Unleashing the potential of digital technologies for education - Andreas Schleicher - 11 July 2023

1. Unleashing the potential of digital
technologies for education
Andreas Schleicher
11 July 2023
OECD Director for Education and Skills

2. Shaping the future of digital education
 Comprehensive overview of policies
for effective digital education
 Main digital challenges education
systems face
 Promising practices to aid digital
transformation in education

3. Digital technologies:
untapped potential for
education

4. Shortages or inadequacy of digital equipment are one factor
holding back digital education…
Percentage of students in schools whose principal agreed or strongly agreed with the different statements about the
school’s capacity to enhance learning and teaching using digital devices
Source: Adapted from OECD (2018), PISA Database 2018, https://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/2018database/ (accessed 22 May 2022)
Slovenia
New Zealand New Zealand
OECD
OECD
OECD
[CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE]
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Number of digital devices for
instruction is sufficient
Digital devices at the school are
sufficiently powerful in terms of
computing capacity
The availability of adequate software
is sufficient
OECD range OECD maximum OECD OECD minimum

5. …but even where digital technologies are used, their potential is not
always exploited
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
Teacher-led uses Student-led uses
Effect of using digital devices for learning and teaching during science lessons within the previous month, by type of use
(relative to no use)
Source: Adapted from OECD (2018), PISA Database 2018, https://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/2018database/
Performance
gap
(in
score
pts)

6. A range of policy levers for
digital education

7. Inadequate funding and
procurement frameworks
There are a range of factors inhibiting digital education, calling for
a diverse and co-ordinated policy approach
Digital technologies bring a
range of risks
Gaps in access to digital
devices and connectivity
Lacking capacity for digital
education
Insufficient time and
incentives for educators
Guidance and regulation
United Kingdom: data protection toolkit for
schools
Funding and procurement
Germany: federal funding through the “digital
school pact”
Digital Infrastructure
Uruguay: “Plan Ceibal” provides laptops and
Internet connection to teachers and students
Capacity building
France: Reference Framework for teachers’
digital competence
Human resource policies
Croatia: consideration of teachers’ efforts on
digital pedagogies for career progression
Curricula and assessment
not adapted to the digital age
Curricula and assessment
Greece: revision of national curriculum to
integrate digital technologies

8. … but education systems face a range of problems with respect to
digital education, calling for a diverse set of policies
Curricula and assessment
Greece: revision of national curriculum to
integrate digital technologies
Capacity building
France: Reference Framework for teachers’
digital competence

9. An explicit strategy can tie
policy strands together

10. Provide direction
for digitalisation
based on the latest
technological
developments
algorithms, AI,
blockchain
Bold vision for
digital education
Concrete action
guidance
Use action plans
with concrete time
bound goals to
ensure their
implementation
Link strategies for
digital education
to a designated
budget to ease the
implementation
process
Funding
mechanisms
Distribution of
responsibilities
Delineate
responsibilities
between national-
level and lower-
level bodies
Strategies for digital education can serve a range of functions
Japan Colombia,
Lithuania
Germany,
Spain
Slovak
Republic

11. Countries with
specific strategy for
digital education:
Not all countries have a strategic vision for digital education
Existence of strategies for digital education across OECD and EU countries (45), 2022
16
Countries with a
broader strategy
including some
provisions for
digital education:
49%
Countries with no
strategy for digital
education:
16%
35%
22
7

12. Digital education is not the
end goal

13. Target policies where they are most needed through continuous
monitoring
Outputs
Monitor the state of digitalisation
of the education system
e.g.
Flemish community of Belgium
United Kingdom

14. Inputs
Outcomes
Track investments in
digital education policies
Evaluate effects on
learning, well-being and
labour market outcomes
Outputs
Monitor the state of digitalisation
of the education system
e.g.
Flemish community of Belgium
United Kingdom
Ensure digitalisation promotes quality, equity and efficiency in
education through robust evaluation

15. Thank you for your
attention!