78: Going From Pilots to Scale - The Journey of MENA's First Edtech Testbed

WISE On Air

Apply for the WISE Edtech Accelerator before 14 April: http://bit.ly/40dVNLQ ------ With so many technological breakthroughs, have you ever wondered if there was a way we could better systemize the implementation of edtech in the classroom in a way that benefits teachers rather than creating unnecessary burdens? Enter the world of testbeds. Edtech testbeds are essentially environments where new Edtech tools and approaches can be developed and tested in a controlled setting. But why do we need testbeds in the first place? Despite the rapid growth of the edtech industry in the MENA region and globally, there are still significant challenges facing the sector, including limited access to funding and a lack of technical expertise. On top of that, there's a crucial need for better alignment between edtech products and local education needs. This is where edtech testbeds come in as a crucial bridge, connecting edtech companies with educators to develop innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of learners in the region and around the world. For the past two years, WISE has been building the MENA region's first edtech testbed, located in Qatar's Education City. In this episode, WISE Director Elyas Felfoul discusses the journey and key milestones of the project with Seungah Lee, a senior lecturer of social research and public policy at NYU Abu Dhabi and the lead researcher on Qatar’s first edtech testbed. Together, they delve into insights they learned that could not only benefit the region's edtech development, but globally as a whole. ------ Relevant links: Download the Edtech Testbed Report for Free: http://bit.ly/3YPTvkU Seungah Lee: http://bit.ly/3mNDazE ------ If you enjoyed this episode, would you consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It really helps out the show and we would greatly appreciate it. Website: wise-qatar.org Twitter: twitter.com/WISE_Tweets Instagram: @wiseqatar Facebook: facebook.com/wiseqatar/ Linkedin: bit.ly/2JKThYf