EdTech's Global Impact: Beyond US-Centric Critique

Founded by Roshan Singh, Scrollwell is an education technology enterprise building India’s next generation of digitally empowered educators from Saran (Chapra) and Patna, Bihar. Operating through its platform scrollwell.com, the company currently generates ₹5–10 lakh in monthly revenue and works across India and 10+ countries, addressing a critical gap in the education ecosystem—the digital divide faced by teachers and academic institutions. As education rapidly shifts toward an AI-first world, many educators struggle with limited digital literacy, outdated pedagogical methods, and increasing institutional requirements under frameworks such as NEP 2020 and NAAC accreditation. Scrollwell was created to solve these challenges by transforming educators into digitally fluent professionals equipped to teach, research, and innovate in modern classrooms. The platform delivers high-impact Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) and live training focused on AI-enabled pedagogy, mastery of digital tools such as Google Workspace and SPSS, and practical approaches to data-driven and student-centric learning. Roshan Singh’s journey began in May 2020, when Scrollwell was launched as a blog aimed at reimagining education. Within a month, recognising the urgent need for teacher upskilling during the pandemic, the platform pivoted into a full-scale teacher development initiative. Over the years, Scrollwell has conducted 200+ live sessions, empowering more than 55,000 educators, students, and professionals across 3,600+ institutions, with over 5.5 million minutes of learning consumed and an average 4.7/5 learner rating. Roshan brings a multidisciplinary background, holding a B.Tech in Automobile Engineering and an MBA from NIT Jalandhar, where he also served as Corporate Relations Manager. A Google Certified Educator and former Student Convener for the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, he currently serves as an Innovation Ambassador for the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Scrollwell has consulted for over 50 leading institutions, including SRM University, Sathyabama University, NIT Jalandhar, and ICAR–NDRI, and is officially recognised by Startup India, MSME, and Skill India, while being incubated at CIILE, CNLU Patna. Operating as an unfunded company, Scrollwell stands as proof that skill-led, impact-driven ventures from Bihar can scale nationally and globally. At its core, the platform carries a clear message to Bihar’s youth: opportunities today are defined not by geography, but by skills. By embracing digital tools, entrepreneurship, and a “chalkboard to cloud” mindset, Scrollwell aims to help build a future where Bihar’s talent thrives locally while competing globally. ➡️ Follow us for more such updates: Biharium Story Startup Bihar #scrollwell #biharStartup #StartupBihar #BiharBoy #BiharFounder

Bridging the Education Gap: How Context-Aware EdTech is Making a Difference in Rural Africa Two decades ago (2002&2003), I stood in rural classrooms facing over 50 students, with just one textbook for every five children. The teacher shortage was chronic, and resources were limited. Today, many of these schools still face the same systemic challenges—but there’s one transformative difference: the smartphone in a teacher’s pocket. Recently, I reconnected with an educator from one rural community. What I learned wasn’t about futuristic tech, but about practical, context-driven solutions that are quietly reshaping learning in low-resource settings: 🔍 Four Platforms Leading with Context, Not Just Code: 📱 Kolibri – An offline-first platform that runs on basic hardware. Teachers download content when they have occasional internet access and use it for weeks without connectivity. 📻 Ubongo – Reaching 24+ million children across Africa through edutainment delivered via TV, radio, and mobile—in local languages and relatable contexts. 💡 Eneza Education – SMS-based learning that works on any basic phone. Students can access quizzes and lessons without a smartphone or internet connection. ☀️ RACHEL – A solar-powered, portable WiFi hotspot loaded with educational content, bringing digital libraries to schools entirely off the grid. Why This Matters: These tools don’t replace teachers—they amplify their impact. When I taught, if a student didn’t understand, there were no alternative resources. Today, these platforms provide just-in-time support, scalable content, and adaptive learning pathways. 🚦 A Necessary Reality Check: Too many well-intentioned “tech solutions” fail because they: Assume stable electricity or high-speed internet Are cost-prohibitive Lack local relevance or sustainability The solutions that succeed are designed for the environment they serve: → Offline-first → Low-tech compatible → Locally relevant → Affordable or free 📌 Key Insight: Technology alone cannot fix systemic gaps in education. But when it’s built with context and constraint in mind, it can: ✓ Extend the reach of great teachers ✓ Deliver resources where physical ones are scarce ✓ Maintain learning continuity through disruptions ✓ Empower students and educators alike I’d welcome your perspective: Which context-driven EdTech initiatives have you seen succeed in low-resource settings? What design principles do you believe are non-negotiable? Where have you seen well-funded projects fail? 👉 Thursday, I’ll delve into why technology—however innovative—must complement, not replace, the right to education and the role of the state. #EdTech #EducationInnovation #DigitalEquity #AfricanDevelopment #RuralEducation #EdTechForGood #OfflineLearning #SustainableTech #TechTuesdays TUGWELL CHADYIWANEMBWA LL.M. International Children's Rights (Leiden) | Strategic Partnerships Leader & Former Teacher | Education Advocate From Classroom → Community → Policy → Practice

