The Research Agenda for Technology, Education, and Development: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

Abstract

Developing countries receive international assistance allowing information and communication technologies (ICT) to be increasingly accessible for education development purposes. Despite substantial global investments to export technology-supported educational innovations, evidence pointing to improvements in education quality is mixed and inconclusive. This raises questions on how best to achieve implementation and adoption of technology innovations outside of the contexts that inspired their creation. Are the features of ICT innately and universally transferrable, supporting mass diffusion, or should we be paying greater attention to local social conditions that foster acceptance and use of ICT in developing countries? The unique contextual features of small developing countries impede their ability to take full advantage of these borrowed ICT innovations, even with relevant adaptations. Beyond mere access afforded by ICT, domestic issues of quality, equality, and equity in education are of growing concern for small countries and developing regions.