesting findings on how EdTech effectiveness is being measured. A semi-structured thematic analysis further provides insights in relation to four main user groups of learners, girls, teachers, and parents and caregivers and points to a series of cross-cutting factors that are important for EdTech interventions in low-resource settings. An overarching takeaway centres on the fact that having technology in place is a small part of EdTech effectiveness, with wider teaching and learning ecosystems accompanying EdTech deserving more attention. Overall, the studies reveal a symbiotic relationship between people and technology, reinforcing that EdTech works best when users are involved across design, iteration, awareness building, and engagement. Keywords: EdTech, Covid-19, digital, education, learning, remote An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Toward a holistic approach to EdTech effectiveness: Lessons from Covid-19 research in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sierra Leone - Nicolai, Susan; Jordan, Katy; Adam, Taskeen; Kaye, Tom; Myers, Christina (International Journal of Educational Development, 2023)

Raising Readers: Can mobile technology enable Kenyan schools to improve parent and carer engagement in reading with their children? - Nicolai, Susan; Khan, Amina; Kartha, Ashwati; Bapna, Akanksha; Kamninga, Tony (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Deploying design-based, mixed-methods research, the study Raising Readers (Phase 1) explores how technology can be best used to strengthen parent and carer engagement with children’s reading in Kenya. In close collaboration with Worldreader, a digital reading organisation, five co-designed modalities (parental training, feedback loops, nudges/messaging, incentives, and reading celebrations) were tested in 14 schools across Nairobi and Kiambu counties over 12 weeks in 2022. The intervention helped to assess the potential of the different modalities in facilitating parental/carer engagement around children’s reading using the BookSmart app. As measured by average reading time, intervention groups showed higher engagement using BookSmart than the control group. ‘Incentives’ led with 39 hours 29 minutes average reading time per school over 12 weeks, followed by ‘reading celebrations’ with 24 hours 13 minutes. ‘Feedback loops’ and ‘training’ had comparable levels (10 hours, 28 minutes, and 9 hours, 27 minutes per school, respectively). ‘Messaging / nudges’ had the lowest engagement (5 hours 57 minutes versus 3 hours 2 minutes in the control group). Parental/carer knowledge, attitudes, and practices supporting their child's reading improved with the interventions. Findings of Phase 1 were used to inform the design of Phase 2. Keywords: Education, app, reading, school, child, Kenya An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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The Use of Technology to Promote Equity and Inclusion in Education in North and Northeast Kenya - Otieno, Jennifer; Kaye, Tom; Mbugua, Wanjiku (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Kenya has been lauded as having one of the most progressive and effective education systems in Africa. Significant investments in education funding, innovative technology-enabled approaches to improve teaching and learning, and committed leadership make Kenya an example for neighbours and others across the world. However, at a sub-national level, significant variances in education access and quality arise. While many improvements have been made to participation, quality, equity, and inclusion in education in Kenya, there are persistent disparities in access and outcomes for rural learners, girls, learners with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. The North and Northeastern (N/NE) counties of Kenya are where some of the greatest disparities exist. Our research examines the context of N/NE Kenya to understand why these disparities exist, and how technology can play a role in increasing equity and inclusion in education in the region. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Collaboration to Realise Kenya’s National Learning Goals through EdTech - Otieno, Jennifer; Omuthe, Ronald; Ampofo, Rudolph (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Personal communication: Research on solar-power projector DPL implementation in Malawi - Pitchford, Nicola J. (2023)

Using evidence in practice when there is high uncertainty on what works - Rahman, Asad; Simpson, Lea; Wilkinson, James; Kuria, Catherine; Kably, Nathan; Plaut, Daniel; Tanweer, Rabia; Mbugua, Ciku (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Breaking Through Limitations: Enhanced Systematic Literature Reviews With Large Language Models - Reason, Tim; Langham, Julia; Gimblett, Andy; Malcolm, Bill; Klijn, Sven (Population, 2023)
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024; ⛔ No DOI found

