The impact of digital technologies on students’ learning in Ireland

3. Ensuring quality, competence and equitable access in digital education

Discussions during the peer-learning event emphasised that achieving equitable and effective digital education systems requires addressing interconnected challenges of infrastructure, teacher preparedness, and resource quality through system level policies. According to the framework of the OECD project Resourcing School Education: Policies for the Digital Transformation of Education and Future-Readiness of Teachers (OECD, 2025[32]), considering these elements is fundamental to address barriers such as disparities in access to quality digital infrastructure, lack of necessary skills for the pedagogical use of digital resources in and out of the classroom, assessment of digital resources, and sustainable financing among others. Doing so through a systemic policy approach can ensure coherence across policy areas, hence establishing a comprehensive and integrated policy environment that enables effective uses of digital resources.

As highlighted at the start of the event, teacher professional learning remains a critical enabler of educational success. However, only 43% of educators in OECD countries report confidence in using digital tools pedagogically, despite widespread technical training (OECD, 2023[11]). To address this gap, some accredited professional development programmes have focused on AI-driven lesson differentiation and digital assessment literacy. These programmes demonstrate the value of grounding training in the Technological, Pedagogical, Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, which integrates technological, pedagogical, and subject-specific expertise (Koehler, 2013[33]). This approach aligns with broader OECD recommendations for competency frameworks that prioritise continuous, practice-oriented learning ecosystems – such as peer coaching networks and micro-credentialling systems tied to career progression – over one-off workshops (OECD, 2023[11]).

Further, fostering student self-direction requires deliberate policy architectures rather than assuming innate digital competence. To this end, systemic models that embed self-regulated learning objectives into curriculum standards show promise, particularly when supported by learning analytics dashboards that provide real-time feedback. Evaluations of such approaches point to measurable improvements in problem-solving competencies (OECD, 2023[27]). Nonetheless, the OECD stresses the need for parallel investments in teacher training to interpret analytics effectively (2023[27]).

Underpinning all these elements are governance frameworks that coordinate cross-sector priorities. An example of the needed systemic coordination would be coupling inter-ministerial collaborations that align infrastructure investments and pedagogical goals with procurement standards that ensure edtech accessibility and data ethics. As highlighted in the OECD’s Shaping Digital Education: Enabling Factors for Quality, Equity and Efficiency report (2023[11]), if monitoring focuses on classroom integration rather than only on device distribution metrics, such architectures might transform the usage of digital tools from isolated interventions into drivers of pedagogical renewal.

The experiences of France, Sweden, Estonia and Ireland

France

In terms of quality, competence, and equitable access in digital education, France has adopted a centralised and structured approach to integrating digital technologies in education, aiming to address quality, competence, and equitable access. The Pix platform plays a central role in this, by offering tailored, skill-oriented assessments that promote high-quality digital literacy across all educational levels. With a comprehensive curriculum mapped to real-world applications, Pix ensures that students and educators develop both technical and critical thinking skills, essential for navigating a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The platform is a key driver of competence development, as it enables educators to evaluate and improve their own digital skills through self-paced learning modules.

To cater to the specific needs of different user groups, Pix offers two distinct versions: one for students and another one for teachers. The student version, simply called Pix, is designed to assess, develop, and certify digital skills throughout their education, from lower secondary to upper secondary schools. It includes mandatory certifications at key stages and helps prepare students for the digital demands of further education and the workforce. For teachers and education staff, a specialised version called Pix+ Édu has been developed. This version focuses on enhancing educators’ professional digital competencies, aligning with the European DigCompEdu framework and the French Cadre de Référence des Compétences Numériques pour l'Éducation (CRCN-Édu).  Pix+ Édu offers self-assessment, thematic training pathways, and the opportunity for teachers to validate their digital skills through certification. This dual approach ensures that both students and educators are equipped with the necessary digital competencies to thrive in the modern educational environment.

