Digital Learning

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of refugees and migrants arriving in the country has increased from just a few dozen arrivals annually prior to 2017 to 95,000 between 2018 and 2022. This increase has put incredible strain on the country’s education systems.

In 2021, an estimated 37 million children were forcibly displaced across the globe. Ensuring these children continue their education in times of crisis is a significant challenge. One tool that can help children stay in education is basic mobile phones. Basic mobile phones can provide learning through multiple channels, such as text messages, voice calls, nudges and lessons through radio broadcasts. This report outlines, in detail, how mobile phones can be applied as a learning tool in emergency settings. It also provides practical case studies and references for how mobile phones have been used to teach students, support parents and train teachers. This report is also part of the On Call two-part series on the uses of mobile technologies for education in emergency settings, with the second report focusing on mobile technologies for learning assessments.

How can we harness the power of mobile technologies to track learning in emergencies? Identifying ways to improve assessments in emergencies is incredibly important as there remains large gaps in understanding how children are learning in crisis settings. This report aims to provide practitioners with practical guidance and resources on using mobile technology to conduct learning assessments in emergency settings. It is the second of a two-part series on uses of mobile phones for education in emergency programmes and draws from a review of the existing literature as well as feedback from education in emergencies practitioners.

En América Latina y el Caribe, más de 19 millones de niñas, niños y adolescentes tienen una discapacidad. Aunque las tasas de asistencia y finalización de los estudios han aumentado de forma constante en los últimos 20 años, las barreras de acceso a una educación de calidad para las niñas, niños y adolescentes con discapacidad siguen siendo demasiado altas en la región. En el Paraguay, la discapacidad es un factor importante asociado a la participación escolar y a los resultados de aprendizaje. La iniciativa Libros de Texto Digitales Accesibles para Todos y Todas implementa herramientas y contenidos digitales para que el aprendizaje sea accesible para todos los estudiantes —con y sin discapacidad— en la misma aula. Este informe presenta los resultados del piloto realizado empleando un libro de texto digital accesible para niños, niñas y adolescentes con y sin discapacidad en el Paraguay. El informe ofrece resultados en tres áreas. En primer lugar, analiza la familiaridad y la capacidad de los docentes y los estudiantes de interactuar con la tecnología. En segundo lugar, investiga las prácticas pedagógicas utilizadas para la educación inclusiva y para integrar el libro de texto digital accesible como una herramienta en el aula para apoyar la inclusión. En tercer lugar, presenta recomendaciones para mejorar el contenido y la interfaz del libro de texto digital accesible. Este estudio forma parte de una investigación multinacional a largo plazo que examina el desarrollo y uso de libros de texto digitales accesibles. Futuras investigaciones explorarán el impacto del uso, a mayor escala, de los libros de texto digitales accesibles sobre los logros de aprendizaje de los estudiantes.

The Accessible Digital Textbooks for All (ADT) initiative, implements accessible digital tools and content to make learning accessible to all students - with and without disabilities - in the same classroom.