Mapping National Digital Learning Platforms - Rui, Tingting; Chuang, Rachel; Thinley, Sangay; AlSheikh Theeb, Thaer; Villavicencio, Xuzel; Hasiniavo. Rasolohery (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This report presents findings from a global mapping exercise of 471 national digital platforms across 184 countries that was conducted by EdTech Hub following a Helpdesk request from UNICEF. The mapping exercise focused on examining three key areas of availability, usability, and inclusivity of national digital learning platforms. The study found that 32% of identified national digital learning platforms no longer exist, have not been updated since 2020, or have links that do not work. Only 30% of platforms offer offline functionality. Eighty-five per cent of platforms were accessible on a basic smartphone. This report serves as a snapshot in time of national digital learning platforms around the world. Future mapping exercises and reports may be carried out to expand on this work. Keywords: platforms, digital, learning, mobile, mapping, offline An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Mapping National Digital Learning Platforms: Full Dataset - Rui, Tingting; Chuang, Rachel; Thinley, Sangay; AlSheikh Theeb, Thaer; Villavicencio, Xuzel; Hasiniavo, Rasolohery (EdTech Hub, 2023)
The dataset provided here as a link to a spreadsheet presents raw data from a global mapping exercise of 471 national digital platforms across 184 countries conducted by EdTech Hub as part of a Helpdesk request from UNICEF. The mapping exercise examined three key areas of availability, usability, and inclusivity of national digital learning platforms. Analysis from the dataset was used to generate a report on national digital learning platforms. The datasheet includes the authors’ organisation of the dataset under key indicators. Readers can use the datasheet to replicate or conduct their own analysis. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Systematic Review using a Spiral approach with Machine Learning - Saeidmehr, Amirhossein; Steel, Piers; Samavati, Faramarz (2023)
With the accelerating growth of the academic corpus, doubling every nine years, machine learning is a promising avenue to make systematic review manageable. Though several notable advancements have already been made, the incorporation of machine learning is less than optimal, still relying on a sequential, staged process designed to accommodate a purely human approach, exemplified by PRISMA. Here, we test a spiral, alternating or oscillating approach, where full-text screening is done intermittently with title/abstract screening, which we examine in three datasets by simulation under 360 conditions comprised of different algorithmic classifiers, feature extractions, prioritization rules, data types, and information provided (e.g., title/abstract, full-text included). Overwhelmingly, the results favored a spiral processing approach with Logistic Regression, TF-IDF for vectorization, and Maximum Probability for prioritization. Results demonstrate up to a 90% improvement over traditional machine learning methodologies, especially for databases with fewer eligible articles. With these advancements, the screening component of most systematic reviews should remain functionally achievable for another one to two decades.
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Text classification using deep learning techniques: a bibliometric analysis and future research directions - Sarin, Gaurav; Kumar, Pradeep; Mukund, M. (Benchmarking: An International Journal, 2023)
Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Classification; Data mining; Deep learning; Text analytics; _Added-ailr-2024

Towards a Resilient Education Recovery from Pakistan's Floods: Rapid Response Research - Sarwar, Moizza Binat (Malala Fund & Pakistan Coalition for Education, 2023)

Nearly half a million children in Malawi unable to attend school due to Cyclone Freddy - Save the Children (2023)

About IDELA - Save the Children, IDELA (IDELA, 2023)

Digital degrowth: toward radically sustainable education technology - Selwyn, Neil (Learning, Media and Technology, 2023)
This paper outlines how ideas of ‘degrowth’ might be used to reimagine sustainable forms of education technology. In essence, degrowth calls for a proactive renewal of technology use around goals of voluntary simplicity and slowing-down, community-based coproduction and sharing, alongside conscious minimalization of resource consumption. The paper considers how core degrowth principles of conviviality, commoning, autonomy and care have been used to develop various forms of ‘radically sustainable computing’. The paper then suggests four ways in which degrowth principles might frame future thinking around education technology in terms of: (i) curtailing current manipulative forms of education technology, (ii) bolstering existing convivial forms of education technology; (iii) stimulating the development of new convivial education technologies; and (iv) developing digital technologies to achieve the eventual de-schooling of society. It is concluded that mobilisation of these ideas might support a much-needed reorientation of digital technology in education along low-impact, equitable lines.
Keywords: Degrowth; Illich; digital; education; sustainability

Bringing Digital Learning to Rural Schools: A Rapid Evaluation of Lyra in Africa - Simmons, Hannah (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Human-AI Collaboration to Identify Literature for Evidence Synthesis - Spillias, Scott; Tuohy, Paris; Andreotta, Matthew; Annand-Jones, Ruby; Boschetti, Fabio; Cvitanovic, Christopher; Duggan, Joe; Fulton, Elizabeth; Karcher, Denis; Paris, Cecile (2023)
Systematic approaches to evidence synthesis can improve the rigour, transparency, and replicability of a traditional literature review. However, these systematic approaches are time and resource intensive. We evaluate the ability of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to undertake two initial stages of evidence syntheses (searching peer-reviewed literature and screening for relevance) and develop a novel collaborative framework to leverage the best of both human and AI intelligence. Using a scoping review of community-based sheries management as a case study, we nd that with substantial prompting, the AI can provide critical insight into the construction and content of a search string. Thereafter, we evaluate ve strategies for synthesising AI output to screen articles based on prede ned inclusion criteria. We nd low omission rates (< 1%) of relevant literature by the AI are achievable, which is comparable to that of human screeners. These ndings show that generalised AI tools can assist reviewers with evidence synthesis to accelerate the implementation and improve the reliability of a review.
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024

What Is Data Governance and Why Does It Matter? - Stedman, Craig (Data Management, 2023)
Learn what data governance is, why it's important, its benefits, who's responsible for it, data governance best practices and more in this in-depth guide.

