Culture and technology in education

Joseph Lancaster was an a 19th century educationist who pioneered a short-lived but influential system of classroom practices - the new "technology" of its times - that was called the monitorial system.  The opening words from his seminal book ring true even today: “The rich possess ample means to realize any theory they may chuse [sic] to adopt in the education of their children, regardless of the cost; but this is not so with him whose subsistence is derived from industry.”

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Imparting a sound education for children from all socioeconomic strata is one of humanity's most profound goals, but also its most persistent challenge. In many parts of the world, educators grapple with the question of how to extend the benefits of education to a larger number of students more effectively and at a lower cost. To tackle this seemingly unending challenge in today’s world, we turn to technology for innovations that complement pedagogy – from massive open online courses to adaptive learning, gamification, digital proctoring, and more recent advances in generative AI. Now more than ever, we need to understand the opportunities - but also the risks and limitations - of technology in the classroom. And we cannot afford to ignore the role of social norms and culture in determining how technologies are designed, used, and create impact. 

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My explorations of these issues have taken two forms: First, I gained practical experience interning at Rocket Learning, India's largest early childhood education network that uses content delivered through free digital media to reach millions of children, parents and teachers in underserved communities. Second, I undertook a historical exploration of the 19th century monitorial system of education and its role in reshaping education. Interestingly, I myself attended an Anglican school throughout my primary and middle school years, and witnessed first hand many examples of monitorial principles still in vogue! The drop down menus above offer more on both of my explorations in education.