About this Resource
Education technology (EdTech) is increasingly being used and funded as part of education responses in crisis-affected settings. Yet existing Education in Emergencies (EiE) guidance offers limited direction on when and how to use EdTech effectively, equitably and sustainably. Finally, guidance on EdTech use in crisis settings should prioritise embedding strong instructional learning practice.
Implementing education interventions in crisis settings is complex. Those working in crisis settings often struggle to implement the good practices identified in this document perfectly, and that progress is often intermittent and non-linear. Despite this reality, those designing and delivering education in crisis contexts must continue to do so informed by the current evidence on what best supports children’s learning, both immediately and in the longer term.
This guidance is intended as a starting point, helping the community working in this area to build stronger evidence and more contextually relevant approaches to using technology in emergencies. This guidance brings together preliminary, evidence-informed recommendations to support decision-makers and practitioners navigating EdTech in Emergencies, covering areas such as pedagogy, equity, cost-effectiveness, procurement, scalability and maintenance.
This guidance will be complemented by a contextualisation handbook (coming soon) which will provide practical step by step support to teams developing digitally – enabled literacy and numeracy programmes in crisis settings.
Why this Guidance Exists
- Evidence and practical direction on sound pedagogy for EdTech in emergencies remain limited, even as donor and government investment in this space continues to grow.
- A 2024 EdTech Hub review of existing guidance found most of it too general, with clear gaps in pedagogy, equity, cost-effectiveness, scaling, procurement, and maintenance.
- Established EiE standards rarely address what EdTech specifically demands: power, device management, upfront product costs, digital literacy, and data privacy.
Technology must serve learning, not the other way around.”
– Page 29, Guidance for EiE Education Specialists
Who Needs This
This guidance is written for EiE education specialists: technical education advisors designing and implementing EdTech-enabled literacy and numeracy interventions for crisis-affected children, regardless of the type of organisation they work for.
1.
Governments and Education Ministries
2.
Local and International Organisations
3.
Humanitarian and Education Programmes
4.
Cross-Functional Teams Designing and Implementing EdTech Interventions
Where Are You in the Response?
The guidance covers a range of contexts, but not every section will be relevant to every situation. Explore the common scenarios below to find the guidance most useful to you.
Go Straight To
What’s Inside
- EdTech in Crisis Settings — Background, Audience, and Key Definitions (P.10)
- EdTech for the Five EiE Response Phases (P.22)
- Sound Pedagogy for Effective EdTech in Crisis Settings (P.32)
- Sourcing, Building, and Maintaining Technology (P.65)
- Ensuring Equity and Inclusion in EdTech Interventions (P.94)
- Financing, Cost-Effectiveness, Affordability, and Feasibility (P.115)
- Adaptive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (P.135)
- Five Priorities for EdTech Intervention Design (P.156)
Help This Reach the People Who Need It
This guidance is only useful if the right people can find it. Share it with your country team, coordination group, or network, with attribution to:
Radford, K., Jetten, A., Ramesh Vasudevan, S., Hayat, A., Emerusenge, A. P., Rabi, A., Friese, L., & Mazari, H. (2026). EdTech for Education in Emergencies: A Guidance Document for Education Specialists. EdTech Hub. DOI: 10.53832/edtechhub.1161. Available at: https://docs.edtechhub.org/lib/T22ZEING
