Educational Technology
Technology is a powerful tool that can affect the focus and delivery of what is taught and learned. Used appropriately it has the ability to break down barriers and level the playing field for disadvantaged learners both within the formal system and for those who have dropped out of school. Furthermore open distance and blended learning approaches and online learning courses have the potential to extend the reach of teacher education and higher education. Currently in many poorer countries technology projects operate on a small scale and rely upon external funding and too little is known about which technologies are most effective.
Researchers will investigate how to maximise the potential for sustainable technology to support equitable and good quality education in ways that can be offered in a sustainable manner at a larger scale. They will identify means by which teachers can use technology most effectively in the classroom what forms of pedagogical support are critical and how best to incorporate technology into the curriculum to support problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
The EdTech Research and Innovation Hub
The EdTech Hub is a £20m+ programme on research and innovation in technology for education funded by the UK Department for International Development in partnership with the World Bank and others. It seeks to advance knowledge and practice through research innovation and engagement.
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OER4Schools programme
The OER4Schools programme develops and researches the impact of an open professional learning resource for use in pre-service or in-service education in sub-Saharan Africa.
The multimedia resource supports interactive teaching and inquiry-based collaborative learning of primary school mathematics and science – generally and through using mobile technologies digital open educational resources (OER) and Open Source software.
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