Digital learning has the potential to transform education systems, by providing students with interactive and fun learning experiences. However, reaching the promise of digital learning requires much more than inserting technology into a school. Beyond improving access to electricity and affordable connectivity, effective digital learning requires a systems approach with teachers and students at the center. In São Tomé and Príncipe, UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) has begun  the implementation of the Digital Learning Strategy for the next 5 years in primary and secondary education. This systems approach includes teacher training, developing methods for improving pedagogy with technology, plans for how to manage devices in the classroom, and the development of free and high-quality educational content. The strategy is data-driven, with research embedded to allow the country to continually adapt and improve the digital learning system based on evidence. In preparation for the launch of digital learning, qualitative data was collected from students, teachers, and caregivers in four schools on Príncipe island to understand how ready the learning ecosystem is for digital learning in the classroom. This rapid exercise allowed the MEHE and UNICEF to learn directly from users and inform upcoming teacher training and implementation of digital learning tools, including the Learning Passport and the Akelius digital learning course in schools. Below are some key findings:Communication between the school and the community on the use of technology for learning is key and engagement with young people is a crucial part of this process.  Mobile phones were the most commonly reported technology used by households, and caregivers report using mobile phones primarily for social networking and messaging apps. Caregivers control the time of use by children and had concerns about their use for learning especially with regards to privacy, security, and content that children can access. Thus the introduction of technology at school must be well communicated to families so that they understand how it can contribute to learning, and that digital protection and security will be taken seriously. Caregivers frequently rely on their older children to support them to understand and use digital devices, as such communication campaigns on the use of digital learning should involve young people as key catalysts for change.“I feel comfortable, but in some respects I sometimes find barriers that I have to overcome, but with the help of my children I overcome them.” - Caregiver, Santo Antônio II School2. Teachers and students see the great promise of digital learning but are concerned over issues of connectivity. Teachers reported their great interest in including digital learning as a tool that can excite and motivate students in the classroom. Students also have positive reactions, they expressed comfort in using technologies, and excitement in using digital solutions in the classroom. Connectivity, however, is a big challenge reported by both students and teachers and even when the connection exists it is often not stable. As connectivity remains a major barrier, it is critical that digital learning solutions can be used without the internet. This is why the MEHE is prioritizing the use of the Learning Passport and the Akelius digital course which can be used both online and offline.3. Teacher training is crucial, especially to strengthen skills in managing technology in the classroom and integrating digital content into lesson plans. Teachers are curious and willing to learn new methods for teaching, some had already begun preparing lesson plans with educational music and videos found online. Teachers mentioned that the use of digital content creates greater interest among students and helps them to retain information. However, they also brought up the challenge of organizing lessons with digital learning, especially in classes with younger students which can be difficult to manage. The views of teachers show the great importance of strong practical teacher training that focuses on how to integrate technology into lessons. "Students in the ninth and eight grades are more grown up, they already have a better mind prepared for this, but those in the first to the sixth grades will be a job." - Teacher at Santo Antônio II School Implementation phases aligned with research  More to come. In São Tomé and Príncipe, research with teachers and students will continue as teacher training is scaled and the implementation of digital learning in classrooms begins. This process will provide timely insights to inform the implementation of digital learning as it scales. This effort is part of UNICEF Innocenti’s work to build implementation research into digital learning programmes. Rafael Pontuschka is an Education Researcher at the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. 

São Tomé and Príncipe, an island country off the west coast of Africa, is facing a learning crisis.Already before the pandemic, two out of three students at the end of grade 2 were unable to read. With support from UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has stepped up to the task: The small nation is now becoming a trailblazer for digital learning. Thanks to large investments from the World Bank, the Millennium Foundation, the Akelius foundation and the Learning Passport fund, access to digital learning technologies and platforms is being expanded. The Millennium Foundation and jp.ik have already provided enough laptops to reach every child and adolescent in the Autonomous Region of Príncipe.   A student in the Autonomous Region of Príncipe working on a learning laptop. Understanding that technology by itself does not ensure learning outcomes, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and UNICEF have teamed up to develop a systems approach to digital learning. This approach includes improving electricity and connectivity, training and upskilling teachers, developing digital learning solutions and content, maintaining and managing devices – and lastly, engaging young people, communities and educators around the topic.  The nation’s ambitious project and learnings from its implementation could benefit not only the country, but children everywhere. Generating evidence, especially for offline digital learning is crucial in a country where 70 per cent of the population does not use the internet and 25 per cent do not have access to electricity.   That is why the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, UNICEF São Tomé and Príncipe, the University of São Tomé and Príncipe, and UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti are working together to embed mixed-methods research into the deployment of the enhanced digital learning system. Using human-centered design, the team aims to learn from students and teachers about how to improve the learning experience, to then share the findings among users, partners, developers and colleagues facing similar challenges across the globe. The research will answer the following questions: Which skills and support do teachers need in order to use technology effectively in their teaching practices?  What are the best ways for teachers to manage technology in the classroom with their students? How can digital learning solutions like the Learning Passport and the Akelius digital course be used to improve learning?   Young students in São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe on their way back from school. The journey to reimagine education in São Tomé and Príncipe has just begun. Follow along the progress of this research as we test, iterate, learn and document a path to deliver digital learning at scale in West and Central Africa. When implemented well, digital learning has the power to transform education systems worldwide, mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on learning and improve learning outcomes for all children. Helena Botelho, PhD, is the Director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in São Tomé and Príncipe. Mirabel Costa Ribeiro is the Chief of Education at UNICEF São Tomé and Príncipe. Rafael Pontuschka is an Education Researcher at the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. Nujoma Quaresma is the Coordinator of the Technology Studies in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of São Tomé and Príncipe. 

Reopening with Resilience: Lessons from Remote Learning during COVID-19 reviews the emerging evidence on remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report combines a review of the global literature on remote learning with an analysis of global, regional, and country-level data sources.

