Data-based education transformation as the key to better learning outcomes

A current impulse paper by the Vodafone Foundation and the Weizenbaum Institute deals with the digital transformation of the education system and how this can be made more successful by making sure there is sufficient data. The paper is based on an analysis of international and national use of education data, current research literature and interviews with education experts, school practitioners and administrators.

Among others, Prof Dr Ulrike Cress, Director of the IWM and head of the Knowledge Construction lab, and Prof Dr Detmar Meurers, head of the Language and AI in Education lab, express their points of view in the publication. Ulrike Cress emphasises the importance of data for quality assurance in education: ‘For quality assurance, we need comparative data, especially in order to be able to look at different starting points and to assess the impact of measures.’

Data for research as the basis for improvements

Detmar Meurers also emphasises the relevance of data for research: "It's not primarily about digitality, but about addressing specific challenges. ... Only if we have data can research improve things."

The impulse paper presents five central fields of action with 100 concrete recommendations for education policy, administration and practice. The conclusion: Germany needs a forward-looking education data ecosystem that supports all stakeholders in persistently working towards common goals, recognising the need for action at an early stage and taking the right measures in a targeted manner.

More information: Policy paper by the Vodafone Foundation and the Weizenbaum Institute: Data-based education transformation as the key to better learning outcomes (in German)