In September, a summit was held at Yale University to share the findings of a validation study conducted across seven countries on the Remote Assessment of Learning (ReAL) tool, which was designed in 2021 to assess literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills in children ages 5–14 in remote learning environments.
The tool was created by researchers at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC)—in collaboration with the international non-governmental organization Save the Children—in response to an educational crisis severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time when living rooms and kitchen tables were suddenly transformed into classrooms around the world, educational approaches were rapidly being re-worked and re-assessed.
Developed with direct input from teachers, caregivers, and children, the ReAL tool is intended to reflect the real and immediate needs of its users. “This isn’t a top-down solution; it’s a response crafted with, and for, the voices of those it seeks to serve,” said ReAL Project Director Angelica Ponguta, MD, PhD, who also serves as YCSC research scientist with the Yale Collaborative of International Early Childhood and Youth Development.
The tool integrates local languages, customs, and realities, with a goal of allowing children to demonstrate their true knowledge. According to Ponguta, at the heart of the ReAL project is the fostering of an unprecedented network of practitioners and researchers from low- and middle-income countries. The collaborative model aims to localize and decolonize traditional research practices.
“The ReAL tool is groundbreaking not just for its functionality, but for its soul,” said YCSC Research Fellow María Alejandra Gutiérrez Torres, MD, MSc. “Yes, it’s a tool for assessment, but it’s so much more than that. Originating in the pandemic's necessity, it has since evolved to meet broader educational challenges in unconventional settings. It’s more than an educational resource; it's a testament to what can be achieved when we listen, adapt, and collaborate.”
Ponguta added, “The ultimate aim is to empower local communities by involving them in the assessment process, fostering a sense of ownership and alignment with local educational goals. This grassroots strategy ensures that the solutions are not only sustainable but also embraced by those who benefit most.”
The developers of the ReAL tool seek to challenge a more traditional model of educational assessment by recognizing that education in crisis or remote settings cannot be rigid or uniform. The focus instead is dynamic—and responsive to the cultural and linguistic contexts of the learners. It also measures not just academic skills but the socio-emotional health of students, acknowledging the critical role that mental and emotional well-being plays in learning.
“Across the globe, children face barriers to education that go beyond the mere lack of books or schools,” commented Ponguta. “Economic disparities, geographical isolation, and the impacts of wars and natural disasters have conspired to create a complex web of challenges that disrupt learning. The reality for millions of children is that their education has been disrupted or is completely inaccessible. This isn’t just a logistical challenge—it’s a profound humanitarian crisis.”
Results from the evaluation study, which included 4,840 children from Cambodia, Mozambique, Niger, oPt, the Philippines, and Sudan, showed moderate evidence that ReAL is valid and reliable for literacy and numeracy, though the evidence for social-emotional skills was weaker. The qualitative results revealed that while the tool is generally perceived as scalable and contextually appropriate, challenges persist with unreliable connectivity, caregiver influence, and comprehension issues in rural and linguistically diverse settings. This is the first cross-country evaluation of a remote assessment of learning.
The 2024 summit was attended not only by Yale students and faculty, but by a variety of global experts in the field including members of aid and development agencies, and partners who led the first phase of validation for the tool in Palestine, Mozambique, Sudan, Niger, El Salvador, Cambodia, and the Philippines. The event was funded by Save the Children and the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund from Yale’s McMillan Center.