Digital learning has the potential to offer interactive and personalized learning for children, in and out of school, including the most marginalized. However, depending on programme design, delivery, and use, digital learning can also exacerbate learning inequalities. This report presents tangible findings on the implementation and use of digital learning to improve outcomes for marginalized children in Lebanon. This report focuses on the UNICEF-Akelius Foundation Partnership and its implementation of a digital course used on tablets and mobile phones for language learning of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The report provides findings across three areas: First, the report investigates the digital course’s use in a blended learning environment where it was used on tablets by students as part of traditional face-to-face classroom instruction with teachers. Second, the analysis examines the transition to remote learning where the course was used on devices owned by the household, supported by teachers remotely. Third, the report estimates the effectiveness of the use of the digital course during this period of remote learning from August–November 2020 showing positive results for language and art competencies.

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools worldwide governments rapidly worked to deploy remote learning to continue education. 9 in 10 countries around the world used online learning platforms to support children’s learning in 2020. However, understanding of how students, especially those from marginalized households in remote areas, can access, use, and learn from digital platforms is limited.

Pre-COVID-19, half of the world’s children were already unable to read a simple text by the age of 10. School closures have deepened pre-existing learning disparities, within and among countries, due to inequities in access to technology. This brief summarises research findings and provides actionable recommendations for how to equitably scale up digital learning and provide children and young people with the skills to improve their prospects and safeguard their well-being. It pinpoints solutions for education systems’ use of digital and blended learning anchored in a sound pedagogical approach and urges the G20 and other countries to overcome the barriers that limit the potential benefits of digital learning.

(9 December 2020) Worldwide, an estimated 13 million children are refugees and 19 million children are displaced within their own countries. As of early 2020, around 42,500 refugee and migrant children resided in Greece alone. For many of these children, learning remains out of reach due, in large part, to a lack of knowledge of the host country’s language. As teachers navigate teaching children from various linguistic and academic backgrounds in the same classroom, education technology (EdTech) helps break down this barrier by personalizing learning so each child can learn at their own pace.

(10 February 2021) This report explores children’s and parents’ experiences of remote learning during the lockdown in Italy. It explores how children's access and use of digital technologies changed during the pandemic; highlights how existing inequalities might undermine remote learning opportunities, even among those with internet access; and provides insights on how to support children’s remote learning in the future.

By Sophia Torres, Ursula Hinostroza, Lucia Varela and Komai GarabelliChildren with disabilities remain one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society. Children with disabilities are 49 per cent more likely to have never attended school compared to children without disabilities. Even when in school, children with disabilities still face unique and additional barriers to learning, including limited access to appropriate and accessible teaching and learning materials.  New and innovative technologies can be catalytic to advance inclusion in education to ensure ALL children can access, participate and learn in school. The UNICEF-led Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADT) initiative, in collaboration with Ministries of Education and implementing partners, follows Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles to design and produce accessible digital textbooks (ADTs) for children with and without disabilities, to ensure that all students can learn together. ADTs have accessibility features such as sign language videos, navigation support, voice over and image descriptions, subtitles and interactive UDL activities.  In Uruguay, UNICEF and the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP)1, have designed and tested the first ADT for primary education in the country: Cuaderno para leer y escribir en primero. The ADT offers much more than a traditional textbook, with a variety of accessible writing and reading activities, covering topics like vocabulary, decoding, and phonological awareness. Accessible features of the Accessible Digital Textbook: Cuaderno para leer y escribir en primero To ensure the quality and fit for purpose of the ADT, user testing was carried out to see how children were able to engage with its features. The user testing encompassed four types of schools, involving groups of children aged 6 to 12. Each group consisted of 4 to 5 students, including children with learning difficulties, visual impairments, hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities and students without disabilities. Students used their personal accessible devices provided by Ceibal2. Each group was supervised by a teacher and additional support from specialized teachers was provided based on the specific needs of students. © UNICEF/Uruguay/2023/Rivara. Children with hearing impairment interacting and using the Accesible Digital Textbook:                   Cuaderno para leer y escribir en primero Findings All children were very engaged and motivated when using the ADT. Their proficiency with digital devices used regularly for leisure and academic purposes enabled them to navigate and interact with the textbook effectively.   Both the group of students without disabilities and those with learning disabilities engaged with the ADT independently or with minimal support. This independence is closely linked to the design of the book, which was intended to coexist with and complement other tools that students are already familiar with, such as Ceibal devices, browsers and media players. Teacher guidance was key to support children with different types of disabilities when first introducing the ADT in class to explain specific features. Some students with intellectual disabilities faced some difficulties activating and deactivating the audio function, as well as forwarding and rewinding the videos, at the beginning of the user testing.  Uruguayan sign language videos and interactive activities were greatly appreciated by children with hearing disabilities. Especially as some students with hearing disabilities are much more familiar with sign language and are just starting to learn to read and write.  Students with visual disabilities encountered difficulties making use of the screen reader function in the ADT, which is commonly not used for early grades. Thus, it is recommended that the ADT incorporates voice over and audio descriptions for images and icons instead of a more advanced screen reader function.   The user testing research highlighted tangible areas for improvement in the software, such as:  Ensuring the sign language videos fit properly on the screen across different devices to prevent any cutoff. Enhancing the clarity of instructions to avoid errors or confusion when selecting answers. Improving the visibility of the index button to prevent confusion with the background. Making changes to the font for improved readability. © UNICEF/Uruguay/2023/Rivara. Child with hearing impairment developing a writing task in the Accessible Digital Textbook:       Cuaderno para leer y escribir en primero  Receiving the children's input in this process was fundamental and very enriching for the improvement of the book. Uruguay's first Accessible Digital Textbook is now available for use in schools throughout the country.UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight is working together with UNICEF’s regional and country offices in Latin America and the Caribbean to embed mixed-methods research into the ADT initiative. The research aims to learn from children and teachers how to improve inclusive learning experiences, and share these findings with partners, teachers, developers, and governments facing similar challenges worldwide. This is part of a global initiative to build implementation research into de the deployment of digital learning to learn and improve programmes globally.  Para acceder a la versión en Español de este artículo, hacé clic aquí.  1In addition to being the body responsible for the planning, management and administration of all primary and secondary schools, as well as teacher training in the country, ANEP is the entity that produces, edits and distributes all the books of primary education text.2 Ceibal is the center for educational innovation with digital technologies in Uruguay. It arises as a policy of one laptop per child. Currently, it promotes the integration of digital technologies in education, in order to improve learning and promote processes of innovation, inclusion and personal growth. 