Exploring the Relationship Between Teachers’ Use of Technology During the Covid-19 Pandemic in India and Their Perspectives on Students’ Motivation to Learn - Tailor, Kavita; Hennessy, Sara; Jordan, Katy (EdTech Hub, 2023)
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a wealth of research emerged to quantify student learning and the accessibility of technology for learners. However, existing evidence highlights that access to technology did not equate to learning, yet few studies have investigated the underlying reasons behind this. As a correlating factor of learning achievement, this report investigates student motivation to learn, as perceived by teachers, and how this may have been influenced by their use of remote technologies during the pandemic. It elucidates the perspectives of teachers working remotely during the pandemic by presenting a secondary data analysis using the world’s largest teacher survey post-Covid-19 (the T4 teacher survey). It complements these findings with qualitative data gathered from eight teachers and education practitioners in India via an online focus group. Results from this study imply that teachers’ pedagogy was more important for student learning motivation than their use of technology and confirmed that more frequent interaction between teachers and students or parents can increase teacher perceptions of student learning motivation. Findings also suggest that student learning motivation may have significantly depended on the continued development of academic and socio-emotional skills. These findings have practical implications for improving remote learning and blended learning environments and for addressing the salient issue of rote learning in India. Keywords: student motivation, technology, learning loss, Covid-19, digital pedagogy, self-determination theory An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Testing EdTech Interventions in Bandarban: Key Findings from the EdTech Hub Sandbox - Tanweer, Rabia; Plaut, Daniel; Datta, Rupa; Nashtaran, Trishia; Rahman, Asad; Ahmed, Shakil; Fazly, BMRabbi; Hoque, Rashedul; Moon, NurunNahar; Afroze, Sadia (EdTech Hub, 2023)
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. In efforts to do this, UNICEF Bangladesh partnered with EdTech Hub to in which EdTech interventions contribute the most to numeracy learning for marginalised learners in Bangladesh. This was explored through a sandbox in Bandarban, a remote region in South-Eastern Bangladesh. This report synthesises the evidence generated from this EdTech Hub sandbox. While further research is needed, its findings suggest that multimedia classrooms, which were found to be present and functioning in most schools in the region, are a promising intervention. Their effectiveness and implementation are worthwhile avenues for further research. Keywords: Bangladesh, Low connectivity/electricity, rural, marginalised learners, blended learning, tablets An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Building an Acceptable Use Policy - Tanweer, Rabia; Wyss, Natalie (EdTech Hub, 2023)
Acceptable use policies (AUPs) aim to define how digital and technological tools and services (both devices and ICT services) should be used in or by education systems and actors. These policies address the rights, privileges, responsibilities, and ramifications associated with the use of technology in education spaces and for educational purposes. In doing so, AUPs attempt to promote good practice and responsible, safe use of the internet and digital technologies. This brief uses global examples of AUP policies and guidance on the development of AUPs to outline best practices and key considerations for the development of AUPs. Keywords: EdTech usage; acceptable use policy; tablets; laptops; desktop computers; EdTech hardware; EdTech software. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Large-Scale Simulation Study of Active Learning models for Systematic Reviews - Teijema, Jelle Jasper; de Bruin, Jonathan; Bagheri, Ayoub; van de Schoot, Rens (2023)
The active learning methods for prioritising systematic reviews have undergone significant progress and innovation in recent years. This rapid development, however, has inadvertently highlighted the disparity between the rapid development of these methodologies and their rigorous evaluation, stemming from constraints in simulation size, lack of infrastructure, and the use of few datasets. We embark on a large-scale simulation study involving over 27 thousand simulations and over 156 million datapoints, designed to provide robust empirical evidence of active learning methodologies performance. We evaluate 13 combinations of different classification models and feature extraction techniques across high-quality datasets sourced from the SYNERGY dataset. We run a single simulation for each possible combination of selected classification model, feature extraction technique, dataset, and relevant document. The spectrum of performance varies considerably, from marginally better than random reading to near flawless results. Still, every single model-feature extraction combination outperforms random screening. Results are publicly available for analysis and replication. This study advocates for large-scale simulations as the gold standard for assessing active learning methods; it underscores the importance of comprehensive testing to reduce reporting bias and enhance result reliability. It also highlights the need for curating diverse datasets for systematic review literature.
Keywords: _Added-ailr-2024

