The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of schools around the world, with a direct impact on education processes. For schools, teachers and students, the immediate response was the adoption of technology as an indispensable element for formal and informal learning, through internet-connected devices, television or radio. The use of educational technologies and their exponential expansion has had both positive and negative consequences. UNESCO published its book “Technology: a Tragedy for Education?, which unpacks the various problems that have arisen in that context and proposes certain recommendations to ensure that technology accompanies efforts to keep universal public education inclusive, equitable and human-centred. This book has been an inspiration for many educational organisations, like us.
ProFuturo, the digital education program of the Telefónica Foundation and La Caixa” Foundation, joined SUMMA, the research and innovation laboratory for Latin America and the Caribbean, to organise a space to bring together technology specialists and experts to discuss this issue. The main objective of the webinar, “Ed-tech: between optimism, disillusionment and hope”, was to reflect on the following question: What do we need to retain, change or eliminate from our technology-mediated education practices in order to make strides to improved learning? Here are the most relevant ideas.
The webinar was divided into two blocks, each addressing key aspects of digital education in Latin America.
Block 1: Conceptualising ed-tech policies and practices
In this first block, leading specialists shared their perspectives on the relationship between education and technology. Gabriela Gambi, Senior Education Associate at the IDB, Justin Reich, Associate Professor at MIT and Director of the Teaching Systems Lab, and Mariano Fernández-Enguita, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid, offered their analyses on the importance of technology in education.
Gabriela Gambi highlighted the conditions that enable equity, emphasising a meaningful connectivity, suitable devices and digital skills. Justin Reich, author of the book “Failure to Disrupt”, emphasised the need to build capabilities rather than simply adopt new technologies. Mariano Fernández-Enguita highlighted the importance of focusing on intentionality, equity and sustainability, and called for a focus on learning, not just technology.
Block 2: Innovations and best practices in Latin America
The second block of the webinar presented real-life experiences from Latin America, showing how technology can be used to spur quality learning. Irene González from Ceibal, Silvana Veinberg from Canales Organización Civil and Luis Espinal of the National Programme for Digital Educational Transformation in Honduras, shared some inspiring examples.
Irene González presented the project “Desafío Profundo”, a transmedia strategy to promote reading and problem-solving. Silvana Veinberg highlighted the work of her organisation for more than two decades, using technologies to improve access to education for deaf people. Finally, Luis Espinal spoke about the use of technology as a tool to overcome education gaps in rural communities.
In conclusion, the webinar made patent the power of technology as a tool, but its effectiveness depends on the context, responsible use and adaptability of the educational community. Experts urged a focus on intentionality, equity and sustainability, stressing that technology should be at the service of learning, not the other way around.
At ProFuturo we design our educational programmes by putting learning into the context in which we and our students live, and the post-pandemic educational reality. To empower the development of digital skills for life and learning, we offer tools to teachers, students, and school principals so they may face the challenges of 21st century society. Our comprehensive, customisable and flexible educational models seek to provide quality education using technology (and all the benefits it brings) as a means to an end. This way we can continue transforming education for millions of children living in vulnerable environments in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
If you want to delve deeper into these reflections and experiences, we invite you to watch the full webinar here. Digital education is constantly evolving, and reflections such as this are fundamental to continue building a strong and equitable educational future.
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