Emma Dorn | McKinsey & Company

Global Tech, Local Impact: Unlocking Classroom Bottlenecks with Emma Dorn How can we let data drive student success? On this episode, host Jeremy Singer talks with Emma Dorn, a Senior Knowledge Expert at McKinsey & Company, about how school systems improve and sustain progress at scale. While the US debate focuses on whether to use technology, the Global South innovates out of necessity due to resource constraints. From solar tablets in Malawi to WhatsApp coaching in Pakistan, Emma shares how to solve the core instructional bottleneck. Emma outlines five case studies from around the world where technology solves real instructional problems:  • First, design for the instructional bottleneck, not the tech. In Malawi, where class sizes reach 150, Imagine Worldwide deploys offline, solar-powered tablets running adaptive software, doubling literacy and math fluency.  • Second, technology designed for teachers can be more transformative than direct-to-student devices. McKinsey's analysis of global PISA data shows tech in the hands of teachers adds a year or two of learning, while student devices reduce outcomes due to distraction. New Globe utilizes teacher tablets to deliver structured lesson plans offline.  • Third, technology works better when aligned with the curriculum. Mentu's AI assistant in Colombia and the Dominican Republic maps to local curricula to scaffold lower-skill teachers.  • Fourth, technology is most powerful when scaling proven interventions like teacher coaching. In Pakistan, Talimabad created a WhatsApp-native digital coach analyzing classroom audio to give immediate feedback.  • Fifth, think beyond the Scantron. Using the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology, Pratham and Wadhwani AI developed oral reading fluency assessments operating on $50 cell phones, reducing assessment time by 50% across millions of learners.Listen in to learn how a global perspective can provide unique insights into how to leverage emerging technologies to solve real world educational challenges at scale. Research and Links: Malawi Scale-Up: globalpartnership.org/blog/malawi-strengthening-edtech-evidence-community-perspectives McKinsey PISA Study: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/drivers-of-student-performance-insights-from-europe Structured Pedagogy: https://www.wwhge.org/resources/implementing-structured-pedagogy-programmes-effectively-at-scale/ New Globe Impact: https://newglobe.education/impact/ Taleemabad Profile: https://taleemabad.com/ Mentu AI: https://mentulabs.com/en/ Pratham TaRL: https://www.pratham.org/about/teaching-at-the-right-level/ Wadhwani AI: https://www.wadhwaniai.org/ Join the Conversation: Subscribe, like, and follow The Education Equation wherever you get your podcasts. Time Stamps: 00:00 Show Introduction 00:38 Meet Emma Dorn 02:03 Why Look Globally 04:14 Constraints Drive Innovation 06:20 Lesson One Bottlenecks 12:21 Lesson Two Teacher Tech 19:00 Lesson Three Curriculum Alignment 23:37 Lesson Four Scaling What Works 29:28 Lesson Five Oral Assessments 34:18 Big Picture Takeaways 35:42 Rapid Fire Questions 37:40 Five Year Vision 38:51 Closing Thanks