Giving Compass' Take:

• Recent research touches on the challenges for India to implement edtech products in its classrooms.

• What are the main barriers for Indian educators to incorporate technology?  

• Here's a look at edtech trends coming in 2020. 

Educators debate few topics as hotly as Education Technology, also known as EdTech. Proponents, such as The Economist, argue that “technology can make big improvements to education (because) teachers are often unqualified, ignorant or absent; tablets show up and work.” Critics, such as Paul Skidmore of Rising Academies, caution that EdTech’s track record is “pretty dismal,” particularly in low-income settings.

Our report on EdTech in India, produced by the Central Square Foundation, found that EdTech’s proponents and critics are both, in part, right. The report synthesized results from process evaluations conducted on a dozen Indian EdTech products. The evaluations used surveys and interviews of 1,500 students, teachers, headmasters, and parents in ten states as well as product use data from tens of thousands of students, teachers, and schools across the country.

Overall, we found that EdTech has significant potential to increase student learning levels. The market seems to agree, and the sector is booming. Yet several challenges stand in the way of the EdTech revolution. First, EdTech product quality varies greatly yet is hard to observe, making it difficult for schools and administrators to choose an appropriate product. Second, few products are designed with the needs of low-income students in mind. Third, implementing EdTech well requires effective monitoring and support systems, which many school systems are unable to provide.

Researchers, funders, and implementers can capitalize on the EdTech investment boom by pushing the sector to stay focused on student learning and not ignore low-income students.

Read the full article about edtech in India by Doug Johnson and Rob Sampson at India Development Review.