The expert from France also mentioned that to address equity, support for the provision of digital devices is provided to schools, especially to rural and economically disadvantaged ones. For instance, the 2015 Digital School Plan provided schools with financial support for purchasing devices, training teachers, and modernising IT infrastructure. Further, since 1981, the Territories of Educational Priority (REP) initiative foresees additional funding and training to ensure students located in disadvantaged areas have equal opportunities to access digital resources (Éduscol, 2024[34]). Finally, the expert referred once again to the EduPilote platform prototype (also mentioned in section Measuring the impact of digital technologies in education), which monitors the usage and impact of digital tools in schools. By collecting real-time data on digital education practices, the platform allows policymakers to identify disparities and inefficiencies, enabling adaptive and evidence-based interventions. However, despite these measures, challenges persist in fully bridging the rural-urban divide and ensuring universal access to high-speed broadband, which remains uneven in some regions (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale et de la Jeunesse, 2024[19]).

Sweden

In contrast, the expert from Sweden explained how their decentralised model reflects the country’s broader commitment to autonomy and innovation and objective of ensuring quality, competence, and equitable access by empowering local stakeholders. Municipalities and schools have the flexibility to design tailored digital education programmes, ensuring that strategies are locally relevant and responsive to specific needs. This decentralisation aims to give more autonomy to local agents, so that schools may experiment with innovative approaches (e.g., gamified learning, digital storytelling, or virtual reality-based teaching).

Accordingly, to promote teacher competence equitably, Sweden provides professional development programmes funded through municipal budgets and supported by national guidelines. Initiatives like the National Digitalisation Strategy for the School System outline competency goals for teachers and encourage the integration of digital tools into core subjects. However, the decentralised system has resulted in disparities in training quality and access. For instance, rural municipalities often struggle to allocate resources for advanced teacher training or state-of-the-art digital tools, creating inconsistencies in digital education quality across the country.

In this perspective, equitable access remains a significant challenge in Sweden. Schools in wealthier municipalities benefit from better funding, leading to more advanced infrastructure and technology adoption compared to less affluent areas. Efforts to address these disparities without targeted national subsidies for schools in underserved regions is difficult due to the lack of uniform standards, which can hinder broader equity goals. Sweden’s experience thus highlights the trade-offs of a decentralised approach: while it fosters innovation, it requires robust mechanisms to ensure consistency and fairness (Skolverket, 2022[24]).

Estonia

The expert from Estonia explained that the country’s holistic and technology-driven approach to digital education is designed to comprehensively tackle quality, competence and equitable access. Central to Estonia’s strategy is the Digital Competency Framework (already mentioned in section “Measuring the impact of digital technologies in education”), which ensures a consistent and high-quality digital education experience across the country by outlining clear standards for students and teachers. This framework stresses critical digital skills, including cybersecurity, data literacy, and creative problem-solving, ensuring that students are not just passive users of technology but active and informed participants in the digital economy.

To address equity issues, Estonia has implemented several nationwide initiatives, such as the ProgeTiger programme (also mentioned in section “Measuring the impact of digital technologies in education”) which provides free coding and robotics education for all students, regardless of their socio-economic background. The Estonian government also prioritises rural and disadvantaged communities through targeted funding for devices, infrastructure, and teacher training. Estonia’s eKool platform exemplifies the country’s commitment to equity by providing a free, universal digital interface for students, teachers, and parents, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to real-time information about learning progress.

Despite these achievements, Estonia continues to face challenges in ensuring universal access to high-quality broadband in rural areas, as well as in addressing socio-economic disparities in device ownership. Nevertheless, its comprehensive, forward-thinking policies and commitment to data-driven decision-making position it as a global reference in digital education innovation.

Achieving equitable and effective digital education systems requires addressing interconnected challenges of infrastructure, teacher preparedness, and resource quality through systemic policy design.

