The Signal
Curated by Shashidhar Sa.
Knowledge curation - Education and Development sector

The Signal.

A monthly curated digest of the sharpest resources across evidence, evaluation, AI, data, and career development - built for practitioners in education and international development who want to stay sharp without spending hours searching.

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2Issues
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Showing 12 resources
Issue 01 - March 2026
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Conference Upcoming - 15 Sep 2026
01

What Works Hub for Global Education Conference 2026

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What it is
Hosted at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, and livestreamed online. Brings together researchers, implementers, and policymakers working on foundational learning in low- and middle-income countries. Themes include evaluation of learning programmes at scale, implementation science, adaptive approaches, evidence use for policy, and GEDSI. Open for submissions (deadline: 8 April 2026).
Why explore this
If your work involves education research or evidence, this is the room where global decisions get shaped. Even attending online puts you in conversation with the people setting the direction for evidence-based education reform internationally. Submitting a paper or practice note is a direct way to get your work in front of a relevant, senior audience.
Value addition
Direct access to the global evidence-in-education community. Submission deadline 8 April 2026 - if you have a practice note or research in progress, this is the venue for it.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Case Study Always available
02

How Pratham Uses Claude to Deliver Personalised Assessment Feedback at Scale

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What it is
Pratham International partnered with Anthropic to build the Anytime Testing Machine (ATM). Claude generates curriculum-aligned questions, digitises handwritten student answers, grades against rubrics, and delivers personalised feedback in Hindi and English. Grading accuracy improved from 30% to 80% through iterative prompt engineering. Over 1,500 assessments across 20 schools. Validated by more than 10 RCTs including MIT J-PAL.
Why explore this
A peer organisation with a comparable mission has already done the hard work of testing AI in Indian classrooms. Reading this tells you what worked, what did not, and how they designed a system that keeps teachers in control. It is a practical shortcut: you get the lessons without repeating the experiments.
Value addition
Directly applicable to anyone thinking about AI-assisted assessment or feedback in education programmes. The clearest existing example of this working at scale in India.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Webinar Ended - recording available
03

Developmental Evaluation Beyond the Label - Clear Horizon Academy

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What it is
Jamie Gamble (author, A Developmental Evaluation Primer) and Jess Dart (CEO, Clear Horizon; 25+ years in evaluation practice) discuss how developmental evaluation is applied in the field - often without the formal label, and in tighter timeframes than the textbooks assume. Real examples from healthcare, child protection, and institutional change. Covers leading indicators, learning moments, and trade-offs under uncertainty.
Why explore this
Most teams doing complex work are already doing something like developmental evaluation - they just do not have language for it or a structure to make it rigorous. This session gives you the vocabulary and the practical tools to do it intentionally. Especially useful for adaptive programming or working in systems where results are hard to pin down.
Value addition
Live session has passed but recording may be available via Clear Horizon Academy. The concepts are directly applicable to any programme running in complex, uncertain contexts.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Community Always available
04

Outcome Mapping Learning Community (OMLC)

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What it is
A global, open learning network for Outcome Mapping - a planning, monitoring, and evaluation approach that defines outcomes as changes in the behaviour of direct partners, not just changes in the world at large. Particularly suited to complex, systems-level change where attribution is difficult. Hosts webinars, practitioner resources, and a free membership community. Recent resources include Outcome Mapping + Equity and Gender (2024).
Why explore this
If your team measures outputs but struggles to show contribution to real change, Outcome Mapping offers a structured alternative. It shifts the focus from "what did we deliver" to "how did the people we work with behave differently as a result". Joining the community gives you access to tools, case studies, and practitioners who have wrestled with the same problems.
Value addition
Free membership, active community, and a library of practitioner resources specifically suited to education and development contexts where attribution is genuinely difficult.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Free Course Always available
05

ChatGPT Prompt Engineering - DeepLearning.AI

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What it is
A 90-minute free course by Isa Fulford (OpenAI) and Andrew Ng (DeepLearning.AI). Covers two core principles of effective prompting, iterative prompt design, and building a custom chatbot via the OpenAI API. Practical applications include summarising content, classifying text, and automating routine writing tasks. Includes 9 video lessons and 7 hands-on code examples. Requires only basic Python knowledge.
Why explore this
You do not need to be a developer to get value from this. Understanding how to give AI tools clear, well-structured instructions is the difference between a vague response and a useful one - whether you are drafting a report, summarising research, or building an internal tool.
Value addition
One hour of this course will immediately change how you use any AI tool at work. One of the highest return-on-time investments available for free right now.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Podcast Ongoing
06

Storytelling with Data Podcast

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What it is
By Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, bestselling author and data visualisation expert. The show covers how to communicate data clearly and compellingly - moving beyond cluttered charts to presentations that actually influence decisions. Topics include choosing the right graph, giving and receiving feedback on data visuals, handling uncertainty in data, and building a data-literate culture in your team. Practical, example-driven, and accessible to non-technical listeners.
Why explore this
Most research and programme reports contain data that never changes anyone's mind - not because the data is wrong, but because it is presented badly. This podcast teaches you how to make your evidence land. Even one or two episodes will change how you design a slide, write a caption, or choose a chart.
Value addition
One of the most directly applicable skills gaps in the sector - and it is free. 100+ episodes, each focused on a real communication problem you have probably already encountered.
Issue 01 - Mar 2026 Podcast Ongoing
07

