rom September 16-19, global leaders will converge at the UN headquarters for a historic summit described by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown as “global education’s COP26 moment—a last chance for action to avert an education catastrophe.” At this “Transforming Education Summit,” convened by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, issues including harnessing technology to reshape education, the sectoral funding gap, and education governance will be of central importance on the agenda. Understanding the role of EdTech to addressing these issues is crucial.
Brown, currently the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, along with several prominent personalities including educationalists and former heads of state, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic-linked disruptions and the consequent “global education emergency” was creating a generation “robbed of their education and a fair chance in life.” According to the UN, “24 million learners from the pre-primary to university level are at risk of not returning to school.” Compounding this situation is the “digital canyon,” as “two-thirds of the world’s school-age children—or 1.3 billion children aged 3 to 17 years old - do not have internet connection in their homes,” according to an International Telecommunication Union-UNICEF report. The dearth of basic school infrastructure in many countries could further hurt efforts to facilitate the completion of children’s schooling and obstruct the progress of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education).
Meanwhile, the pandemic-induced acceleration of the digital transition catalyzed the merger of education and technology—resulting in the development and adoption of novel EdTech solutions across the world. This trend, however, needs to be seen against the backdrop of the 2015 Incheon Declaration, which committed to the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in an accessible, equitable, and inclusive manner to address the “collective failure” to achieve the “Education For All” goals.
The landmark declaration also supported evidence-based policies and competency-based curricula. However, these integral aspects are not getting the requisite attention despite the need to make them central to education policies. The deployment of innovative solutions through digital technology was seen as a key tool for addressing the lack of a level-playing field in the personalization of education. Though the enormous potential of EdTech was definitely foreseen at the time of the Incheon Declaration, its implementation did not breakthrough until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns that forced stakeholders to understand the nuances of using technology.
In education, there are four aspects seen as critical by governments including: (i) pedagogy (with a focus on well-being and privacy); (ii) curriculum; (iii) measuring learning; and (iv) assessment outcomes. However, many EdTech firms lean heavily on gimmickry and techniques to help students pass their examinations in order to highlight success on assessment outcomes (or helping learners to clear various exams) rather than the more complicated and important aspects. There is neither a focus on measuring learning nor on covering the entire curriculum—just the parts required to pass exams. This method is particularly damaging for learners in their formative years.
Most EdTech firms do not appreciate the importance of measuring learning outcomes which provide clear benefits to students and teachers through deep learning methods involving analysis, inference, and evaluation as opposed to shallow learning that pushes memorizing and regurgitating facts. Deep learning is vital for students to be set on the path to develop critical thinking skills—crucial to helping them adapt to constant changes in the job market in an era of rapid digital globalization. Focusing solely on exams stifles innovation and lowers education standards. Nevertheless, the popularity of EdTech firms is surging because of traditional education systems failing to deliver during the pandemic.
Given these issues as well as instances of children’s rights being violated, plans are afoot to regulate the EdTech sector and standardize the field. The proposed regulations aim to address concerns following the realization that EdTech firms are evolving from just catering to the examination-related needs of students towards covering skills-based learning and sophisticated pedagogical models.
One major issue, however, is that EdTech oversight in various jurisdictions is spread across multiple government departments. There is a need for an integrated and cohesive approach for greater effectiveness. For greater equity and effectiveness, it is important that policymakers strengthen regulations related to data security and privacy and ensure EdTech programs do not have any built-in biases. Other factors that need to be incorporated in the regulatory framework include interoperability, accessibility, and open standards. Their bottom lines and enhancing shareholder returns are among the primary factors motivating the private sector to invest in EdTech and introduce cutting-edge innovations. Any EdTech regulatory framework that borders on micro-management would dampen enthusiasm in this sector. As such, the ideal model would be one that ensures an appropriate balance between profit and purpose.
For EdTech to succeed, it is crucial to lay a strong foundation by focusing on identifying expert teachers with reflective teaching skills—those that think critically, with evidence, about their methods of teaching, and guarantee greater effectiveness in teaching through a student-centric approach. Such expert teachers should then be encouraged to take the lead in using EdTech and support students in navigating this new technology. It is also important to build greater synergies between traditional and digital learning methods, with an emphasis on formulating classroom questioning strategies for students and teachers, encouraging students to carry out self-assessments and provide constructive feedback to teachers, as well as conducting peer assessments and “effective classroom discussions.” When combined with a good knowledge-rich curriculum, such an approach can lead to students taking ownership of their learning, resulting in better outcomes for all.
a global affairs media network
Regulating the World of EdTech
Photo by Robo Wunderkind via Unsplash.
