Workshop 4 - Decolonising EdTech Research: The Use of Existing Evidence and Data from Africa
About this workshop
This session, hosted by ESSA, focused on decolonising research through the use of existing evidence and data from Africa. The workshop was divided into two parts: Part 1 helped participants include more education research from Africa as they conducted literature reviews and designed their research; Part 2 explored how participants could draw on existing data sources within Africa to strengthen their research. By the end of the workshop, participants had gained a good knowledge of a) the importance of including evidence and data from Africa in the design of research questions and implementation, and b) practical approaches to finding and using this evidence and data.
Presenter's bio
Dr Laté Lawson is an economist and data analyst with extensive policy-driven research experience. He specialised in human development, sustainability as well as geospatial and non-parametric analysis.
Before joining ESSA, Laté worked as research associate at the Bureau of Economic Theory and Application (BETA, France). Laté holds Master’s Degrees in both Economics and Statistics & Econometrics and a PhD in Economics from the University of Strasbourg.
Dr Lucy Heady brings nearly fifteen years of experience in generating and using evidence to improve education, both in the UK and internationally. She also serves on the International Board of Trustees of Sabre Education, a UK-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to expanding access to high-quality early childhood education in Ghana and the Global South.
Lucy holds an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College and a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge
About the partners and organisers
Emerge Africa
e/merge Africa is an educational technology network which is mostly for educational technology researchers and practitioners in African higher education. Since 2014 e/merge Africa has offered regular professional development activities in the form of online seminars and workshops and short courses.
Learn more at www.emergeafrica.net.
EdTech Hub
EdTech Hub is a global research partnership. Our goal is to empower people by giving them the evidence they need to make decisions about technology in education. We use an integrated approach that marries research, technical assistance and innovation to address the educational challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries around the world. We do this by collaborating with partners to provide governments with the resources to effectively integrate EdTech into their education systems. We work globally, and also on the ground in 7 focus countries: Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. We are supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, and UNICEF.
Learn more at www.edtechhub.org.
ESSA
ESSA (Education Sub Saharan Africa) is an NGO working to connect evidence and data on education from Africa with those who have the power to change the system, including education leaders, policymakers, funders and young people themselves. Our focus is universities and colleges. We use research and work in partnership to drive improvements in the quality of education for young people. We also focus on strengthening the field of education research in Africa, leveraging the power of universities and colleges to improve education at all levels. www.essa-africa.org.
