A UNICEF-supported piloting for scale of an AI-powered maths learning platform has transformed learning for Bhutanese students, paving the way for nationwide implementation. Following a short pilot which demonstrated improvements in students' numeracy skills, the Bhutan Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) is introducing Eduten to all Grade 4 students nationwide, with additional implementation in monastic schools attended by young boys. This expansion fully funded by the MoESD includes plans to reach Grade 5 students in 2025 and Grade 6 students in 2026, marking a major step forward in the Himalayan country’s commitment to improving education through innovation.
The piloting for scale started in late 2023 in collaboration with UNICEF Bhutan, the Bhutan MoESD, the UNICEF Global Learning Innovation Hub and Eduten Ltd., with the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. It involved 952 Grade 5 students in 32 schools across the country, which has a total population of only 774,876.[1] The full pilot report is available online with key results, including:
- An 11.2 percentage point improvement in numeracy skills and a 4.6 percentage point increase in arithmetic fluency among students using Eduten for 10 weeks compared to a control group.
- High engagement among students, with 92% expressing enthusiasm for using the platform with students reporting an increased interest in maths and a better understanding of mathematical concepts.
- Teacher-reported reductions in workload due to Eduten’s automated learning analytics. Teachers gained hands-on experience in employing digital tools with personalization and differentiation features allowing them to keep track of students who are struggling.
“Implementing the Eduten course made learning math fun and fast, with students eager to explore new topics, improving their performance and mindset toward math,” a Grade 5 math teacher wrote in response to an anonymous survey as part of the pilot.
The pilot included face-to-face teacher training with coaching support throughout the implementation, parental involvement, and timely technical support based on real time monitoring using data from Eduten’s dashboard. Bhutan MoESD officials worked closely with UNICEF and Eduten to align the platform contents with the national curriculum, ensuring its fit for the national context.
The transition to nationwide implementation with costs covered by the MoESD underscores Bhutan’s commitment to digital transformation in education. Eduten, used in over 70% of Finnish schools and winner of the 2022 UNICEF Blue Unicorn Award, enables teachers to deliver interactive, curriculum-aligned exercises while leveraging data-driven insights to support personalized learning. Eduten was designed at the University of Turku, Finland. The platform features over 200,000 gamified maths exercises and is used in over 50 countries worldwide.
UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub implemented this pilot as part of its mission to democratize access to and accelerate introduction of high-impact digital education solutions to address the global learning crisis. It is also supporting the piloting for scale of Eduten in Uzbekistan and Laos, and aims to introduce similar safe, impactful digital tools to developing countries worldwide.
[1]This includes both treatment and comparison groups. The treatment group had 491 students from 20 Grade 5 classes who replaced one mathematics lesson a week with using the Eduten platform; and the control group had 461 students from 20 Grade 5 classes who continued with the regular math lessons. Both groups were assessed before and after the 10-week period to track changes in their numeracy skills.
