INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AS A CATALYST FOR GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL EQUITY

Abstract

This paper examined how educational technology innovations are rapidly transforming the global education landscape and serving as a powerful tool for achieving educational equity. With a worldwide average of over 260 million children lacking access to formal education and huge, disproportionate gaps in literacy, digital access, and teacher quality, especially in low-income and marginalized communities, educational technology offers scalable, inclusive solutions for overcoming traditional barriers to education. The paper focused on the literacy gap in Nigeria, which has been exacerbated by a large number of out-of-school children, arguing that the adoption of cutting-edge tools, such as artificial intelligence, adaptive learning platforms, and mobile applications, can enable educators to tailor instruction and make access to quality content available to learners regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic status. The study concluded that the role of educational technology in achieving quality education for all cannot be overstated. The integration of modern technological tools and resources into the educational system can enhance teaching methodologies, facilitate interactive learning, and make education more accessible to all learners. Hence, this paper suggested, among others, that the government should allocate sufficient funds specifically for the procurement and maintenance of educational technologies in schools; public-private partnerships should be explored to secure additional resources and investments; and educational policy makers in Nigeria should ensure that teachers utilize appropriate educational technology tools to make the lesson delivery learner-centered, not teacher-centered, to arouse students’ interest and engagement and improve academic performance.