UNESCO has played a pivotal role in promoting a human-centered approach to digital education governance. Firstly, it has established global standards, such as the Qingdao Declaration and the Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence and Education, to ensure equity and inclusivity in digital education. Secondly, UNESCO provides policy guidance to assist countries in implementing human-centered digital education, including guidelines on the use of generative AI in education and research, ICT education policies, and planning guidelines. Additionally, UNESCO leads international cooperation, such as partnerships with UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union, to promote digital learning. Finally, UNESCO strengthens national capacities by offering technical assistance and training, such as testing the digital open school model.

The human-centered approach to digital education governance holds multifaceted and multilevel significance:

First, it necessitates ensuring equal access to the Internet and necessary digital resources for all, addressing issues of the digital divide, gender inequality in digital access, and cost and availability concerns.

Second, it calls for expanding online learning spaces, with a particular focus on women and marginalized groups.

Third, it demands the promotion of digital inclusivity for persons with disabilities, such as providing assistive technologies and accessible design.

Fourth, it requires striking a balance between technology-independent education and technical solutionism, avoiding over-reliance on technology to solve educational issues.

Fifth, it necessitates the validation of commercial digital applications to ensure they align with human-centered principles and educational needs.

Sixth, it involves anticipating and safeguarding the digital well-being of students and teachers, such as addressing privacy, security, and issues of overuse.

Seventh, it requires reducing and neutralizing the digital carbon footprint, such as promoting green digital technologies and electronic waste recycling.

To establish a high-quality digital education system, policymakers must have a comprehensive understanding of the scope of digital technologies and how they integrate with the broader education system. Approaches to achieve this include assessing digital education readiness, utilizing low-cost applications and open educational resources, and building a foundation for digital education with reliable AI technologies. Additionally, policymakers should continuously enhance support for teachers to facilitate the successful implementation and innovation of digital education practices.

The key to digital transformation lies in the organic integration of Internet connectivity, digital content resources, digital literacy development, and other supportive elements. This forms the basis for a comprehensive restructuring of the education system, particularly the digital blueprint for the school education system. Against this backdrop, UNESCO has designed a framework aimed at exploring potential pathways for constructing a system of digital open schools. This system effectively integrates non-digital methods with cutting-edge digital technologies, ensuring that the curriculum and personalized tutoring transcend the boundaries of physical classrooms and remote learning platforms.

The work titled “Steering the Digital Transformation of Education: UNESCO’s Human-Centered Approach”, was published on Frontiers of Digital Education (published on July 2, 2024).
DOI: 10.1007/s44366-024-0020-0