Thank you for sharing this insight Nicole Mostert. The shift back to textbooks in the Global North underscores a key lesson for under-resourced institutions in the Global South. Quality, affordable, and relevant textbooks should come first and Edtech used to supplement textbook material where it genuinely adds value. Education decisions should be driven by context, not trends.

In 2025/2026, the Global North hit the brakes on EdTech. Sweden, once the world leader in classroom digitalisation, is now stripping tablets from primary schools and reinvesting millions into physical textbooks. Denmark and Norway have followed suit, advocating a "back to basics" approach to protect student focus. Similarly across the Atlantic, over 30 US states have now enacted legislation to restrict or ban cellphones in classrooms, alongside bans in Europe, such as public-schools in Madrid. Their reasoning is consistent, with 72% of high school teachers averring that student distraction is a major problem. But this return to tradition is a luxury of the rich. In Sweden or Denmark, a teacher can demand a return to paper and pen because they have 12:1 and 10:1 learner-educator ratios respectively. They have the human bandwidth to sit with every student. Meanwhile, in South Africa, we are asking a different question entirely. Here, the national average ratio is approximately 31:1. In the Western Cape, it's 38:1 for primary schools. In under-resourced schools, 40 – 60 students per class is the norm, with many teachers stretched to breaking point. The Reframe: What the Global North dismisses, is exactly what is needed when there simply aren't enough teachers, or under-resourced teachers. When a student in a classroom of 45 has a question, they wait. When they don't understand a concept, they fall behind, because one teacher cannot be in 45 places at once. Personalised learning isn't just unavailable, it's pretty much structurally impossible. In my work with AI-powered learning tools and multimedia content, we have to design for well-resourced environments as well as for the provision of support where none exists. An AI tutor that answers questions at 2am isn't replacing human connection but providing a lifeline that was never there. Offline-first video content that a student can replay 15 times isn’t "reducing attention spans", but offering a second chance to students who can't ask their teacher to repeat the lesson. Here is what concerns me: As the Global North retreats, development priorities shift, funding dries up and the narrative becomes: EdTech failed. But did it fail everywhere? Does failure in the GN equate to failure in general? The question for investors and policymakers shouldn't be “does EdTech work?”, but rather, work for whom and/or under what constraints? Constraints reveal different value propositions. What is a distraction in abundance can become a necessity in scarcity. Are we brave enough to keep building for Africa’s unique contexts? #InclusiveInnovation #EdTech #Education #SouthAfrica #DigitalDivide #AIinEducation #FutureOfLearning

The Economist recently ran a piece arguing that EdTech is profitable but mostly useless. The critique is a useful reality check, and not entirely off the mark. Despite huge investment, a lot of EdTech has delivered mixed results on learning outcomes. Too often, tools are bought on hype, rolled out quickly, and judged on usage rather than on what learners actually learn. But the problem isn’t really “technology in education.” It’s how we choose it, support it, and use it in real classrooms and systems. One big gap in the EdTech conversation is 'teacher capacity'. Technology tends to work best when it’s paired with strong pedagogy and practical support for teachers. Without that, even good tools struggle to make much difference in day-to-day teaching and learning. There are, of course, strong counter-examples. Platforms like Khan Academy (structured practice at scale), Duolingo (data-driven, engaging language learning), and Moodle (open, flexible learning management at national and institutional scale), all show that well-designed EdTech can create real value when it’s built around clear learning goals and real user needs. That’s also why work like UNICEF’s Superstar Teachers Toolbox is important. It focuses on building teachers’ confidence and practical skills to use digital approaches in ways that support learning, rather than just adding more tools into already stretched classrooms. Another issue is that we don’t do enough to mainstream what already works. We often move on to the next new product instead of scaling proven solutions. One interesting example is UNICEF’s Learning Cabinet, which starts from a very practical question many systems face: “Which tool should we use? There are so many.” It helps clear this confusion by focusing on high-impact, evidence-informed solutions and supporting countries to adopt and scale what works. So yes, the Economist is right to question hype, weak evidence, and shallow procurement. But it feels too blunt to say EdTech is mostly useless. A fairer way to look at it is that EdTech tends to underperform when we underinvest in teachers, systems, and evidence, and it works better when we take those seriously. The real challenge isn’t more technology. It’s better capacity building, better choices, and better ways of scaling what already works, especially for the most marginalised learners. Disclaimer: These are my personal views. #EdTech #Education #Teachers #LearningOutcomes #EvidenceBasedPolicy #UNICEF #SystemsChange #DigitalEducation https://lnkd.in/evSkp6cr

