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 multiple 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.

Current and Future Plans

Building on these successes, LGI is expanding HTHT through new pilots in Cambodia and the Philippines, supported by Temasek Trust’s Philanthropy Asia Alliance and the Equinix Foundation:

Cambodia: In partnership with Teach for Cambodia, HTHT is being implemented in 9 schools across Phnom Penh and Kandal, focusing on math for grades 7 and 8.
Philippines: LGI is collaborating with the Ayala Foundation to introduce HTHT in 9 primary schools in Zambales, targeting math learning for grades 4-6.

These pilots will provide critical insights into how AI-driven learning tools can support teachers in delivering personalized education. Impact evaluations will be available in late 2025.

LGI is committed to advancing HTHT by:

Generating evidence – Researching and rigorously testing HTHT to provide accessible, data-driven insights. 
Implementing and scaling – Partnering with governments to pilot, evaluate, and create conditions for large-scale adoption. 
Sharing knowledge and partnerships – Facilitating global networks, policy dialogue, and financing opportunities to expand HTHT.

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