In an age of rapid technological innovation, educational technology (edtech) has surged with promises of personalised learning, improved outcomes, and anytime-anywhere access. Yet, despite the proliferation of apps and digital platforms, much of today’s edtech fails to reflect the human-centred nature of learning—the actual science of how children learn.
To move forward meaningfully, edtech must be grounded in the science of learning, an interdisciplinary field that draws from neuroscience, developmental psychology, and education research. Learning science consistently shows that children learn best when they are emotionally engaged, socially connected, and active participants in the learning process. Learning is not a simple transfer of information from one brain to another; it is an immersive, relational, and often joyful process of discovery. This is precisely where much of edtech falls short.
Many edtech tools are built on the assumption that learning is a solitary, data-driven activity. In reality, learning is shaped by relationships, emotional safety, and meaningful engagement. Research shows that when students feel connected, supported, and seen, they learn more effectively. We remember what moves us.
By contrast, digital platforms that isolate children or rely heavily on passive consumption—such as static, individualised drills and gamified reward systems—can widen gaps in engagement and equity rather than close them.
These shortcomings became especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. As classrooms shifted to screens, the limitations of edtech were laid bare. The belief that devices and connectivity alone could replace human teachers proved misguided. If anything, the crisis reaffirmed a truth long understood in education: teachers are irreplaceable. Their empathy, adaptability, and emotional presence cannot be replicated by machines.
Learning science also emphasises the critical role of play, exploration, and collaboration in children’s development. Evidence from animal studies and classroom research shows that playful learning supports brain development, strengthens social bonds, and nurtures emotional maturity. Through music, storytelling, role-play, and collaborative games, children develop empathy, creativity, social-emotional skills, and problem-solving abilities—capacities that no app can instil in isolation.
Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences further underscores that children learn in diverse ways: through language, logic, music, movement, interaction with nature, and more. The most effective learning environments recognise and respond to this diversity. Yet, most edtech solutions continue to treat learners as if they are wired identically, reducing learning to screen-based repetition or standardised assessments that marginalise children with different strengths and learning styles.
Edtech often promotes its ability to deliver “personalised learning,” but in practice, this frequently translates to algorithmic pacing through standardised content. True personalisation, grounded in learning science, goes far deeper. It involves emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and multiple modes of expression that acknowledge learner variability.
Effective technology should help children see themselves reflected in what they learn, while also opening windows to unfamiliar ideas and experiences. It should give learners voice and agency, not merely adjust the speed at which content is delivered.
What is often missing is the human element: relationships with teachers and peers that support emotional development, model empathy, and foster meaningful dialogue. Technology should not replace these connections; it should strengthen and support them.
If education is to harness the true potential of technology, a new generation of learning tools must emerge—tools that are built on a deep understanding of how children think, feel, and learn. This means prioritising engagement over efficiency, connection over content delivery, and relationships over algorithms.
We need technology that empowers teachers, activates students’ multiple intelligences, and invites all children—regardless of background or ability—to feel seen, valued, and capable.
Ultimately, technology must catch up—not to innovation for its own sake, but to the science of learning itself, with teachers positioned as agents of change. When it does, technology will not merely accelerate learning; it will deepen it and, most importantly, humanise it.
By Renisha Bharvani, Head of Research & Legal, Rangeet