Learning is a journey where children observe, reflect, and understand over time. School is a place where our children take shape, and we get to witness their growth. For decades, schools have tried to do this in fragments through handwritten “know-me” files, teacher remarks, and annual reflections. The intent was right, but the system was manual and had limitations. It recorded. 💡The final answer, not the thinking behind it. 💡The outcome, not the effort. 💡The score, not the story. Today, when students move out of schools, the reflection of this journey matters deeply, especially as universities in India and abroad move beyond academic scores to understand, ⁉️Who is this learner? ⁉️What drives them? ⁉️How do they think, reflect, and grow? And so, we arrive at “The Student Portfolio.” Often a last-minute document. Built primarily as an admission requirement. More often, we have external agencies helping design the nat a considerable cost. From Newsepick lenses, we reflected on this fact, which raised an important shift in thinking. What if student portfolios were not built outside the school system by external agencies but grown organically within schools, year by year, through everyday engagement, collaboration, projects, and conversations? What if a child’s portfolio evolved naturally from Class 1 to Class 12, capturing not just milestones, but meaning? Technology, when used with intention, deepens learning and consistently helps us honour curiosity, effort, and growth. So perhaps the real question isn’t: ❓ “How digital is our education system?” But instead: 👉 Are we designing systems that help children understand themselves better every year? Imagine having a well-designed digital portfolio that captures the learning journey itself, not just what a child scored.  But, ❓How they questioned? 🤝How they collaborated? 🗣️How they expressed ideas? 🧠How they explored interests? 🧬How they evolved over time? As AI and automation reshape the future, the question is no longer how much a child can memorize. It is: ❓ How well do they understand themselves? ❓ Can they reflect, adapt, and grow? Today, technology gives us a chance to do this with continuity and dignity. When reflection becomes part of everyday school life, children learn to: ✅Observe their own growth ✅Communicate their thinking ✅Take responsibility for learning ✅Build confidence in who they are becoming I’d love to hear your thoughts 👇 Should student portfolios become a living part of school life, rather than a last-minute requirement for admissions? Let’s talk not as experts, but as people who genuinely care about how children grow. #LearningJourney #educationecosystem #DigitalPortfolios #studentlife #SystemsThinking #EdTech #studentjourney Paromita Guha Ray Apeejay School Kolkata

The Fantasy of Technology in CBC: Can It Really Replace Traditional Roles? One of the most ambitious promises of Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum is its emphasis on technology as a core pillar of modern learning. CBC advocates paint a picture of digitally empowered students, coding their way into the future and accessing knowledge through tablets and e-learning platforms. It is a compelling vision — but for most Kenyan children, it remains exactly that: a vision, not a reality. The Digital Divide is Real Kenya is a country of stark contrasts. While schools in Nairobi's affluent suburbs may have computer labs and internet access, the majority of schools — particularly in rural and informal settlement areas — lack reliable electricity, let alone broadband connectivity. Telling a child in Turkana or Kisumu's Nyalenda slum to embrace digital learning while their school has no functioning computers is not a policy — it is a fantasy. Teachers Are Not Ready Technology advocacy in CBC assumes that teachers are digitally literate and capable of integrating tech into their lessons. The reality is that a significant portion of Kenya's teaching workforce, especially older and rural-based educators, received little to no meaningful digital training during the CBC transition. Handing someone a curriculum that demands tech integration without equipping them for it sets both teachers and students up for failure. Replacing Traditional Roles — At What Cost? CBC's technology push subtly sidelines traditional and proven teaching methods — oral instruction, hands-on practical learning, community-based knowledge, and mentorship. These methods have deep roots in African pedagogy and have proven effective across generations. The rush to appear "modern" risks discarding what works in favor of what looks good on paper. Technology should complement traditional teaching, not be positioned as its replacement. The Hardware Problem The government's rollout of digital devices to learners has been plagued by delays, procurement controversies, and questions about sustainability.. A tablet gathering dust in a school store is not digital transformation. The Bigger Picture Countries like Finland and South Korea — which consistently rank among the world's best education systems — do integrate technology, but they do so gradually, deliberately, and on a foundation of strong teacher training, reliable infrastructure, and equity in access. Kenya's CBC has attempted to leap to the finish line without running the race properly. The fantasy of technology in CBC is not that technology itself is bad — it is genuinely transformative when used well. Real digital transformation in education requires investment, equity, teacher empowerment, and honest acknowledgment of where the country currently stands. Until those foundations are built, CBC's technology promise will remain more of a slogan than a solution.

𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞: 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 & 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦! As India prepares for Budget 2026, thought leaders from the education sector are calling for a decisive shift from access to outcomes that matter. Yash Mehta, CEO of ABP Education, has emphasised that the next phase of educational transformation must centre around skills, AI, and digital readiness in schools — not just infrastructure. Schools should become early exposure points for critical digital skills such as AI, coding, and computational thinking. This is vital to align classroom learning with the demands of a rapidly evolving economy. He also highlights the need for sustained teacher upskilling, stronger public–private partnerships, and support for Indian-language content, so that quality learning is accessible and impactful for every student. This vision reflects a broader belief across educators and experts — that future-ready learning ecosystems must be built today, with policy support, classroom-level execution, and a focus on real skills that matter. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gMq7Y89Z Venugopal Bhaskaran Biju ThomasAnuradha Jain Bhawana Pandey Shashi Kumari Bijoy saha Sandeep Cherukuri Rushikeshdora H Ranjeet Kumar Suchetan Taruni Ankit Sharma Salman Khan Ziad Mohd khan Surya Sekhar Khan Rajan Chauhan Rachit Mehindru Maninder Singh Arvind Singh Shivani Anubhav Jain Arun Gaur #EducationReform #Budget2026 #AIinEducation #Skilling #FutureReadySchools #EdTech #DigitalLearning

Rethinking Edtech’s Role With edtech at the heart of modern education, the focus must shift from automation to augmentation of teaching Written by: Vivek Iyer, Managing Director, D2L India Read full story: https://lnkd.in/guJxgun8 #EdTech #HybridEducation #Educators #LearningManagementSystem #DigitalLearning #FutureOfEducation BW Businessworld | Annurag Batra | Tanvie Ahuja | Priya Saraf

Digital Education and AI: Securing Malaysia’s Future Generation The written reply by the Minister of Education dated 11 February 2026 regarding the readiness of schools under the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) to face the era of digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both encouraging and reassuring. As the Member of Parliament who raised this question, I welcome the Ministry’s commitment as it enters a critical transition phase in driving the digital transformation of our national education system. This is no longer an option — it is an urgent necessity if Malaysia’s younger generation is to remain relevant and competitive in the global arena. The implementation of the Digital Education Policy (DPD) and the strong emphasis placed within the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026–2035 clearly demonstrate the Government’s seriousness in integrating AI systemically, strengthening blended learning approaches, and building a future-ready digital ecosystem. This signals a clear direction — we do not want our children to merely consume technology, but to become innovators and leaders in it. The data presented is promising. Ninety-one percent of KPM educational institutions have been equipped with digital devices, involving more than 244,000 units nationwide. This reflects a structured and large-scale effort. Furthermore, the expansion of device leasing to an additional 1,769 schools beginning in the third quarter of 2026 will ensure more equitable access for students across the country. The Hybrid Classroom Pilot Project (Smart Class Initiative), currently implemented in 110 selected schools and set to expand to 400 additional institutions involving 2,000 classrooms by the end of 2026, is a strategic move. While I strongly support these initiatives, I also wish to emphasise that the success of digital transformation does not rest solely on infrastructure and devices. Teacher training, student readiness, parental support, cybersecurity awareness, and ethical AI usage must be prioritised. Artificial Intelligence should serve as a tool to enhance learning — not replace the indispensable role of teachers as mentors and moral guides. Malaysia has tremendous potential to emerge as a progressive leader in digital education. With careful planning, consistent implementation, and continuous monitoring, we can nurture a generation that is digitally literate. As a Member of Parliament, I will continue to support and monitor the implementation of these initiatives to ensure that no school — including those in semi-urban and rural constituencies such as Batu Gajah — is left behind in this transformation. The future of our nation begins in today’s classrooms. And the classroom of tomorrow must be digitally empowered, AI-driven, and value-based. YB Dr. V. Sivakumar Member of Parliament for Batu Gajah