Learning Statistics - Introduction to Statistics

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What it is
A podcast series covering key statistics concepts one topic at a time, based on Prof. Patrick Planing's Introduction to Statistics course. Designed for students and those building statistical literacy from scratch. Clear explanations with real-world examples. Each episode focuses on a single concept, making it easy to dip in and out without following a sequence.
Why explore this
Statistical literacy is not optional in evidence-based work - but it does not have to mean sitting through a full course. This podcast lets you build fluency in your own time, one concept at a time. If words like "significance", "correlation", or "confidence interval" make you nervous in a meeting, start here.
Value addition
It will not take long before you can engage with research findings more critically and confidently. One of the lowest-effort, highest-impact learning resources in this digest.
Issue 02 - April 2026
Issue 02 - Apr 2026 Report Always available
08

OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 - Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education

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What it is
OECD's flagship 247-page report on generative AI in education, published January 2026. Synthesises the best available empirical research, design experiments, and expert insights on GenAI as tutor, partner, and teacher assistant. Examines AI use by students independently, by students and teachers together, and by teachers alone. Key finding: general-purpose chatbots improve task outputs but not deep learning - pedagogically-designed educational AI tools show sustained gains.
Why explore this
If your programme uses or is considering digital or AI tools for learning, this is the evidence base to read first. It draws a clear line between AI that improves performance and AI that improves learning - and shows why those are not the same thing. Directly applicable to programme design, EdTech partnerships, and funder conversations.
Value addition
Sets the terms of the global conversation on AI in education for 2026. If you are writing a proposal or speaking to funders about EdTech - this is the document that frames the field right now.
Issue 02 - Apr 2026 Tool Always available
09

Theorymaker - Free Theory of Change Builder

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What it is
A free, open-source web tool for building Theories of Change quickly and logic-first. Created by Steve Powell; newly listed on BetterEvaluation in February 2026. You begin with causal assumptions, add intermediate outcomes, and Theorymaker builds the logic structure as you go - producing a visual ToC diagram you can export. No installation required. Works in any browser.
Why explore this
Building a Theory of Change is one of those tasks that teams either avoid entirely or spend weeks on with a consultant. Theorymaker removes both problems. It forces you to think in causal logic from the start - which is the hard part, not the diagram. Useful for proposal development, programme reviews, LFA preparation, and planning workshops.
Value addition
If your team has a ToC that has not been revisited in a while, this is a low-effort way to stress-test it. Free, browser-based, no setup - you can have a working draft in under an hour.
Issue 02 - Apr 2026 Platform Always available
10

OpenAI Academy

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What it is
OpenAI's free global learning platform - structured workshops, discussions, and digital content ranging from foundational AI literacy to advanced prompt engineering and AI-enabled workflows. Piloting certifications in early 2026 for different levels of AI fluency. Available globally to individuals and institutions. Hosts live and recorded sessions.
Why explore this
If your team is at different starting points with AI - some curious, some already using it, some sceptical - OpenAI Academy gives everyone a structured, free entry point. Unlike short videos or one-off articles, the content is designed for progressive skill-building, not one-off exposure.
Value addition
If the DeepLearning.AI course from Issue 01 was a sprint, this is the programme that follows it. A better long-term foundation than informal trial and error - and the certifications launching in 2026 add professional credibility.
Issue 02 - Apr 2026 Webinar Series Next: 1 Apr 2026
11

OECD Education and Skills Today - 2026 Webinar Series

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What it is
OECD's free ongoing webinar series tied directly to its research publications. Sessions feature OECD economists, researchers, and senior education policymakers from member countries. 2026 topics include AI in education, teacher quality and supply, assessment reform, and skills for the future of work. Next session: How much education does a teacher need? - 1 April 2026, 10:00 CET. All recordings freely available after broadcast.
Why explore this
Each session is a direct line into how global policymakers are reading the evidence - and the OECD framing shapes how funders, governments, and multilaterals position their education priorities. For anyone writing proposals or presenting to senior stakeholders, knowing what the OECD is currently saying makes your arguments sharper.
Value addition
Register before 1 April to attend live - or watch the recording after. Short sessions, freely available, directly connected to published evidence. Either way the content is worth your time.
Issue 02 - Apr 2026 Free Course Apply by 20 Apr 2026
12

McKinsey Forward Program - McKinsey.org

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What it is
A free 10-week online learning programme designed for individuals at different career stages - from career starters to job changers. Focuses on essential, transferable workplace skills: adaptability, structured problem-solving, effective communication, relationship building, and digital and AI essentials. Delivered fully virtually, self-paced. Available in more than 130 countries. Participants receive a McKinsey.org Forward digital badge and access to a global alumni network. Application deadline: 20 April 2026.
Why explore this
The skills gap in the social sector is real - and most teams do not have budget for structured professional development. Forward offers McKinsey-quality learning at no cost, in your own time, wherever you are. A rare combination: globally recognised, practically focused, and genuinely free.
Value addition
Whether you are early in your career, stepping into a new role, or looking to formalise skills you already use, this is worth the time. The Certificate of Completion is a credible addition to any professional profile.
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