New report helps to evaluate the transformative power of digital technology in education

For us, as education system geeks, no visit to a ministry or potential investment is complete without a few surprise visits to local schools.   Last month, we paid a visit to a few government schools in South East Asia.  We approach the school unannounced and luckily the head teacher is excited to show me his school and it’s facilitates, which have recently received an upgrade.  We pass a few very standard looking classrooms, administrative offices and a cafeteria.  The computer lab is pad locked.  The headmaster proudly opens the lock and shows us this new computer lab with 12 desktops. There is a posted schedule showing ICT time but it doesn’t appear to be followed.

The computers do indeed appear new, so new that they are still covered with plastic, although old enough to have a thin layer dust covering them.  “Can we turn the computers on?  How are they used?” we ask.  There is an extended pause.  The tour quickly moves on.

A few weeks later we are visiting Spark Ferndale in Johannesburg, the first blended learning school in Africa.  Spark has adapted the blended learning model from Rocketship Schools in California.  Spark has a learning lab with computers loaded with math and literacy adaptive software.  Young students are busily working away at their own pace on the modules.  Two learning facilitators monitor the technology, infuse energy and encouragement in the room, track progress and answer questions.  In 45 minutes a new batch of 2nd graders will come in and the original cohort will transition to a classroom with an experienced teacher who will build upon lab concepts and provide tailored activities and group work based on learning gaps identified in lap.  Five students are working together to do double digit subtraction, the teacher is seated with two students explaining addition in hundreds, and another student is working alone with a number counter.  The head of academics brags that the students are on average performing almost a grade level ahead of peers at other local schools.

These are contrasting examples of technology deployed in developing world context. One example emphasizes the teaching and the learning, the other example highlights the excitement around devices.  Unfortunately we too often see demonstrations of the latter.

The promise of technology

For years we have heard promises that technology is about to transform the learning and education systems.  Laptops, iPads and other mobile devices have been rolled out through parts of the developing world and yet the transformation somehow never arrives.

Globally, policymakers, education system leaders and innovative head teachers have struggled to evaluate what works and in what context because the nature of the technology itself changes so fast that they, understandably, find it difficult to choose when and how to invest and in what.

Three forces must come together

One is technology; the second is pedagogy; and the third is change knowledge. We need to combine how we learn, with how to ensure engagement, with how to make change easier for revolutionary learning results.

“Alive in the Swamp”, announced today from New Schools Venture Fund and Nesta, is a new report and method of assessment to evaluate digital resources for schools.  The publication essentially argues that these three powerful forces must be combined to catapult learning dramatically forward.   We will need strategies, products and policies that will promote systemic thinking, assess the ability of digital innovations to deliver outcomes and help operationalize an evolved role of the teacher.

Alive in the Swamp from Nesta UK on Vimeo.

Stakes for developing countries are high

Given the potential for evolving education systems to leapfrog their schools forward, the stakes are high for developing world countries if they are to catch up with the excellent performing systems in many developed countries. To date the international community has emphasized getting every child in schools.  Across the developing world indeed enrollments have risen, primary enrollment up to 90% in 2010 from 82% in 1999.  Unfortunately the enrollment improvement has not been matched by an increase in achievement.  A 2005 Pratham report found 35% of children in India 7-14 could not read simple English paragraph (first-grade level).  The next round of millennium development goals will likely include a measure of education systems to improve student achievement scores. If systems can unlock the full promise of digital innovations the results will be transformation in outcomes. If not, education achievement trajectories may remain unaltered and we risk losing a generation.

In response to the changes in digital technology–and with an eye to helping education systems leaders unlock the potential power of technology in education–we have developed a comprehensive Innovation Index to be used as an evaluative tool to predict the transformative power of emerging digital innovations. The Innovation Index allows the user to systematically evaluate new companies, products and school models in the context of all that we’ve seen is necessary for success.

Addressing the ‘New Pedagogy’ to improve learning outcomes

Our first emerging observation is that both pedagogy and implementation/system criteria are a consistent and reliable challenge across most innovations. In other words, they are the weakest part of the triangle of technology, pedagogy, and system support.  Entrepreneurs often find it more exciting and absorbing to design and build digital innovations than to grapple with a new pedagogy, not to mention the daunting task of addressing system policies and support for implementation. The ‘New Pedagogy’, as we have defined it, consists of a new learning partnership between and among students, as well as between teachers.  Teachers are change agents and students are in charge of their own learning.

We have also observed that much work remains to be done to delve into the meaning of the new pedagogies. We suggest that this will mean:

1. Clarifying the learning goals, especially those related to ‘deep’ learning.
2. Being precise about the pedagogy that will deepen learning in relation to these goals.
3. Seeing how technology may accelerate the learning.
4. Using assessments of learning to inform improvements and to provide evidence of efficacy.

Three recommendations to navigate digital innovations in education

1. Use our Index. There are only three main components and nine dimensions in total. This tool will help you quickly size up the situation. In short, work to maximize the integration of technology, pedagogy, and systemness.
2. Lead with pedagogy. Work on clarifying the relative roles of teachers and students.  Work on clarity and precision of the roles and the evidence relative to impact on learning.  Use technology as an enabler to accelerate learning relative to particular learning outcomes.
3. Develop capacity with respect to system support. This includes implementation assistance, leadership (especially at the school level), and assessment and use of evidence on student learning.  Ensure the support is comprehensive, integrated and relentless. 10% of the challenge is getting the strategy right, 90% is effective implementation.

Keep it simple, keep it focused, and keep learning.

Authors can be reached at @krdonnelly and @michaelfullan1