The HEART Education Technology (edtech) Topic Guide was launched on 13 November 2014 at Mott Macdonald/Cambridge Education in London. The Guide explores the evidence on relationships between the use of edtech in education, and learning outcomes. It offers recommendations to support UK Department for International Development (DFID) advisers to strengthen the design, implementation and evaluation of edtech programmes. This video shows an introduction to the launch event from Andy Brock, Managing Director of Cambridge Education and a Director of Mott Macdonald. Senior Adviser Sally Gear then gives an introduction to Education Technology at DFID and then lead author of the Topic Guide, Tom Power of the Open University outlines the Guide and its key findings. There is a short video from Niall Winters, a contributor to the Topic Guide, who gives further discussion of findings and the interview finishes with panel discussion on Education Technology chaired by Sally Gear. Panelists are David Hollow from Jigsaw Consult, Robert McCormick of the Open University and Gary Motteram from the University of Manchester.
The guide aims to contribute to what we know about the relationship between educational technology (edtech) and educational outcomes by addressing the following overarching question:
What is the evidence that the use of edtech, by teachers or students, impacts teaching and learning practices, or learning outcomes?
It also offers recommendations to support advisors to strengthen the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes that use edtech. Recognising that technology alone does not enhance learning, evaluations must also consider how programmes are designed and implemented, how teachers are supported, how communities are developed and how outcomes are measured.
The hashtag #Edtech4dev can be used to join in the conversation with others who have accessed the guide. Tweet to us at @HEART_RES with any comments you might have.
