Behind the Scenes of The Glossary of EdTech Impact
When different people use the same words but mean different things, confusion is inevitable. This is especially true in complex, multi-stakeholder environments like education, where commonly used terms like impact, evidence, or even research can mean very different things to different people. At our Centre, as we collaborate with leading impact specialists, researchers, policymakers, educators, and private sector partners around the world, we’ve seen firsthand how misalignment in language can lead to misunderstandings. That’s why, before advancing any meaningful conversation or partnership, we prioritise creating a shared dictionary. A common dictionary is like a common ground where everyone can speak the same language and truly understand one another.
This realization led us to create the EdTech Impact Glossary: a resource designed to bring clarity to the most commonly used (and often misunderstood) terms around impact, evidence, and research in the EdTech space. To build it, we convened a group of 25 researchers from our international network, inviting them to contribute definitions that reflect both academic rigor and practical relevance. Each term in the glossary aligns with established definitions found in research literature and encyclopedias, while also capturing how these words are used in real-world EdTech contexts.
The resulting Glossary was published in English in early 2024 and has since become our most downloaded and widely read public good resource. Given the strong interest from our international audience, we also produced versions in Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, French, and Hindi (Devanagari script). Due to the level of specialisation required to accurately translate terminology from the impact domain, we were fortunate to have our regional impact specialists provide these translations, drawing directly on their practical and research experience in EdTech evidence.
Today, we are proud to publish the second edition of the EdTech Impact Glossary. This updated edition includes two new terms proposed by the LXD Research team in the USA and approved by the Centre’s original author team. It also features two additional language versions: Korean, translated by the Learningspark team, Turkish, translated by Nermin Karademir from the University of Cambridge, UK and Chichewa by Chipiliro Kasiyamphanje, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
We recognize that language is a moving target and that terms evolve, taking on new meanings as they are used in different contexts. Therefore, we welcome and are grateful for any additions or corrections you may have. These contributions will help shape the third edition, planned for 2026! Download the translated versions here and let us know what you think!