1 of 11

Harnessing the power of digital personalised learning solutions (DPLs) in fragile settings:

key findings and recommendations from War Child’s KIX-supported research programme

2 October 2024

Selin Turan – War Child Alliance

©UNICEF Sudan/Sudan/Bos/2019

2 of 11

ABOUT THIS RESEARCH

KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION EXCHANGE (KIX) INITIATIVE

Objective:

To address the evidence gap on effectively adapting and scaling EdTech solutions in conflict-affected and low-resource settings.

Implementation:

Conducted in Uganda, Chad, and Sudan from 2020 to 2024.

Focus:

Investigated the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and conditions for successful adoption and scaling of EdTech solutions, specifically Can’t Wait to Learn.
Developed SchoolLinks to enhance children’s access, attendance, and retention in school.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are experiencing a long-standing learning crisis exacerbated by COVID-19 and climate crisis. In conflict-affected countries, there are additional factors that further exacerbate this crisis such as displacement, rapid influxes of displaced populations, overcrowded classrooms, lack of (qualified) teachers, differing languages of instruction, and the need for psychosocial support. All these factors contribute to the complexities of providing quality education in such settings.

EdTech has shown the potential to address barriers to quality education, support distance learning, and ensure the continuity of education during conflicts and emergencies. However, there is still a gap in evidence especially in terms of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these programmes and conditions to support their scale-up.

3 of 11

ABOUT CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN AND SCHOOLLINKS

KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION EXCHANGE (KIX) INITIATIVE

Key features

Complementary, simple strategies
Co-designed with caregivers, teachers, community members and children
Low-cost and adaptable

Key features

Reading and Numeracy
Available in Arabic, English, French, and Ukrainian
Aligned with national curricula
Co-created content with children and community
Provides hardware, including solar systems, tablets and headsets

Can’t Wait to Learn is a pioneering digital personalised learning programme designed for children in conflict-affected and low-resource settings. It leverages technology to deliver national curriculum-aligned content, helping children build foundational literacy and numeracy skills. As of 2024, it is being implemented in seven countries.��SchoolLinks is a community-based approach to increase school access, attendance, and retention. It complements Can’t Wait to Learn and increases its cost-effectiveness (and can complement other education programmes) by focusing on improving school attendance and retention through community engagement strategies like attendance rewards and homework clubs. Together, these programmes help address key educational challenges in conflict-affected areas.

4 of 11

RESEARCH AGENDA

OUR KIX RESEARCH

Effectiveness

Value for Money

Quality Assurance

Attendance and retention

Policy

Government Adoption

How do you adapt and scale an EdTech programme in conflict-affected countries with impact at scale?

5 of 11

EFFECTIVENESS

For governments, donors and implementing partners: Base decision-making on evidence and support for evidence-based DPL programmes that demonstrates effectiveness in addressing the learning crisis.
For researchers: Investigate the long-term effects of education innovations and conduct statistically powered trials to assess subgroup effects.

To evaluate the effectiveness of Can’t Wait to Learn in accelerating gains in foundational literacy and numeracy.

Can’t Wait to Learn accelerated children's literacy (d=0.32, p<0.001) and numeracy skills (d=0.25, p<0.001).

6 of 11

VALUE FOR MONEY

For national governments: Be proactive in appealing to the global donor community for sustained funding and resources for national adoption.
For donors and implementing partners: Prioritise multi-annual funding to ensure long-term scaling and stability.
For researchers: Support capacity strengthening of education stakeholders, especially policymakers, in cost-effectiveness research to ensure data-driven decision-making.

To evaluate and identify ways to increase the cost-effectiveness of Can’t Wait to Learn.

€37 per child/year could drop to €12/child for start-up and €5/child/year.
Hardware accounts for 70% of Can’t Wait to Learn's cost per child.
Programme management costs decrease as the programme matures.

7 of 11

QUALITY ASSURANCE

For district-level governments: Provide ongoing supervision and monitoring of schools to ensure successful implementation and establish efficient communication channels within local government departments and with the national government.

To develop tools and processes to monitor and maintain quality of implementation at scale.

Teacher self-assessment enhanced teacher training.
Teachers implemented the programme with high levels of fidelity (91%).

8 of 11

ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION

For district-level governments: Collaborate with community leaders and caregivers to promote awareness and support for SchoolLinks.
For donors and implementing partners: Provide long-term funding to support programmes that improve attendance and retention.
For researchers: Adopt participatory and community-based methodologies in programme design and evaluation.

To assess how SchoolLinks improved children's school attendance and retention.

SchoolLinks increased attendance to 95% in intervention schools compared to 32% in non-intervention schools.

9 of 11

POLICY

For national governments: Consider integrating EdTech into national policy frameworks to show readiness and support teachers' technological capacity strengthening by integrating EdTech into teacher training programmes.
For donors and implementing partners: Encourage coordination among donors to maximise impact and avoid duplications.

To investigate the EdTech ecosystem and policy landscape in terms of actors, relationships, challenges, and opportunities for EdTech.

Overcoming infrastructure barriers and strengthening teachers’ technological capacity are pivotal.
Government policy on EdTech is an indicator of readiness to scale.
Forging partnerships with government, private sector, and universities strengthens the EdTech ecosystem.

10 of 11

GOVERNMENT ADOPTION

For national governments: Promote partnerships with (I)NGOs, private sector companies, and community-based organisations for sustainable scale-up.
For district-level governments: Integrate Can’t Wait to Learn into district education plans and budgets to facilitate its adoption and management.

To generate learnings on the process and needs to transition Can’t Wait to Learn management and implementation from WCA to district-level government.

Investing in a transition period is crucial.
Capacity-strengthening should be centred on local education stakeholders.
Integrating processes and tools into governance structures ensures quality.