There is no question that digital technologies have profoundly transformed our lives over recent decades. Education is no exception with digital technologies having increasingly permeated schools and higher education institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation in education and led to an unprecedented increase in the use of digital education technologies, which have now become a key resource for OECD education and training systems. If used effectively, these technologies promise to transform teaching and learning practices and enhance educators’ ability to provide high-quality instruction, to reduce learning inequalities through more differentiated learning approaches, and to create more inclusive and efficient education systems. In schools and higher education institutions, many expect that digital tools are here to stay and that their role in teaching and learning will continue to grow.

Digital technologies are a key resource for OECD education and training systems. If used effectively, they promise to transform teaching and learning practices and help to advance quality, equity and efficiency. Digital education technologies can enhance educators’ ability to respond to students’ learning needs and interests, to make teaching more engaging and differentiated, and to widen access to countless learning resources. New technologies also promise to extend the reach of highly effective educators, to reduce learning inequalities and to create more inclusive education systems.

This chapter introduces the enabling factors for quality, equity and efficiency of digital education. It presents the framework guiding this report, covering its analytical dimensions and policy levers, levels of analysis and outcomes. The chapter also defines key terms related to digital education and digital technologies that are used throughout the report and presents a short overview of what will be covered in the following chapters.

This chapter presents some of the recent developments and emerging challenges that policy makers and education institutions have to consider when developing their strategic vision and pursuing policy co‑ordination related to digital education. The analysis highlights promising approaches for improving strategic development, co‑ordination, alignment, and adaptability of policies within increasingly digitalised education systems. In particular, it recommends that governments should recognise the benefits of a coherent digital education strategy, which is aligned to the wider policy ecosystem, and which takes account of the specific governance arrangements within education systems. Digital education strategies and policies should also maintain a future-oriented focus, considering the implications of emerging technologies.

This chapter describes recent developments concerning the use of digital education technologies in education institutions and the adaptation of pedagogical processes to the digital age. It highlights some of the challenges that are limiting the take-up of digital education technologies, including their insufficient alignment to educators’ needs and a lack of information on their efficacy. Public authorities can encourage the effective use of digital technologies by supporting education institutions in selecting digital tools, by facilitating their interaction with the EdTech sector, by promoting peer-learning and by spreading good practices across education systems.

This chapter reviews the current guidance and regulations in place across OECD countries with respect to digital education. It highlights the nascent nature of many aspects of regulatory frameworks from the viewpoint of protecting learners in digital environments and ensuring their equitable access to the benefits of digital education. The chapter also stresses the need to ensure that quality assurance policies and practices are adapted and, where necessary, updated to take specific considerations related to digital education into account. Regulatory frameworks should also be designed to ensure compliance with important legal and ethical requirements related to digitalisation, such as child protection, data protection and the impact of AI and algorithms.

This chapter highlights current challenges related to the funding and procurement of digital education technologies. Policy makers in many countries have limited information available when making investment decisions, and the funding environment for digital education technologies is fragmented, creating planning and budgeting difficulties for education institutions. The chapter presents a number of promising approaches that countries have used to address these challenges by adapting funding and revenue models to the specificities of digital education and by building collective capacity across education institutions to make smarter investments in digital technologies.

The chapter covers recent developments related to the provision of accessible, innovative and high-quality digital infrastructure across education systems. It finds that a range of challenges remain to ensure equity in access to digital infrastructure, and that current levels of investment in innovative education technologies are likely to be insufficient. The chapter recommends that governments should further invest in digital infrastructure that promotes equitable learning opportunities and seek to boost investment and innovation in education technologies through multi-dimensional and co-ordinated innovation, entrepreneurship or funding policies.

This chapter explores efforts to build capacity for digital education among actors at all levels of the education system: educators, institution leaders, parents, students and administrators. In addition to common capacity challenges that impede the effective use of digital education technologies, the chapter presents some promising approaches to building digital capacity. This includes continuing professional learning for educators, strengthening institution leaders’ ability to build a culture of digital education, and strengthening local capacity to support education institutions.

This chapter considers how human resources policies can be adapted to support the development of high-quality digital education. It highlights some of the ways in which educators’ working conditions, career structures and professional support can facilitate or constrain their ability to make effective use of digital education technologies. It also outlines some promising policies that can help educators to make time to engage with digital education, reward their efforts to do so and provide them with appropriate technical and professional support.

This chapter discusses current challenges related to monitoring and evaluation of digital education, including the extent of penetration of digital technologies, their impact on learner outcomes, and the effectiveness of digital education policies. It also outlines some promising ways forward in building national monitoring and evaluation frameworks for digital education, including establishing frameworks linked to digital education strategies, and building on existing national evidence development activities.