A student using the Learning Passport at a Digital Learning Hub in Sierra Leone. Source: https://www.dsti.gov.sl/tag/dsti-sierra-leone/ By Marta Carnelli, Pragya Dewan, and Janice Kaday Williams  Sierra Leone is facing a learning crisis, where only eight per cent of children in the third grade are able to read a simple text (UNICEF, 2022). Missing out on foundational skills, such as reading and mathematics, hinders a child’s growth and learning for the rest of their life. In 2019, only 39 per cent of primary school students in Sierra Leone reached Grade 6 and just 76 per cent of those students passed the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) to enter junior secondary school (UNESCO, 2019). Additionally, only 46% of junior secondary students in Grade 9 passed the Basic Education Certificate (BECE) exam to advance to senior secondary school.  Figure 1 – Pass rate by gender for NPSE and BECE (2019)  As one of the responses to the widening learning crisis, Sierra Leone became one of the 20+ countries to launch the Learning Passport – a digital learning platform delivered through a partnership between UNICEF globally and Microsoft. The Learning Passport provides contextualized and engaging content, which has been aligned with the national curriculum in Sierra Leone.  In February 2022, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the Directorate of Science Technology and Innovation (DSTI), UNICEF and the ST Foundation collaborated to design a pilot programme that implemented the Learning Passport. The pilot programme helped students from 20 schools in 10 districts to prepare for the two critical national examinations (NPSE and BECE) that would determine their transition to junior or senior secondary school. The pilot targeted schools where ST Foundation had already set up Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs and had a facilitator available. Previous examination papers from the last 10 years were transformed into digital assessments on the Learning Passport. Every practice exam automatically provided scores and feedback when completed, giving students the chance to evaluate their performance, identify areas for improvement, and hone their skills.Findings Students using the Learning Passport at a Digital Learning Hub in Sierra Leone. Source: Making strides to make digital literacy facilities accessible to children across Sierra Leone | UNICEF Sierra LeoneOne hundred and sixty learners participated in the pilot and took an average of 8 practice tests over two weeks. Students took tests across different examination subjects, but most focused on math and language studies.  Based on data from a survey of participants, more than 90 per cent of students found the Learning Passport to be a ‘very useful’ revision tool to prepare for exams and were ‘very likely to use the Learning Passport to prepare for examinations if available and would recommend it to others as a study tool’. The facilitators at one of the participating ICT labs also provided positive feedback:  ‘the platform is helping participants gain knowledge of the basic use of computers and it has also provided an opportunity for the children to practice answering questions in a timed manner, just as will be expected of them during the real exams’. The primary challenge reported by students was that they were not comfortable using computers being more accustomed to mobile phones. Additionally, internet and power cuts were sometimes an issue as they interrupted practice tests.  Practice test scores improved over time. Of the 20 pilot schools, students from nine schools prepared for the BECE exam using the Learning Passport. To monitor a student’s progress through practice exams, a post-assessment was added to the platform. This post-assessment reordered questions from the first math and language exam students were asked to complete. Students who took several practice exams over the two-week period saw significant improvement in scores from the first to last exam. However, due to some administrative challenges, only a limited amount of data from students who took comparable first and last exams could be analyzed.   Final Thoughts   Results from the pilot indicate that the Learning Passport is a powerful tool to support students’ learning and acquisition of digital skills. Students will have more opportunities to explore various topics as educational content continues to be developed for the Learning Passport in Sierra Leone. An offline version of the Learning Passport will be available in Sierra Leone , allowing the same learning experience to be replicated for students without internet connectivity.  Teachers and facilitators are the most critical stakeholders in supporting children’s learning, with or without technology. Well-managed environments and activities, such as a computer lab managed by facilitators, was crucial to the success of the pilot. More to come. This is part of a global initiative to build implementation research into the deployment of the Learning Passport to learn and improve the programme as it scales.  

