Why EdTech Success Depends on Evidence and Usability: Tal Havivi of ASCD & ISTE Explains

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Tal Havivi is the Managing Director of R&D at ASCD + ISTE, focusing on initiatives to improve the health and effectiveness of the EdTech market. He leads research around high-quality EdTech design, programs focused on improving evaluation processes in school systems, and supports EdTech providers. Previously, he led Education Strategy at Amazon Business focused on improving education procurement. He also has experience working at edtech startups and in K-12 administration.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How the role of evidence in EdTech has evolved over the last decade and why it’s more critical than ever.
2. The importance of teacher usability in EdTech tools and how it impacts learning outcomes.
3. What ISTE and ASCD’s initiatives are doing to create a more rigorous evaluation framework for EdTech products.
4. The five quality indicators used to assess EdTech solutions: Usability, Interoperability, Accessibility, Data Privacy, and Research Basis.
5. How EdTech providers can bridge the gap between research and practical application in schools.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction to Tal Havivi and his role at ASCD & ISTE.
[00:02:59] The coalition behind EdTech’s five quality indicators.
[00:05:41] How evidence-based EdTech has evolved post-pandemic
[00:09:11] Why teacher usability is crucial for EdTech success.
[00:15:55] ISTE’s 2025 plan to prioritize validated EdTech vendors.
[00:19:37] Challenges in bridging research and practical EdTech solutions.
[00:29:38] The future of EdTech evaluation and quality standards.

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