Dossier 1st EdTech Winter School “Emerging trends and new horizons in the study of education and technology”

Abstract

There is a need to raise the professional standards of those who promote, implement and monitor innovation in public digital education. That means to increase (both nationally and regionally) technical capacities as well as to diversify the opportunities for collaboration and exchange within those communities that can generate better learning conditions (Caprile, Palmén, Sanz, Dente, 2015).These are some of the main concerns that led to the creation of the Center for Research Fundación Ceibal, which in partnership with the National Research and Innovation Agency (Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación [ANII]) and with the support of all the universities in the country, organized a global summit between academics and policymakers in Uruguay (also known as Winter School). The goal of this international meeting, which took place in Punta del Este in 2017, was to analyze and discuss cross-cutting topics at the intersection of educational, ICT research and policy with leading international experts in the field.One of the outcomes of this multi-national collaboration was the publication of this special edition, which addresses some of the critical topics to be considered when designing, implementing and evaluating the quality and cost-effectiveness of different education and technology programs. This research was conducted by academics and experts from universities and partner institutions from Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Israel, and Uruguay. Adopting different perspectives and approaches, the authors successfully explored how these digital education policies can have a positive impact on the learning processes. Other questions they posed were: how can technological interventions with a real positive impact be designed and implemented? How can the region learn from failures? What lessons can we learn from successful experiences and good practices from other countries? What role does the social and cultural context play in the technology and education equation? Which new languages and pedagogies are worth considering? What are the opportunities and challenges to be considered?As Megan Erikson argues, 'education is not a design problem with a technical solution', so the fundamental questions of what works, and under what circumstances are more relevant than ever. These, among others, are critical questions to better understand the affordances and constraints of technology in the world of education. Highly grateful for the global collaboration which supported the elaboration of all these articles you shall find here, we invite you to enjoy a good read and pose new questions that help us rethink learning and equity in a society that is changing and becoming globalized at an unprecedented (and sometimes disturbing) speed.