The Challenge: In the midst of a global learning crisis, EdTech has the potential to expand learning for all
Hundreds of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries are not learning the foundational skills they need to thrive. The COVID-19 pandemic deepened existing inequities in education and underscored the urgent need for education systems to be more resilient, adaptable and inclusive.
As countries work to strengthen their education systems and prepare for future disruptions — from climate shocks to conflict to future pandemics — many are turning to education technology (EdTech) to expand learning opportunities. Although technology holds great promise, it is not a silver bullet. Too often, solutions are introduced without a clear understanding of the challenges they aim to address, are disconnected from learning needs, or poorly integrated into national systems.
Meanwhile, policymakers and implementers are inundated with EdTech products, including AI tools, with limited guidance on what works, where, and why — and at what cost. The result is a fragmented EdTech landscape with limited impact.
R4D’s Approach: Evidence-informed, equity-centered, and built for real-world impact
At Results for Development (R4D), we believe education technology can be a powerful tool to expand access to learning — but only if used thoughtfully, equitably, and in service of broader education goals. We don’t start with technology. We start with the challenges country leaders want to prioritize. What learning gaps need to be addressed? What barriers are students and teachers facing? What obstacles exist within the broader system and ecosystem?
Our work in EdTech is grounded in several key principles:
- Sovereignty: We believe EdTech solutions should be locally led and demand-driven, reflecting the priorities of the governments and partners we work with. For R4D, tech sovereignty goes beyond who sets the agenda. We work to ensure that the communities generating data and shaping solutions are the ones who benefit from them, by supporting governance frameworks and financing models that keep value with local innovators, institutions and citizens.
- Systems approach: We recognize that successful adoption of EdTech is about far more than the technology itself. It requires aligning policies, partnerships, financing structures, and institutional capacities so that EdTech solutions can succeed. R4D brings an end-to-end understanding of how innovations can move from early pilots to sustainable impact at scale, helping governments identify barriers and opportunities across the system and build the enabling conditions needed for solutions to take root and deliver lasting results.
- Tech agnostic: We serve as a neutral, trusted partner focused on helping governments identify EdTech solutions that fit their priorities and contexts, rather than promoting specific technologies or products. R4D supports education leaders to unpack what they need from technology and how it can best serve their goals.
- Equity-focused: Without deliberate, equity-focused solution design, emerging technologies risk reinforcing — rather than reducing — existing inequalities in learning. While global conversations around EdTech and AI often emphasize rapid scaling, we support governments to take the time they need to ask the right questions: who benefits, under what conditions, and with what safeguards.
Highlights of our EdTech Work Include:
Much of R4D’s EdTech work is carried out through EdTech Hub — funded by UK International Development and led by R4D in partnership with BRINK, Open Development and Education, Jigsaw, and the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
- Generating evidence about what works: We support decision-makers by synthesizing and generating rigorous, actionable evidence on the impact and cost-effectiveness of EdTech interventions. We translate this evidence into practical insights and tools that ministries of education, donors, implementers, and innovators can use to improve policies, programs and investments. EdTech Hub — which is led by R4D and partners — is the largest research initiative to date focused on EdTech in low- and middle-income countries. The Hub generates high-quality evidence, delivers on-demand technical assistance, and translates research into practical, actionable guidance, such as Learning Briefs.
- Helping decision-makers cut through the noise: The rapid pace of technological change can make it difficult for education leaders to separate relevant opportunities from hype. We work on the side of decision-makers, helping them cut through technical jargon to understand what emerging technologies can realistically deliver. Through EdTech Hub’s AI Observatory and Action Lab, we help leaders anticipate emerging trends, assess potential risks, and test responsible, equity-centered applications of AI — generating practical lessons about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
- Delivering nimble, on-demand technical support: Using a flexible Helpdesk model, R4D provides just-in-time support to development partners — including evidence syntheses, expert consultations, and strategic guidance — enabling smarter, faster decisions in dynamic policy environments.
- Co-developing national EdTech strategies and policies: We collaborate directly with ministries of education to design EdTech strategies, digital learning plans, and data use systems that are aligned with national education goals and grounded in local realities.
- Experimentation to scale effective solutions: We support policymakers and practitioners as they adapt and test evidence-based approaches through “sandboxes” — a rapid experimentation approach, cultivated by EdTech Hub’s Innovation team, that generates evidence about what is working and what’s not, so that interventions can be iteratively refined to maximize impact. Breaking work into short sprints and learning from evidence as we go, we help partners adapt ideas, reduce risk, and uncover what works. In our Teachers-in-the-Lead Sandboxes, for example, we partner with organizations in Pakistan, Rwanda and Tanzania to co-design and test AI-enabled tools — with teachers not just as participants, but as the lead voices shaping how those tools are designed and used — to explore whether teacher-led AI tool development can improve learning outcomes.
