This week at World Bank EduTech
week of May 23, 2022
We are often asked for examples of large-scale digital transformation projects in education. Digital transformation can cover one or more of the following:
- delivery of education services;
- enhancement of quality;
- teacher training and support; and
- management and monitoring of the education system.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many countries to invest in and implement large scale digital delivery of education services. We know from the evidence that countries that had invested in EdTech at large scale prior to the pandemic were likely to be much more successful in reaching students at home.
Today, we explore examples of countries that have invested in large scale digital transformation (or large-scale deployments) outside the pandemic, particularly those that have also benefited from the World Bank’s support. We should note that deploying devices without thinking about the end goal or the educational change expected is likely to be an expensive and futile exercise in failure. EdTech deployments should follow the 5 principles advocated by the World Bank’s EdTech team.
Nigeria, State of Edo
Edo State has implemented a whole-system reform approach that leverages modern digital technologies backed by the science of learning to improve teaching and learning processes, by providing continuous teacher support and real-time monitoring of learning inputs, attendance, and learning outcomes. Each teacher has a tablet with scripted lessons and apps to log teacher and student attendance and track student performance. Every headteacher is equipped with a smartphone with internet connectivity and monitors teacher attendance as well. The program started with primary schools and with the World Bank’s support, is being extended to cover all junior secondary schools as well.
Egypt
As part of the Egypt Education Reform Project, teachers and students are being provided with digital learning resources to enhance education service delivery and a new computer-based student assessment and examinations system is being implemented- an impressive feat. Outside the pandemic, the stakes for edtech don’t get much higher than delivering national exams because everything needs to come together and work fine and there is no room for error: devices for students, connectivity, secure test prep platform, test content and a strong ICT department to manage the system. In addition, the Egyptian education reform tackles a few challenges such as teaching to the test, rote learning, large scale test prep services that were driving the system. Another interesting example of large-scale digital assessment is in Georgia with the support of the World Bank financed Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project for Georgia. Georgia is implementing the “Assessment for Development Project” under which a census-based e-assessment (fully online mode) will be implemented. It will measure students’ achievements towards the national curriculum and track their progress. Approximately, 150,000 students of 4th, 6th and 10th grades are expected to be assessed in literacy and numeracy every year. Automated e-reports on the assessment results will be generated and distributed to teachers and parents to incentivize data-driven decisions.
Pakistan
The Pakistan Higher Education Development Program is investing in a system-wide approach to leverage technology to improve the higher education teaching, learning and research environment and digitize the university system in Pakistan. Almost every part of the higher education system is being digitized- from setting up a national Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), to research and to investing in blockchain for accreditation and certificates. All this is supported by massive investments in connectivity through the National Research and Education Network (NREN), education cloud computing facilities to host digitized education services and High Performance Computing (HPC) for research.
Peru
Peru was one of the first and the largest deployment of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) with mixed results. More recently at the start of the pandemic, Peru purchased almost 1 million tablets with a further 1.4 million under procurement. The World Bank is currently preparing a project that will contribute to Peru’s investments including
- Improving access to digital equipment;
- Strengthening Digital Content and Skills; and
- Promoting innovation in the usage of educational technology.
Rwanda
Rwanda was one of the first countries in Africa to deploy the OLPC at scale, set up a local assembly plant for education devices and embark on large scale integration of technology and has recently conceptualized a One Laptop Per Teacher project. The World Bank is currently supporting Rwanda to improve its teacher capacity including teacher digital skills.
Examples of External (non-World Bank supported) Large Scale EdTech Deployments
- LAC is an EdTech powerhouse with many countries having been among the first to deploy OLPC at scale and most countries in the region continue to invest. Notable examples include Chile that had one of the earliest systematic EdTech deployments through the Enlaces program and currently implements the Yo Elijo Mi (I Choose My PC) program. Uruguay is famous for its Plan Ceibal Program which moved beyond just devices and is doing innovative things with flexible digital pedagogies. Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil have all deployed millions of devices into schools.
- In sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), some large deployments include Kenya with its Digital Literacy Program (largest deployment in SSA), Uganda which deployed computer labs into all public secondary schools using the Universal Service Fund (USF). A potential upcoming deployment is in South Africa which has promised to “provide every school child in South Africa with digital workbooks and textbooks on a tablet device” potentially making this the largest edtech deployment in Africa.
- Turkey’s FATIH project was one of the most ambitious edtech programs in the World and aims to put “tablet computers in the hands of every student from grade 5 to 12, and interactive whiteboards in every classroom.”
- India has a lot of impressive EdTech initiatives. Some outstanding ones include the State of Tamil Nadu with one of the longest running and large scale laptops for students schemes with over 3 million laptops distributed in the last few years. Another is the Command and Control Centers (CCC) of the State of Gujarat that is leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analysis and Machine Learning to monitor field-level academic and non-academic activities and generate actionable insights for stakeholders.
