Introduction
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes education, examining how large organizations like the World Bank have historically approached educational technology (EdTech) offers valuable lessons. My recent study, published in Policy Futures in Education, explores the World Bank’s evolving role in EdTech across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 2011 to 2022.
This analysis reveals a significant shift—from a focus on system management (e.g., school monitoring, data collection, and administrative tools) to instructional solutions that directly impact learning. These insights provide a roadmap for AI in education, particularly as we strive to ensure ethical, inclusive, and human-centered approaches. Below, I outline key findings from the study and what they mean for AI-driven learning in the future.
1. The World Bank’s Evolving EdTech Focus
- Early Years (2011–2015):
The Bank’s EdTech investments primarily targeted system management, aiming to enhance school monitoring, data collection, and administrative infrastructure. While these functions are critical, there was relatively little attention paid to instructional uses of technology—like teacher training or digital curricula.
- Gradual Shift (2016–2019):
Over time, the Bank began emphasizing learning and inclusion, acknowledging that infrastructure alone wouldn’t address persistent educational gaps. Still, technology-related risks (e.g., data privacy, cybersecurity, algorithmic biases) remained underexplored in official policies and project evaluations.
- COVID-19 Pivot (2020–2022):
The global pivot to remote instruction drove the Bank to adopt “multimodal” EdTech solutions—radio, television, mobile phones, and online content—to reach students learning at home. This period marked the first time many large-scale projects overtly addressed teaching and learning needs, not just system management. Key vulnerabilities like the digital divide and equitable access rose to the forefront of policy discussions.
2. Why This Matters for AI in Education
The AIEOU community focuses on ethical, human-centered approaches to AI in teaching and learning. Even though this study examined the World Bank’s broader EdTech investments, there are parallel lessons for AI:
- Equity First:
- Much like the digital divide, AI solutions can either bridge or widen learning gaps. If new AI tools replicate pre-existing inequities or only target well-resourced schools, the “AI divide” could deepen.
- The World Bank’s pivot to “multimodality” during the pandemic underscores how low-tech tools (radio, mobile phones) and advanced solutions (AI tutoring apps) can co-exist to serve diverse learner needs.
- Policy–Practice Alignment:
- My findings highlight “policy-practice decoupling,” where high-level pronouncements on EdTech weren’t always backed by on-ground investments. The same risk applies to AI: calls for “ethical AI” won’t matter if local schools lack teacher training, reliable internet, or strong data protections.
- A robust accountability framework is essential for ensuring AI-based initiatives genuinely advance equity and learning outcomes.
- Collaboration & Local Context:
- During COVID-19, the Bank expanded partnerships with international organizations and private tech firms, underscoring that cross-sector collaborations can accelerate technology deployment in crises.
- However, global partnerships must remain attentive to local needs—particularly in low-income and multilingual contexts—so that AI-driven tools are culturally responsive and co-designed with communities.
3. A Forward-Looking Perspective
AI as a Driver for Change:
Emerging technologies like AI-powered tutoring or blockchain-based credentialing can, in principle, mitigate long-standing challenges. Imagine using AI to personalize lessons for students in under-resourced areas, offering real-time feedback, or analyzing local data to pinpoint where teacher support is most urgently needed.
Yet these benefits hinge on policy safeguards that address:
- Data Privacy & Ethics: AI systems that track student performance can also harvest sensitive data. Ensuring robust data protection laws and transparent algorithms is critical.
- Digital Colonialism & Local Languages: One-size-fits-all digital tools risk imposing external values and sidelining local needs. Co-designing technology with local communities can help preserve linguistic diversity and respect cultural nuances, fostering more inclusive solutions.
- Teacher Capacity-Building: Teachers need training to effectively integrate AI. If they’re unprepared or excluded from design processes, AI tools won’t meaningfully improve learning.
- Infrastructure & Connectivity: AI-based interventions demand stable internet and hardware—still major hurdles in many parts of the world.
4. Key Takeaways for Researchers & Practitioners
- Blend High-Tech and Low-Tech: Where internet access is spotty, AI solutions should integrate with radio, mobile, or offline approaches to ensure inclusivity.
- Support Teacher Agency: Professional development is non-negotiable. AI works best when educators are empowered to shape and contextualize it.
- Partner Thoughtfully: From governments and universities to private tech ventures, successful AI adoption requires multi-stakeholder dialogue, with local communities guiding the conversation. Understanding private-sector roles and motivations is crucial to safeguard public interests—particularly when it comes to data ownership and educational equity.
- Stay Vigilant on Ethics: AI’s potential to transform education will be undercut if it perpetuates biases or exploits student data. Ethical guidelines, oversight, and iterative evaluations are essential.
5. Conclusion
As we forge ahead, integrating lessons from EdTech strategies at large international organizations provides a roadmap for the next wave of EdTech (i.e., AI-driven tools). By embracing these insights, we can build robust, enduring AI solutions that genuinely benefit learners everywhere. I hope this discussion sparks further exchange within the AIEOU community about harnessing AI in an effective, ethically grounded way that keeps human needs at the forefront.
Link to Full Article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14782103251324275
