R4D joins partners in world’s largest education technology research program

June 18, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Results for Development (R4D) today announced that, with partners, it will help implement a new UK aid-supported Education Technology research and innovation program. The EdTech Hub aims to create the largest global body of research that looks at how education technology is being used and how this can be improved.

UK aid is supporting the creation of the EdTech Hub to help millions more children receive the quality education they deserve and reach their full potential.” –Harriet Baldwin MP, UK Minister of State for Africa at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Minister of State for International Development

More than 380 million children worldwide will finish primary school without being able to read or do basic math. Technology has the potential to accelerate progress toward better learning outcomes, but there is limited evidence of what actually works to support students and teachers.

The focus of R4D’s work will be country and global engagement. Country engagement will involve working closely with governments as they understand the education challenges that EdTech could help them solve, using existing and new evidence to inform the design and implementation of EdTech policies and programs. At the global level, R4D will work to increase coordination and collaboration among those working on EdTech, building on the foundation of its Center for Education Innovations.

“We are laser-focused on engaging government partners in the research process and supporting their use of evidence to answer the difficult, nuts-and-bolts questions they face as they integrate technology into their education systems,” said Molly Jamieson Eberhardt, engagement director for the EdTech Hub and program director at Results for Development. “We are incredibly excited to be working alongside some of the world’s leading education research institutions as we translate evidence to action and work with government partners to build the evidence base on those tough implementation questions that often aren’t addressed in research efforts.”

The EdTech Hub will also:

  • Provide research and evidence to support the refinement and deployment of digital tools for children and teachers, such as bespoke teaching and learning software.
  • Bring innovation to communities, classrooms and ministries with a team that will work directly with users to test and tailor technology.
  • Offer technical assistance to help governments who are keen to build up their knowledge and expertise on how to integrate digital education tools in their countries.
  • Provide a global platform for sharing ideas and effective practice for technology companies, investors and decision-makers.

Jaime Saavedra, senior director for education at the World Bank, said: “Today over half of children in the world are not learning. How can we separate the hope from the hype in harnessing the disruptive power of new technologies to tackle this global learning crisis? That is the question that the EdTech Hub seeks to answer. The World Bank is pleased to participate in this exciting and potentially game-changing initiative.”

The EdTech Hub, which will run for eight years, is made up of the University of Cambridge, Results for Development, Brink, Jigsaw, Open Development and Education, AfriLabs, e-Learning Africa and BRAC. It is supported by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), in partnership with the World Bank.

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About Results for Development
Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too. For more information, visit our website at: www.r4d.org.

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