Ireland

During this session, the Irish expert highlighted that Ireland has taken important steps to address issues of equity, competence, and quality in digital education, while continuing to work on bridging gaps and improving outcomes. The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 emphasises inclusion as a key priority. Programmes like Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) provide additional funding and resources to schools who have high concentrations of students from socio-economically disadvantaged areas, helping to close the digital divide. DEIS schools and special schools/special classes in schools also benefit from supplementary funding under the ICT Grant Scheme.

In relation to digital competencies, teachers’ digital skills have been a key focus, with Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes incorporating digital skills training since 2020. Additionally, the Oide (the Irish Department of Education’s professional development service for teachers) organises professional development initiatives, ensuring that educators have access to workshops, resources, and school-based supports to enhance their digital teaching practices. This approach aligns with Ireland's Digital Learning Framework (DLF) (already mentioned in section “Measuring the impact of digital technologies in education”) which promotes innovative and reflective teaching methods that integrate technology effectively. In more details, the Oide Technology in Education (TiE) division develops and delivers professional learning opportunities such as online and face-to-face courses, workshops, seminars, webinars and whole-school support.

The Oide TiE also provides advice and support to schools on broadband, ICT Infrastructure matters, and Internet safety. In particular, the latter is fostered through the Webwise program, which promotes the autonomous, effective, and safe use of the internet by young people and has a wide range of training materials and resources available to guide teachers, students and parents on online safety. Webwise develops and disseminates resources that help teachers integrate digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in their schools. With a growing repository of over 25,000 resources and 100 good practice videos tailored to different age groups, the platform supports schools and teachers to create safe digital learning environments for students. Moreover, Oide TiE manages Scoilnet – Ireland’s official digital education content portal – which offers a wealth of educational materials, including videos, lesson plans, and good practice guides for educators. Equity of access is further enhanced by Ireland’s investment in broadband provision under the Schools Broadband Programme which provides high-speed connectivity to all recognised schools.

However, like other countries, Ireland still faces challenges in fully bridging the digital divide, particularly in ensuring universal access to high-quality devices and resources across all socio-economic strata. For example, while DEIS schools receive additional support, ensuring consistency in access and outcomes remains an ongoing priority. In this regard, participants highlighted that Ireland has demonstrated a commitment to reducing the digital divide and is working to ensure equitable access to digital resources across all schools. As part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Irish government issued €50 million in funding to support schools and students at risk due to socio-economic factors. This funding supported schools in addressing the digital divide and aimed to ensure that disadvantaged learners have access to the necessary tools for digital learning. The country is also making efforts to improve digital infrastructure, with many schools benefitting from high-quality broadband and filtered content. Schools then have autonomy in their digital learning plan to determine how to deploy digital technologies including devices, in their schools. In doing so, it is important that schools are supported so that all students experience the same level of access and opportunity.

Key considerations for Ireland

In conclusion, Ireland has made significant improvements in addressing equity, competence, and quality in the embedding of digital technologies in teaching and learning. Key assets include its focus on equitable access through initiatives like DEIS and the ICT Grant Scheme, which provide targeted support to socio-economically disadvantaged schools. Ireland's commitment to teacher competence is also evident, with a range of opportunities for digital skills training for teachers and ongoing professional development through the Oide TiE platform at all stages throughout their careers. Furthermore, the country's investment in broadband infrastructure means that all recognised schools are provided with high-speed connectivity through the Schools Broadband Programme operated by the Department of Education.

However, there are areas where Ireland could benefit from the experiences of other countries. Sweden's decentralised model offers a valuable experience in promoting innovation and tailoring digital education to local needs, although it also highlights the challenge of ensuring consistency across localities. France's structured approach, including the Pix platform and targeted rural initiatives, could help Ireland ensure universal access to digital tools and high-speed broadband. Estonia’s holistic, data-driven strategy, which includes a clear Digital Competency Framework and free nationwide coding programmes, exemplifies how comprehensive and inclusive policies can address both equity and quality on a national scale. By considering some of these aspects, Ireland could further strengthen its digital education ecosystem and ensure that all students benefit from the opportunities technology offers.