Reviews

Professor Bano (University of Oxford) asks why decentralization of funding for schooling and community mobilization policies hasn’t resolved the crisis of low learning achievement in developing countries over the past two decades.   Through case studies of educational change in India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, the researcher argues “that understanding the political economy of education in developing countries requires examining not only the incentives of political elites and bureaucratic hierarchies but also the motivations and strategies of key stakeholders.”   School-based management councils and state schooling face challenges from perspectives like Boko Haram (“Western education is forbidden/sinful”), the rise of low-fee private schools; a continuing gender gap in school access; prioritizing passing not learning; and differing emphases on moral education, technical goals, and demand for secondary education completion. Professor Bano calls for a new educational policy agenda with implications for the development community to facilitate, not lead educational reform; going beyond Education for All and expanding support for middle and secondary schools; encouraging revival of local knowledge traditions; allowing communities to influence curricula; and ensuring that international learning outcomes and testing do not lead to a local psychology of failure in schooling. 

Chief Digital Officer Anne Trumbore (UVa) traces three historic themes in US educational technology and learning theory and practice – the computer’s potential as an “individual Aristotle” pursued by Patrick Suppes at Stanford, the computer as a constructivist tool like LOGO supported by Seymour Papert at MIT, and the computer as a networked course distribution system developed as PLATO by Don Bitzer at the University of Illinois – as they developed into national online high schools, One Laptop per Child programs, Khan Academy, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Online Program Managers (OPMs), and Chat-GPT.   Trumbore suggests that in the future in-person learning will remain the gold standard in higher education, all learning experiences will be blended in some extent, universities will expand their efforts to reach adult students, nontraditional education will continue to provide pathways to employment that bypass college degrees, organizations will personalized training and development pathways for their employees, and learners will expect to build their own curriculum.  Recognizing that educational technology’s power is derived from an assemblage of political, governmental, social, business opportunities, and cultural forces, Trumbore hopes that the focus will return to the enrichment of learners everywhere. 

LC5805 MARC

Moore, Julie A. Facilitating virtual learning communities: using protocols to improve educator practice, by Julie A. Moore and Natalie Berger. Teachers College Press, 2025. 192p bibl index ISBN 9780807786918, $110.00; ISBN 9780807786901 pbk, $36.95; ISBN 9780807782989 ebook, contact publisher for price.

Authors Moore and Berger build on Professional Learning Communities literature and their experiences to provide an overview of protocols, “steps and guidelines that groups can follow to structure a conversation in order to meet a particular goal”, for facilitating virtual learning communities synchronously (in a live, virtual setting).  Following a discussion of the roles and work of the facilitator, including technology setup, planning sessions, and recording and the use of AI, the authors reflect on the logistical, technical, and engagement advantages and challenges of these communities.  They advise that these communities should not be larger than 10, sessions should not run more than 90 minutes with no more than 20-minute segments, and agendas should make use of a backward planning model.  They outline strategies for opening and closing sessions, developing the community, learning and sharing from texts, investigating teaching, learning, and assessment in the community, exploring professional dilemmas, emphasizing equity and excellence, and encouraging professional reflection.  Coaching strategies like the ISSAQUAH protocol, Passion profiles, and The Paseo or Circles of Identity process are introduced.  They also examine techniques in affinity mapping, probing questions, chalk talk, microlabs, and success analysis.  

Editors Crompton and Burke (Old Dominion University Global program) complied this text to examine theories and practices in introducing artificial intelligences applications through case studies from scholars in Australia, Malaysia, Morocco, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA.   The benefits of AI in K-12 Education include personalized learning, gamification and educational games, emotion recognition and affective computing, and data and predictive analytics for student learning.   Concerns include overreliance on AI, plagiarism, student assessment, verifying accuracy, which may be ameliorated by enhancing learning intrinsic motivation, requiring digital literacy, AI, and critical thinking courses, and recognizing AI as a tool not as a replacement.  The (South) Korean Digital New Deal is discussed through case studies on AI integration in textbooks, math, reading, high school curriculum, crime and accident prevention systems, and ethical principles for AI safety. Other authors examine the perceptions of students, preservice, and current teachers about AI professional development, the uses of AI for good, and curriculum design for AI Literacy.   The editors conclude that “the future of AI in K-12 education holds immense potential, … ensuring that its use enhances learning outcomes while also addressing ethical considerations and promoting inclusivity.”

Submitted on April 20, 2025.