Education Technology and Policy

The Issue and Policy Challenge:

Various studies have shown that students in primary schools in India suffer from low learning outcomes, As a result, their capacity to learn at a higher level of education further weakens. The disadvantaged get further disadvantaged, leading to India’s workforce very likely becoming uneducated and unproductive in the future. “How can technology help improve learning outcomes in school education?” – is the primary motivation for our research.

This group shall address the following specific questions:

(1) What should be the nature of pedagogical innovations to enhance learning outcomes?

(2) How do we assess the impact of new technologies in enhancing learning outcomes?

(3) What is an appropriate valuation method to assess the learning and performance of students?

(4) Does participating in activity-based learning programmes improve the learning levels?

(5) Can we devise methods for providing the needed feedback to teachers and learners? 

(6) How could we use data for informed opinions on whether education systems result in the planned benefits for its participants?  

Future Plans

Short Term Plan (3 years)

• Develop an educational technology and carry out controlled experiments to assess its impacts
• Develop a system of instruments that can be used for impact assessment of different types of educational interventions
• Develop multi-dimensional assessment instruments for evaluating the performance and learning of students in activity-based learning programmes.
• Carry out periodic surveys to make inferences about the role that different types and levels of education plays in improving income and social mobility.

Long Term Roadmap (5-10 years):

To establish CTaP as a Centre known across India for providing :

(a) reliable instruments that can assess the impact of different types of education intervention;

(b) researched inputs to help shape education policy decisions both at the state and centre; and

(c) consulting services to institutions on the use of appropriate technology-based educational interventions 

Courseware:

Technology and Public Policy, School Education in India, Development Planning and Policy;

Collaborations and Outreach:

The centre will aim to

(a) collaborate with the state and central government’s Department of education, NGOs and education universities in India and abroad;

(b) deploy the instruments developed at the centre for evaluating outcomes of initiatives carried out by the NGOs;

(c) attract education experts and interested students from across the world to participate in the research programs of the centre. External expertise is essential especially in the areas of educational psychology, cognitive science and ITS (Intelligent Tutoring Systems) technology, and

(d) develop an ecosystem of institutions, policymakers and edutech startups that come together periodically to exchange ideas and brainstorm – resulting in actionable policy inputs; (e) work closely with Mylspot Education to use their education technology and content to develop intervention programmes based on self-directed and activity-based learning.