High Touch High Tech

High Touch High Tech for All

Transforming learning to achieve equitable education for all

High Touch High Tech for All (HTHT) is an approach that brings together the unique strengths of teachers (High Touch) and AI-enabled adaptive learning technology (High Tech) to personalize education, particularly for the most disadvantaged learners.

Governments and partners select locally available technology that delivers adaptive content and assessment aligned with national curricula, allowing students to learn at their own pace. Teachers then use real-time data to tailor instruction and foster critical thinking, collaboration, and social-emotional growth. When combined with teacher training and support, HTHT has the potential to accelerate learning at scale.

Why High Touch High Tech?

For over 15 years, research has shown that personalized learning approaches—such as Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL)—improve learning outcomes by adapting instruction to students’ needs. However, scaling these approaches has proven difficult. AI-powered adaptive learning technologies present a new opportunity to support teachers in personalizing education while ensuring that every child receives the support they need to thrive.

The need for scalable solutions is urgent:

70% of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot read or understand a simple text.
68% of youth worldwide are not on track to gain basic secondary-level skills by 2030.

The HTHT approach presents an opportunity to close achievement gaps and accelerate progress in in learning.

Impact to Date

LGI has worked with governments and partners to pilot High Touch High Tech (HTHT) across four countries, demonstrating its potential to transform learning:

Vietnam

The Education Commission, in partnership with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training, Arizona State University, and UK FCDO, developed a prototype that combined teacher training with adaptive learning technology. After just one semester, students’ math scores improved by the equivalent of two years of learning. Teachers also gained confidence in using technology and using student data for more personalized instruction.

Uruguay

LGI partnered with CEIBAL Uruguay, Education Commission Asia and the Inter-American Development Bank to implement HTHT for math (grade 5) and computational thinking (grade 7). The results showed:

1.63 years of learning gains in math within one year.
A statistically significant improvement in computational thinking.
Notably, schools that received only technology (without teacher training) did not achieve similar improvements, reinforcing the importance of combining high-tech tools with teacher support.

Philippines

LGI partnered with the Ayala Foundation to implement a HTHT pilot supported by the Equinix Foundation and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance in the Philippines. After just 12 weeks of implementation, students in grades 4-6 HTHT classrooms achieved significantly greater gains in math, equivalent to four additional months of learning compared to peers in comparison schools. Teachers reported that they now provide more differentiated instruction, more targeted support, and more student-centred learning.

Cambodia

LGI partnered with Teach For Cambodia to implement a HTHT pilot supported by the Equinix Foundation and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance targeting math instruction in grades 7 and 8. Student math scores increased from 35% to 44% in just eight months: equivalent to approximately eight additional months of learning, effectively doubling expected progress within a single academic year.

Future Plans

Building on the successes of the four pilots, LGI is working on a larger scale implementation in the Philippines to demonstrate how the project can be sustained and scaled. Simultaneously, LGI is exploring opportunities to bring HTHT to new countries.

Blogs

Get Involved

HTHT is a collaborative effort, and we welcome new partners interested in scaling personalized learning. Whether your focus is foundational learning, STEM education, or digital learning research, we invite you to contribute to this transformative approach. Here’s a link to our High Touch High Tech 2 pager if you would like to read more about the initiative. Please reach out to: Madelyn Cunningham, International Project Manager – mcunningham@edc.org Sattiya Langkhapin, Chief of Party – slangkhapin@edc.org