Childhood Cost Calculator (C3): User Guide. A costing tool for education and early childhood development - The Brookings Institution (Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution, 2023)

EdTech to Support Out-of-School Children and Adolescents - Thinley, Sangay; Rui, Yang (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This Helpdesk report was created in response to a request from the World Bank Malawi Education Team for a curated list of resources on examples of EdTech interventions targeting out-of-school children and adolescents to inform an ASA (Advisory Services and Analytics) output. The ASA output will provide policy options to improve second-chance learning and foundational skills for out-of-school children (OOSC). To provide the World Bank Malawi team with adequate information on the above. This curated list begins with an introduction to the use of EdTech to support out-of-school children and youth, and then moves on to present examples of such interventions and programmes within Malawi, as well the wider African region and the rest of the world. This list is designed to serve as a resource for the team and does not make any direct recommendations on actions to be taken. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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SDG 4 September 2023 - UNESCO (2023)

UNICEF Data Warehouse - UNICEF (2023)

Gateways to Public Digital Learning - United Nations (United Nations, 2023)

School mapping and decision-making - Vijil-Morin, Alejandra; Godwin, Katie; Ramirez, Ana; Mackintosh, Alasdair; Haßler, Björn (GEM Report UNESCO, 2023)
Reliable and timely data is essential for decision-makers at all administrative levels to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. Geospatial data has the potential to provide valuable insights across a range of areas of interest to the education sector, from identifying potential threats to schools and the education community, such as throughdata on natural disaster patterns, to supporting equitable allocation of resources based on data showing the remoteness of schools. However, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is not widespread in the education sector. In this paper, we shed light on the experiences of five country governments, one regional agency, one international initiative, one implementing partner and one private entity, all using GIS for education decision-making in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa.This paper presents the findings from primary data collection and analysis of interviews with representatives from these organisations from August –December 2022. Across these countries, we identified two central applications of school geospatial data, which included education planning -which school mapping is a part of -and cross-sector coordination. Among the main challenges to effectively using school geospatial data to make decisions, we found significant issues with capacity building, funding, bridging the data, and policymaking. On the other hand, when school mapping was used effectively, it helped increase transparency and equity, intersectoral collaboration, cost-effectiveness, and accuracy and reliability. After comparing the seven cases, we concluded that two key enablers need to be in place to promote the impact of geospatial data on educational decision-making: ‘usability’ and ‘availability and openness’.
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Data collection and visualisation tools in the education sector in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia - Vijil, Alejandra; El-Serafy, Yomna; Adam, Taskeen; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Factors Related to Teacher Absenteeism in Sierra Leone: Literature review - Vijil, Alejandra; McBurnie, Chris; Bellinger, Amy; Godwin, Katie; Haßler, Björn (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This report is one of several on the research project on the Impact of GIS-Supported Teacher Allocation in Sierra Leone (Hub-Led Research Programme 3). The education workforce is the most important school-level determinant of student learning. In Sierra Leone, the pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio rises from 44:1 for schools in urban centres to 76:1 for schools in rural areas. Meanwhile, an average of a quarter of the workforce is absent from school on any given day. This informal literature review provides a summary of the most recent literature on teacher absenteeism, covering a wide range of low- and middle-income countries, including Sierra Leone, where the larger study is being undertaken. For the purposes of this review, we have focused on lessons learnt from sub-Saharan African studies that share similar education contexts and challenges as Sierra Leone. Based on the review, we hypothesise that distance from a teacher’s home to their school and their ability to choose which school they would like to work in impact teacher motivation, school attendance, and time on task. Efficient teacher allocation could improve each of these outcome estimates. An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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South Africa Public Expenditure and Institutional Review for Early Childhood Development - World Bank (2023)
South Africa Public Expenditure and Institutional Review for Early Childhood Development (ECD PEIR) (English)

Nigerian schools: Flogged for speaking my mother tongue - Cecilia Macaulay (BBC News, 2023)
Nigeria wants local languages to replace English in primary education, but some say it's not practical.

Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of AI-Language Learning Tools - Rebolledo Font de la Vall, Roxana; Gonzalez Araya, Fabian (International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 2023)
AI language learning tools are computer programs or software applications that use artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to help users learn and improve their skills in a foreign language. These technologies have a lot of benefits, such as the ability to save time and speed up learning, to give students personalized learning experiences, and to help them learn about other cultures. In this study, the scientific literature was looked at to find out the pros, cons, opportunities, and challenges of using AI language learning tools, such as the need for more human interaction, the complexities of language in context, and the fact that training needs a lot of data. In the future, these AI tools could be used to make changes, like combining VR and AR, developing better algorithms for processing natural language, and using more advanced algorithms for adaptive learning. By addressing these problems and limitations, AI learning systems could become even more powerful and valuable tools for learning languages. Their integration is critical to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of learning user experience solutions.

Continuous Teacher Training Goes Nationwide in Tanzania - World Bank (World Bank, 2023)
A World Bank-funded program is piloting continuous professional development for primary school teachers in Tanzania.

The Impact of a Tech-Supported, School-Based TCPD Model on Learning Outcomes in Tanzania: Research tool pack (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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Creating a contextually relevant acceptable or responsible use policy (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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The RISE Education Systems Diagnostic: A Tool for Identifying Strategic Priorities for Education System Reform - RISE (RISE Programme, 2023)

Sustainable Solutions to Rural Girls’ Education: A Rapid Evaluation of Lyra in Tanzania - Simmons, Hannah (EdTech Hub, 2023)
An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org
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KEY FIGURES: 5th Rwanda Population and Housing Census (PHC) - National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. (National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda., 2023)
The fifth Population and Housing Census in Rwanda, was conducted in August 2022. The Census operation was coordinated by the National Census Commission. Various census technical and administrative structures have been put in place to ensure a successful census operation.

The Charm or Chasm of Digital Personalized Learning in Education: Teachers’ Reported Use, Perceptions and Expectations - Van Schoors, Rani; Elen, Jan; Raes, Annelies; Vanbecelaere, Stefanie; Depaepe, Fien (TechTrends, 2023)
Although digital personalized learning (DPL) is assumed to be beneficial for the student as well as the teacher, the implementation process of DPL tools can be challenging. Therefore, the aim of our study is to scrutinize teachers’ perceptions towards the implementation of DPL in the classroom. A total of 370 teachers from primary and secondary education (students aged 6–18 years old) were questioned through an online survey. An overview of descriptive results is presented regarding (1) teachers’ reported technology use, (2) their perceptions towards adaptivity and dashboards in DPL tools and (3) their expectations of support in view of implementing DPL. Based on a cluster analysis, three teacher clusters are distinguished. Results reveal all three clusters had positive perceptions towards DPL. Nevertheless, there is great variety in reported use of DPL tools.
Keywords: Adaptive technology; Cluster analysis; Digital personalized learning; Educational technology; Teachers

Technology and Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania: Research instruments pack - Koomar, Saalim; Massam, Winston; Jacob, Winnie; Gervace, Anthony; Adam, Taskeen; Hennessy, Sara; Chachage, Kristeen; Malibiche, Mustafa; Mutura, Emmanuel; Mtenzi, Fredrick; Mwakabungu, Fika (EdTech Hub, 2023)
This pack contains links to research instruments developed by EdTech Hub, Aga Khan University, and Tanzania Institute of Education for a study investigating the impact of a national teacher professional development programme on primary-level learning outcomes. The tools have been developed iteratively, with substantive piloting having taken place, both in workshop settings and in schools. They draw on good practice examples, such as the World Bank’s TEACH tool for classroom observation and other research projects the team have worked on. We are making these tools available to other researchers and practitioners and hope that they will prove useful. They are provided in editable format so that others can modify them as they see fit.
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MEWAKA in Tanzania: Emerging findings on tech-supported teacher professional development - Koomar, Saalim; Massam, Winston; Anthony, Gervace; Mrope, Winifrida; Adam, Taskeen; Hennessy, Sara; Mtenzi, Fredrick; Proctor, Jamie; Komba, Aneth; Mwakabungu, Fika; Barretto, Johnpaul; Barretto, Saalim Koomar, Winston Massam, Gervace Anthony, Winifrida Mrope, Taskeen Adam, Sara Hennessy, Fredrick Mtenzi, Jamie Proctor, Aneth Komba, Fika Mwakabungu and Johnpaul (EdTech Hub, 2023)
MEWAKA (Mafunzo Endelevu kwa Walimu Kazini, or Teachers’ Continuous Professional Development (TCPD)) is a landmark teacher professional development programme being implemented by the Government of Tanzania. The programme is decentralised, with teacher learning based in schools and focused on semi-structured Communities of Learning (CoLs). CoLs are spaces where teachers can gather weekly to discuss and reflect on issues most relevant to their schools as well as learn and improve their pedagogical skills. Peer facilitators help teachers to collaboratively solve problems, learn new approaches to improve their practice, and generally create a culture of reflection and school improvement.