September 15, 2022
Sept. 16-19, leaders from around the world will gather at the UN Headquarters in New York for the Transforming Education Summit. Described as "a last chance for action to avert an education catastrophe," the summit will only succeed if EdTech is properly utilized, write Arun S Nair and Alex Mirza.
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rom September 16-19, global leaders will converge at the UN headquarters for a historic summit described by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown as “global education’s COP26 moment—a last chance for action to avert an education catastrophe.” At this “Transforming Education Summit,” convened by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, issues including harnessing technology to reshape education, the sectoral funding gap, and education governance will be of central importance on the agenda. Understanding the role of EdTech to addressing these issues is crucial.
Brown, currently the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, along with several prominent personalities including educationalists and former heads of state, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic-linked disruptions and the consequent “global education emergency” was creating a generation “robbed of their education and a fair chance in life.” According to the UN, “24 million learners from the pre-primary to university level are at risk of not returning to school.” Compounding this situation is the “digital canyon,” as “two-thirds of the world’s school-age children—or 1.3 billion children aged 3 to 17 years old - do not have internet connection in their homes,” according to an International Telecommunication Union-UNICEF report. The dearth of basic school infrastructure in many countries could further hurt efforts to facilitate the completion of children’s schooling and obstruct the progress of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education).
Meanwhile, the pandemic-induced acceleration of the digital transition catalyzed the merger of education and technology—resulting in the development and adoption of novel EdTech solutions across the world. This trend, however, needs to be seen against the backdrop of the 2015 Incheon Declaration, which committed to the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in an accessible, equitable, and inclusive manner to address the “collective failure” to achieve the “Education For All” goals.
The landmark declaration also supported evidence-based policies and competency-based curricula. However, these integral aspects are not getting the requisite attention despite the need to make them central to education policies. The deployment of innovative solutions through digital technology was seen as a key tool for addressing the lack of a level-playing field in the personalization of education. Though the enormous potential of EdTech was definitely foreseen at the time of the Incheon Declaration, its implementation did not breakthrough until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdowns that forced stakeholders to understand the nuances of using technology.
In education, there are four aspects seen as critical by governments including: (i) pedagogy (with a focus on well-being and privacy); (ii) curriculum; (iii) measuring learning; and (iv) assessment outcomes. However, many EdTech firms lean heavily on gimmickry and techniques to help students pass their examinations in order to highlight success on assessment outcomes (or helping learners to clear various exams) rather than the more complicated and important aspects. There is neither a focus on measuring learning nor on covering the entire curriculum—just the parts required to pass exams. This method is particularly damaging for learners in their formative years.
Most EdTech firms do not appreciate the importance of measuring learning outcomes which provide clear benefits to students and teachers through deep learning methods involving analysis, inference, and evaluation as opposed to shallow learning that pushes memorizing and regurgitating facts. Deep learning is vital for students to be set on the path to develop critical thinking skills—crucial to helping them adapt to constant changes in the job market in an era of rapid digital globalization. Focusing solely on exams stifles innovation and lowers education standards. Nevertheless, the popularity of EdTech firms is surging because of traditional education systems failing to deliver during the pandemic.
Given these issues as well as instances of children’s rights being violated, plans are afoot to regulate the EdTech sector and standardize the field. The proposed regulations aim to address concerns following the realization that EdTech firms are evolving from just catering to the examination-related needs of students towards covering skills-based learning and sophisticated pedagogical models.
One major issue, however, is that EdTech oversight in various jurisdictions is spread across multiple government departments. There is a need for an integrated and cohesive approach for greater effectiveness. For greater equity and effectiveness, it is important that policymakers strengthen regulations related to data security and privacy and ensure EdTech programs do not have any built-in biases. Other factors that need to be incorporated in the regulatory framework include interoperability, accessibility, and open standards. Their bottom lines and enhancing shareholder returns are among the primary factors motivating the private sector to invest in EdTech and introduce cutting-edge innovations. Any EdTech regulatory framework that borders on micro-management would dampen enthusiasm in this sector. As such, the ideal model would be one that ensures an appropriate balance between profit and purpose.
For EdTech to succeed, it is crucial to lay a strong foundation by focusing on identifying expert teachers with reflective teaching skills—those that think critically, with evidence, about their methods of teaching, and guarantee greater effectiveness in teaching through a student-centric approach. Such expert teachers should then be encouraged to take the lead in using EdTech and support students in navigating this new technology. It is also important to build greater synergies between traditional and digital learning methods, with an emphasis on formulating classroom questioning strategies for students and teachers, encouraging students to carry out self-assessments and provide constructive feedback to teachers, as well as conducting peer assessments and “effective classroom discussions.” When combined with a good knowledge-rich curriculum, such an approach can lead to students taking ownership of their learning, resulting in better outcomes for all.
