In the world of digital education, time connotations have definitively changed into a pre-COVID and a post-COVID era.
Sure, many technologies and trends were already developing before the pandemic, but the crisis pushed everything into a state of rapid, turbulent change. Globally, while this did create a backlash in student performance, it also served as a sort of "super-laboratory." Researchers could intensely study the impact of digitalisation on education, leading to a much faster and deeper understanding of its pros and cons. This knowledge has since proven invaluable as Artificial Intelligence (AI) has begun its strong progress and proliferation in our daily work, including within schools and educational environments.
As an update to the 2019 white paper on the impact of digitalisation on education, Educaid.be - the platform for education and development, bringing together more than 50 Belgian member organisations active in education and training - presents this brief outlining 7 key trends for 2026.
The document was developed by the Educaid.be Project Group on Digital for Education, composed of several members working at the intersection of education, digital innovation, and international cooperation.
Why a trends report? The landscape of digital education has become so complex and has been the subject of so many publications already that producing a comprehensive white paper would have been a mere repetition of what’s already available.
Instead, we endeavoured to rise above the existing information and share our own set of trends, or predictions, for 2026 - and maybe even the next three years (a bold long time in digital!). We also made a specific effort to concentrate on the situation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). We did not only draw on research from across the Asian, Latin American, and African continents, but also on what members of Educaid.be experience daily in their respective projects and areas.
To help explain each trend, we use relevant case studies to provide real-world examples from partner countries and – where possible – directly from the Educaid.be member organisations.
Get ready to dive in and explore the future with us!
The Educaid.be Digital for Education Project Group – December 2025
