Maria Barron Rodriguez is the co-lead of the World Bank EdTech team since July 2024 and a distinguished Research Analyst at the World Bank Group’s Global Education Practice. With over a decade of professional experience, Maria is dedicated to leveraging evidence in EdTech, enhancing digital skills for youth—especially girls, developing resilient hybrid learning modalities, crafting holistic digital transformation strategies, and exploring the transformative role of AI in education.
Joining the EdTech team at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maria has made substantial contributions to the field. She has co-authored and coordinated over 25 global EdTech knowledge products and managed partnerships with UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Notable highlights include the EdTech toolkit for policymakers, lessons on remote learning for the global south, and a report on the perceived effectiveness of EdTech programs during the pandemic. Maria co-led the Continuous and Accelerated Learning (CAL) program, developing scalable global public goods to maintain and accelerate learning. Her work has supported over 1,000 policymakers from Ministries of Education across 30+ countries as part of the EdTech Policy Academy.
Maria’s focused country experience includes enhancing digital skills for teachers in Ethiopia, which informed the national EdTech Policy 2023, supporting Nigeria’s Edo Best project with an AI literacy program for youth in Edo, and providing technical support for youth out-of-school programs using blended learning in Senegal and the Sahel. She has also provided technical support in East Asia and Latin America. Prior to her current role, Maria conducted impactful research for the Research Improving Systems of Education (RISE) program at the University of Oxford and provided expertise to the UK Department for International Development (DFID). In Peru, she played a key role in implementing EdTech programs within the Ministry of Education, focusing on teachers’ digital skills and innovation.
An Oxford-Weidenfeld Scholar, Maria holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a Master of Science (MSc) in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the University of Oxford. Her rich academic background and extensive practical experience in the global south position her as a leading expert in the field of education technology and policy, driving significant innovations and improvements in educational outcomes globally.