Planning And Steering Education Programs

Education and training systems are increasingly complex and require flexible and adaptive governance models to deal with this increasing complexity. However, many developing countries still lack effective models of governance due to limited transparency and accountability, responsiveness, and engagement of various stakeholders. In this regard, technological solutions have the potential to transform these challenges and enhance governance and participation processes in the education and training sector.

The scenario “Planning And Steering Education Programs” shows how selected technologies can be applied in educational settings and how they can contribute to more transparent, equitable, and participatory systems.

Most importantly, effective policy is grounded in the best available research evidence and informed by aggregated data and contextual information from the field of the respective education and training system. Artificial intelligence might automate the analysis of school-based data such as student success or retention, but these analyses often prove to be biased as biased algorithms learn from biased data. In this regard, tools such as Algorithmic Bias Detection Tools could bypass these processes by identifying biased reviews and possible mistakes of the algorithm or even uncovering biases and underlying unfairness in society. This can benefit minorities and disadvantaged groups by creating transparent ways to analyze available educational data and harnessing this data for evidence-based decision-making. In addition, a  Social Program Matching Database can enable connections between institutions and individuals or groups in need of specific social services. Therewith, such a platform could improve existing social programs by ensuring that vulnerable communities receive complimentary benefits from multiple programs and contribute to more equity in educational settings.

Furthermore, Blockchain could enable teachers to measure and monitor students' learning progress in different and constant ways, going beyond the sporadic information provided through tests and homework. This gives teachers the steady information they need to flexibly adapt teaching methods and contents in response to their students' learning performance. Blockchain technology's maturity level is already advanced with Blockchain Certificate's employment in particular educational settings to legitimize and certify titles, courses, diplomas, or even competencies in a more secure and differentiated manner. This allows moving beyond paper-based systems of storing educational qualifications and certificates and offers high potential in contexts of fragility and forced displacement.

All these solutions could be part of a more comprehensive school governance system that builds on enhanced relationships with all stakeholders of the education and training system and provides platforms for their active engagement. While Crowd Platforms can facilitate transparent and participatory decision-making processes, students and parents could be further involved and informed. Crowd Platforms can, for example, be used to facilitate administrative decisions such as the election of school principals. Moreover, educational actors such as central level institutions and relevant agencies are offered a profound and specific range of possibilities for interaction and active engagement with all relevant stakeholders to education and training systems, e.g., private sector representatives in the planning and implementation of TVET. Also, such approaches can provide students, parents, training companies, or future employers with passive participation in education services’ analysis by anonymously sharing data with the network. This could ultimately be of benefit in developing and implementing new interventions and policies, for example, when school meals are customized to personal health needs or TVET curricula are automatically adjusted to changing industry requirements.