Digital Personalised Learning to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes in Kenyan Classrooms

Country: Kenya | Topic Area: Digital Personalised Learning

Project summary

Using technology to support Digital Personalised Learning (DPL) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could play an important role in achieving better learning outcomes. However, there is limited research investigating the effectiveness of using DPL in classrooms to improve early grade literacy and numeracy in LMICs. 

This research will address this important gap by rigorously evaluating contextually appropriate pedagogical and software approaches for integrating DPL into pre-primary schools in Kenya. It will focus on the integration of DPL into classroom activities, in particular: 

  1. How teachers integrate DPL tools into their regular pedagogical practices;
  2. How adaptive software features can support learning in the classroom;
  3. How to maximise the equality of use of a DPL tool in pre-primary classrooms;
  4. Cost and resource implications.

The research will focus specifically on the EIDU tool within Kenyan classrooms. EIDU offers a DPL platform, deployed on low-cost Android devices. The software facilitates adaptive assessment and measurement strategies, generating continuous insights into learning. In Kenya, this is aligned with a structured pedagogy programme known as Tayari, enabling the integration of digital content with classroom instruction.

Research questions
  • What are the educational affordances of a DPL tool such as EIDU and how can these be harnessed to enhance learning in the classroom?
  • What are contextually appropriate approaches for integrating DPL into classroom instruction?
  • What is the impact of classroom-based DPL aligned to a structured pedagogy on learning outcomes on learning outcomes (especially girls; learners of different ages; learners with different baseline attainment levels?)
  • What variables influence the cost-effectiveness of DPL in classrooms and how is this linked to improvement in learning outcomes?

Discover evidence

Study contacts

Louis Major, Principal Investigator — Contact Louis

Rebecca Daltry, Research Associate

Katy Jordan, Research Associate

Key partners

  • EIDU — Implementation partner
  • Women Educational Researchers of Kenya (WERK) — Research partner
  • Government of Kenya / County Governments in Kenya (e.g. Mombasa)
Partners
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