Despite evidence of increased usage of information and communication technology (ICT) in educational programming, extant evaluations on the impact of ICT on educational child outcomes are sparse and often lack the methodological rigor necessary to guide policymakers towards sound, evidence-based practices. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has conducted a global analysis of research undertaken to date on the deployment of ICT solutions to support education goals in developing countries. The present study is comprised of two phases. First, a series of in-depth, structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders, including policymakers and academicians, researchers, users and developers of ICT solutions. These interviews touched upon the challenges associated with developing, implementing and evaluating ICT solutions within educational settings, perceptions on the utility and future of ICT solutions and extant gaps in the usage of ICT solutions within developing countries. Second, AIR conducted a detailed literature review of published and unpublished evaluations on the educational impacts of ICT solutions. This paper reports on the demonstrated and measurable impacts of ICT on students and generates an innovative and rigorous research agenda addressing salient issues such as impact and effectiveness, return on investment, and total cost of ownership.
Key Words: ICT/Technology; Evaluation
I.
Introduction
The purpose of this article is to examine what conclusive research has been conducted to determine the impact that information and communication technologies (ICT) in education has had on student learning in developing country contexts. The current evidence base assessing the impacts of ICTs on student learning outcomes in developing countries consists primarily of qualitative studies. Very few true experiments have been conducted in this arena, leaving unanswered important questions regarding the educational benefits of ICT interventions on beneficiaries. Extensive descriptive information on and evaluations of projects incorporating ICTs in educational settings in advanced economies (and even some developing countries) does exist. However, the context for studies in North America and Europe is very different from the social, economic and cultural realities often found within communities in developing countries.
II.
Necessity of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
The primary impetus behind this desk study is to address the hypothesis that many ICT-based reforms are approved based on intuition or anecdotal evidence rather than research or science. This study will demonstrate that many ICT efforts, while well intentioned, have been launched with limited amounts of empirical research to support programmatic choices.
Unfortunately, much of the existing research demonstrating the impacts of interventions employing ICTs with students and adults are from advanced economies. Studies conducted in developed