Recently, I moderated a panel discussion featuring two remarkable education innovators. Marwa Zahr from War Child Alliance shared her work with ‘Can't Wait to Learn’, an intervention that has reached over 300,000 students across eight countries, significantly improving literacy and numeracy skills for children in conflict-affected and resource-constrained settings. Dr Rebecca Vieyra discussed PhET Interactive Simulations, which has created hundreds of free interactive math and science simulations translated into 129 languages and used 1.7 billion times globally. As I listened to their experiences, I was struck by the parallels to another initiative I’ve been deeply involved with: Silver Lining for Learning (SLL).

A group of colleagues and I launched SLL, a webinar/podcast series, to document innovative educational approaches emerging during the pandemic. What began as a short-term project expected to last five to 10 weeks has evolved into a five-year journey spanning over 230 episodes (and growing) featuring educators and educational innovators from across the globe. The conversation with Marwa and Rebecca crystallized for me how their approaches mirrored many of the insights we’ve gathered through SLL. Over the years, we’ve created an immense archive of similar educational transformations across continents: teenagers in Nepal using MOOCs to prepare for college; filmmakers in Rwanda teaching conservation through local storytelling; virtual classrooms connecting students in Afghanistan during political upheaval; and community-based educational models across India.

Innovation often emerges from crisis situations

Disruption to established education systems necessitates creative responses. Just as SLL originated when the Covid-19 pandemic forced a global shift to remote learning, we see the pattern of crisis-driven innovation in the development trajectories of both ‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ and PhET.

‘Can’t Wait to Learn’ adapted its approach for conflict situations, evolving from a standalone program to a blended learning model based on feedback from children and teachers in countries like Lebanon. Similarly, PhET developed creative dissemination strategies during the pandemic, including techniques for teachers to share simulations via text messages or micro-projectors to reach students without reliable internet access or classroom settings.

These initiatives demonstrate that the most innovative approaches often emerge from resource-constrained environments, where necessity truly becomes the mother of invention. They offer lessons not just for similar contexts but for education systems worldwide. Indeed, my conversation with Marwa and Rebecca, as well as five years of conversations around diverse implementations on SLL, have led me to six principles that appear to guide effective educational technology implementation across contexts.

1. Effective programs begin with a deep understanding of local contexts

Challenges facing education are complex, culturally embedded, and highly variable across settings. Technological solutions must emerge from and adapt to these contexts rather than imposing external frameworks that may be inappropriate or unsustainable. That means comprehensively assessing existing infrastructure, cultural practices, educational priorities, and stakeholder needs before determining whether or how technology might address challenges.

2. Successful changes are bottom-up, not top-down

Lasting change in education rarely occurs through monolithic system-wide transformations, but instead through smaller ‘pockets’ of innovation that can adapt and evolve within specific contexts before potentially scaling. These grassroots approaches often make the most of local expertise, respond to immediate needs, and evolve through direct feedback from practitioners and learners.

3. Resilience and adaptation are essential

This principle encompasses the ability to work creatively within constraints, adjust to unexpected challenges, and maintain educational quality despite limited resources or unstable conditions. Implementation rarely proceeds according to initial plans, particularly in resource-constrained or volatile environments. Continuous adaptation is the norm, not the exception.

4. Technology is an enabler, not a driver

Perhaps the most fundamental principle is recognizing technology as a means rather than an end — a tool that serves educational purposes rather than driving educational decisions. Teaching and learning objectives are the priority, not technological capabilities. This also maintains human relationships at the center of education, and makes sure that technological choices align with educational values rather than merely pursuing innovation for its own sake.

5. Co-creation with communities is crucial

Sustainable educational technology implementation requires meaningful participation from those who will ultimately use and be affected by these technologies. Students, teachers, parents, and community members possess crucial knowledge about their own needs, constraints, and aspirations that external experts cannot fully anticipate. Engaging these stakeholders from the earliest stages of design through implementation and evaluation leads to more relevant, appropriate, and effective technological interventions.

6. Sustainable programs are built on rigorous evidence and continuous improvement

Education interventions are complex. And a perfect initial design is impossible. This principle emphasizes iterative approaches that use various forms of evidence — quantitative measures, qualitative feedback, and observational data — to continuously refine technological tools and implementation strategies over time. Think cycles of improvement rather than static solutions.

We’ll need to embrace these principles more than ever as educational technology embraces AI

By using them, education leaders and policymakers can foster more equitable, effective, and contextually responsive technological implementations. The combined insights from the Yidan Prize laureates and the extensive SLL archive offer valuable guidance for navigating the complex intersection of technology and education in an increasingly digital yet persistently unequal global landscape.

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Professor Punya Mishra
Director of Innovative Learning Futures, Learning Engineering Institute, Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Arizona State University