So why has edtech so far largely failed to deliver on its vast potential? 

A key challenge is the fact that robust scientific evidence does not presently play an integral part in how most edtech products are designed, deployed and evaluated.

Many edtech start-ups, in their desire to leapfrog into the future, haven’t put enough focus on the evidence for their products. 

For example, a recent report by Edtech Impact, a U.K.-based independent review platform for edtech, found that just 7 percent of edtech companies used randomized controlled trials to find evidence of impact. 

Instead, the most frequently cited benchmark of evidence were customer quotes and school case studies