How Amazing Learning Moments Can Inform Effective, Child-Centred EdTech
Think back to a time when you truly understood something for the first time—that spark of excitement, that "aha" moment. Classrooms are full of these small but powerful experiences, moments when learning really clicks. We call them Amazing Learning Moments. These moments do not always get noticed in traditional evaluations, but often can be very meaningful for a child and may influence or impact their life or their future in some way. Curious to understand these moments better, researchers at the ICEI, in partnership with onebillion with support from the LEGO Foundation, set out to explore these moments. Our study aimed to capture and learn from these experiences, hoping to find ways to design better digital learning tools that unlock learning for children through engaging, enjoyable, and meaningful activities and stories.
The study focused on gathering stories from educators, primarily based in the Global South, to shed light on the diverse and dynamic teaching methods that create amazing learning experiences.
Conducted as an initial pilot, the research aimed to explore how these insights could inspire further studies, shape new educational content, and contribute to the development of the onebillion’s learning software. The ICEI team, led by Drs. Nicola Pitchford, Aida Layachi, and Natalia Kucirkova, collected twenty stories from educators. The analysis of these stories revealed several key teaching approaches, which we categorized using the playful learning framework by LEGO, along with additional themes that emerged from the data.
For example, many Amazing Learning Moments aligned with challenge-based learning, a powerful strategy that encourages students to push their abilities through structured challenges. Student-directed learning, where learners take charge of their education, also emerged as an effective approach, fostering autonomy and deeper engagement. Themes in the stories also reinforced the importance of culturally responsive pedagogy and ensuring learning is relevant to students' lives. Collaboration in learning was another key factor, as cooperative environments were found to enhance both engagement and comprehension.
By applying these findings, digital learning tools can become more inclusive and responsive to young children across diverse learning environments, reflecting what educators recognize as key moments of powerful and memorable learning.
On a broader scale, this research underscores the critical importance of aligning digital education tools with the lived experiences of children across the globe, ensuring that these tools cater to the diverse needs of learners and the varied educational contexts in which they grow. By lifting the voices of educators who work directly with these learners, we can create more effective, inclusive learning experiences that truly resonate.
We thank everyone who participated in this study and shared their amazing learning moments with us.
Image: Courtesy of onebillion