Digital learning has the potential to transform education systems, by providing students with interactive and fun learning experiences. However, reaching the promise of digital learning requires much more than inserting technology into a school. Beyond improving access to electricity and affordable connectivity, effective digital learning requires a systems approach with teachers and students at the center. In São Tomé and Príncipe, UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) has begun  the implementation of the Digital Learning Strategy for the next 5 years in primary and secondary education. This systems approach includes teacher training, developing methods for improving pedagogy with technology, plans for how to manage devices in the classroom, and the development of free and high-quality educational content. The strategy is data-driven, with research embedded to allow the country to continually adapt and improve the digital learning system based on evidence. In preparation for the launch of digital learning, qualitative data was collected from students, teachers, and caregivers in four schools on Príncipe island to understand how ready the learning ecosystem is for digital learning in the classroom. This rapid exercise allowed the MEHE and UNICEF to learn directly from users and inform upcoming teacher training and implementation of digital learning tools, including the Learning Passport and the Akelius digital learning course in schools. Below are some key findings:Communication between the school and the community on the use of technology for learning is key and engagement with young people is a crucial part of this process.  Mobile phones were the most commonly reported technology used by households, and caregivers report using mobile phones primarily for social networking and messaging apps. Caregivers control the time of use by children and had concerns about their use for learning especially with regards to privacy, security, and content that children can access. Thus the introduction of technology at school must be well communicated to families so that they understand how it can contribute to learning, and that digital protection and security will be taken seriously. Caregivers frequently rely on their older children to support them to understand and use digital devices, as such communication campaigns on the use of digital learning should involve young people as key catalysts for change.“I feel comfortable, but in some respects I sometimes find barriers that I have to overcome, but with the help of my children I overcome them.” - Caregiver, Santo Antônio II School2. Teachers and students see the great promise of digital learning but are concerned over issues of connectivity. Teachers reported their great interest in including digital learning as a tool that can excite and motivate students in the classroom. Students also have positive reactions, they expressed comfort in using technologies, and excitement in using digital solutions in the classroom. Connectivity, however, is a big challenge reported by both students and teachers and even when the connection exists it is often not stable. As connectivity remains a major barrier, it is critical that digital learning solutions can be used without the internet. This is why the MEHE is prioritizing the use of the Learning Passport and the Akelius digital course which can be used both online and offline.3. Teacher training is crucial, especially to strengthen skills in managing technology in the classroom and integrating digital content into lesson plans. Teachers are curious and willing to learn new methods for teaching, some had already begun preparing lesson plans with educational music and videos found online. Teachers mentioned that the use of digital content creates greater interest among students and helps them to retain information. However, they also brought up the challenge of organizing lessons with digital learning, especially in classes with younger students which can be difficult to manage. The views of teachers show the great importance of strong practical teacher training that focuses on how to integrate technology into lessons. "Students in the ninth and eight grades are more grown up, they already have a better mind prepared for this, but those in the first to the sixth grades will be a job." - Teacher at Santo Antônio II School Implementation phases aligned with research  More to come. In São Tomé and Príncipe, research with teachers and students will continue as teacher training is scaled and the implementation of digital learning in classrooms begins. This process will provide timely insights to inform the implementation of digital learning as it scales. This effort is part of UNICEF Innocenti’s work to build implementation research into digital learning programmes. Rafael Pontuschka is an Education Researcher at the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti.