Quality Early Learning

Overview | 19

BOX O.4

Technology Technology is being increasingly used to expand access to learning resources in children’s school and home environments. Evidence from a range of contexts indicates that high-quality educational content delivered via television can promote better developmental outcomes.

Several studies of interactive audio instruction have demonstrated that it can be an effective and low-cost mechanism for delivering early learning to remote areas and to support teachers with training.

Although still limited, emerging evidence also suggests that educational apps can boost preschoolers’ learning outcomes. Technology can also be used to reach parents, for example, by using mobile apps or text messaging to deliver information about effective parenting practices and the importance of early childhood education. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in particular, there have been increased efforts to broadcast educational content targeted at both caregivers and young children through radio, television, text messaging, mobile apps, loudspeakers, and online platforms, sometimes accompanied by print materials, to support learning continuity.

Technology can also be used to foster more inclusive early childhood classroom environments. In particular, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, audio books, or mobility aids, can support learners with physical disabilities or hearing and auditory impairments.

Several considerations need to be taken into account regarding the use of technology in quality early learning programs. First, young children benefit most from quality in-person interactions (chapter 1), and there are concerns about the developmental effects of too much exposure to screen time. Technology should not be used as a substitute for social interaction, and there are safety considerations, such as data privacy and cybersecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide that disproportionately affects poor communities’ access to learning opportunities. Policy makers should balance investments in connectivity and age-appropriate digital technology with investments in teacher professional development and parental support to address the above considerations and ensure equity and the resilience of the early childhood education system.

Sources: Borzekowski 2018; Dore et al. 2019; GEEAP 2020; Griffith et al. 2019; Hassinger-Das et al. 2020; Kearney and Levine 2019; Madigan et al. 2019; Mares and Pan 2013; Mateo Diaz et al. 2020; Richards and Calvert 2017; Saavedra Chanduvi, Aedo Inostroza, and Arias Diaz 2020; World Bank 2020c; Wright et al. 2001.