Frontier Technologies for Education: Creating an Open Architecture for the Learning Economy (with Blockchain, Web3, AI, & more)

Frontier Technologies for Education Webinars and Community of Practice

The World Bank joined with the Learning Economy Foundation (LEF) to hold webinar discussions on Frontier Technologies for Education beginning in December 2020. Our webinars kicked off with recognition of the 10^th Anniversary of Evoke, a World Bank program that has incorporated several cutting-edge technologies to engage young people in lower and middle income countries, inspiring them to solve global challenges while developing 21^st Century skills. This was followed by eight workshops exploring the utilization of specific blockchain technologies to support learning and the incorporation of Web3 technologies. W3EA (Web3 for Education Alliance) was created as a global coalition to expand the use of equitable Web3 technologies for education and employment through action research and pilots.

A companion Community of Practice (CoP) developed to bring together committed individuals and organizations working on the utilization of frontier technologies to generate value in education systems. Members discussed the practical realities of effectively utilizing related technologies and shared lessons from their work and research. Ministries of Education interested in the use of edtech to improve teaching and learning are an important focus audience within this CoP. 

Facilitated by the World Bank’s EdTech Team, participating organizations and Ministries of Education collaborate on the implementation of pilots and contribute to open source global public goods, among other activities. 

Frontier Technologies for Education learning events 

2020

1. Kickoff with 10^th Anniversary of Evoke – The future of education is now:  December 17, 2020 (Recording).

2021

2. Blockchain and FinTech for Education – What is the blockchain and why is it relevant for education:  February 17, 2021 (Recording).

3. Education Ecosystems/Crypto-Networks – New organizational structures for education focused on opensource standards, as well as legal and regulatory frameworks for countries:  April 21 (Recording)

4. Learner-Centered Credentials – (Part 1) Focused on digital wallets, identification and student ownership of data:  June 23 (Recording).

5. Skills Economy – (Part 2) The skills that should and can be accredited; focused on skill registries and task repositories:  September 8 (Recording).

6. Assessment and Measurement – Use of blockchain technology to incentivize and automate assessment and student learning results verification through smart contracts:  October 20 (Recording).

7. Token Economics – Rethinking Value Exchange and Incentives for Education (incentive structures for students, teachers, mentors, and digital content creators):  December 15 (Recording).

2022

8. A 2021 Retrospective + 2022 Roadmap – March 2 (Recording).

9. Data Structures for Learning Outcomes – NFTs, Verifiable Credentials, & Beyond in Education:  September 7 (Recording)

2023

10. Artificial Intelligence in Education (Part 1) – Equity & Democratization (Why), Skills & Assessment (What), and Content Generation & Curation (How):  May 17 (Recording)

11. Artificial Intelligence in Education (Part 2) – A Closer Look at AI’s Promises & Limitations for Education:  November 15 (Recording).

Last Updated: Nov 14, 2023