Making the Most of What We Have: A Practical Guide to EdTech in Low-Resource Settings
Summary
Can existing tech in schools improve learning outcomes? This blog explores 5 key takeaways and a 4-step plan from a new guidance note on how low-resource schools can repurpose tools like phones, radios, and digital libraries to support teaching and learning, without needing new devices.
What if the tech you need to improve learning outcomes is already in your school?
That’s the question we were asked through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Helpdesk, and it sparked an important conversation across Southeast Asia and beyond.
In this blog, we break down our findings from a new guidance note designed to help school systems and decision-makers repurpose and plan with existing technology, even in low-resource settings. The big idea behind the new guidance note is to help low-resource schools repurpose existing technology to support teaching and learning.
Here’s what you need to know ⬇️
5 Big Takeaways
1. Hardware alone doesn’t cut it 💻
- What we found: Buying tablets or laptops without training or context-specific content is a “bad buy.”
- Why it matters: Tech must be paired with pedagogy, teacher support, and curriculum alignment.
2. Start with what you have📱
- What we found: Tools like mobile phones, radio, and TV are already in communities.
- Why it matters: These can be powerful learning tools when used creatively, like phone tutoring in the Philippines that boosted numeracy by 65%.
3. Plan in phases, and not for perfection ✍🏾
- What we found: Implementation should be iterative: As the implementation progresses, the plan should be updated to reflect changes in budgets and recurring costs, roles and responsibilities, partnerships, timelines and insights from implementation data.
- Why it matters: Flexibility allows for learning and adapting as you go.
4. Context is everything 🗺️
- What we found: One-size-fits-all doesn’t work. Local language, infrastructure, and teacher capacity must shape the plan.
- Why it matters: Tailored solutions are more likely to succeed and scale.
5. Partnerships make It work 🤝🏽
- What we found: Collaboration with teachers, parents, local organisations and champions is key.
- Why it matters: Community buy-in drives sustainability and impact.
Here are a few recommendations from our guide on what to do and what not to.
Do:
- Focus on learning outcomes, not just tech outputs (like number of devices).
- Involve teachers and communities early in the planning process.
- Use what’s already available, like phones, radios, or digital libraries.
- Plan for equity to reach the most marginalised learners.
Don’t:
- Assume more devices equal more learning.
- Rely on hardware without investing in teacher training or localised content.
- Skip needs assessments: you might miss what matters.
A 4-Step Plan (And How to Use It)
Effective EdTech implementation in low-resource schools starts with understanding local challenges and aligning with government priorities. This four-step planning process ensures that technology is used strategically, sustainably, and in ways that truly support teaching and learning.
1. Define the ‘Why’
Ask: Will this tech improve learning? Will it align with curriculum and policy?
2. Understand local realities
Do a needs assessment. What’s available? What’s missing? What do learners, teachers, and parents need?
3. Curate, don’t create (yet)
Find existing digital resources (like Rising on Airi, Let’s Read, or WhatsApp groups). Match them to your context and available tech. Upon implementation, digital resources may undergo further iterations based on results from the first cycle of EdTech implementation. Here, we assess their accessibility and usability by exploring how often teachers and students report using them.
4. Build a realistic plan
Think big but start small—prioritise cost-effective tools, teacher training, and local champions. Build in feedback loops to adapt and learn.
What success can look like
In our guide, we have highlighted some examples of what has worked in other countries. For example,
- Through a Youth Impact study, we found that in the Philippines, a low-tech phone tutoring model boosted numeracy by 65%, at just $11–12 per child. Teachers made use of mobile phones owned by families of primary school children to provide educational interventions via 1:1 phone call tutorials and SMS messages. Mobile phones were chosen for the intervention as they are an affordable means for reaching students in low-income countries, where over 70% of households have access to them.
- Across Asia, tools like Let’s Read are bringing offline storybooks to children in their languages. Offered in over 55 languages, the digital library storybooks can be accessed offline once downloaded and are also widely used throughout the region. This caters for the minority languages too.
- BRAC’s Play Labs engage communities in multimodal approaches like physical play, songs and rhymes, stories, dance, art, and more as tools for learning. Play Labs run across Uganda, Tanzania, and Bangladesh—where they also serve refugee children.
What’s next?
You don’t need a flashy new app or nationwide tablet rollout to make a difference. Sometimes, the best solution is already in your hands — you just need a smart way to use it.
If you’re planning an EdTech initiative in a low-resource setting, here’s what to keep in mind:
- Start with learning goals before engaging with devices.
- Involve teachers and communities early.
- Use existing infrastructure creatively.
- Build in monitoring and feedback loops.
- Think long-term: training and support, maintenance, and partnerships.
If you’re designing an EdTech initiative in a low-resource setting, this guidance note is your starting point.
📄 Read the full Guidance Note here
