Lighthouse EdTech: Evidence-oriented initiative
The Lighthouse initiative aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the field of educational technology. By bringing together Swiss EdTech startups, schools, and academic institutions, it allows for the testing, validation, and improvement of EdTech tools through research-based pilot studies. This collaborative approach enables schools to access innovative educational solutions, while startups receive valuable feedback to refine their tools, all within a rigorous, evidence-oriented framework.
Today, schools have many potential educational technology (EdTech) choices. Yet, they lack the time and resources to assess which EdTech tools genuinely improve learning outcomes among their students. EdTech startups are looking for opportunities to independently test their learning technologies and public bodies are increasingly asking EdTech startups to demonstrate the learning impact of their proposed services.
Through a process of co-design, deployment, and validation, the Lighthouse EdTech Evidence-oriented Initiative links EdTech tools from Swiss startups with academic institutions and schools to conduct evidence-oriented pilot studies.
Through the initiative, researchers will bridge gaps between theory and practice by examining EdTech tools in real-world settings. EdTech startups will receive research-backed recommendations to improve their services while Swiss schools gain free access to continuously refined educational technologies.
Supported by the Jacobs Foundation, the Lighthouse EdTech Initiative connects and funds each of these tripartite pilot studies through the following general partner structure:
To this end, startup members of the Swiss EdTech Collider—whose tools have already been tested in schools through the Swiss National EdTech Testbed Program—have been selected to conduct these pilot studies. Each pilot follows an approximately one-year timeline, with results published as open-access scientific conference proceedings.
The Lighthouse Initiative illustrates how cutting-edge commercial and non-profit EdTech solutions can be implemented as research-based digital interventions across a range of educational contexts. These include, for example, pedagogical scenarios for virtual anatomy lessons and AI-augmented voice assistants designed to foster empathetic language learning. In parallel, the initiative contributes to the development of a blueprint model for effective, evidence-oriented collaboration between Swiss schools, EdTech startups, and academic institutions in the field of technology-enhanced learning.
Pilots
Six pilot projects are being conducted as part of the initiative, with implementation running through the end of 2026. The first pilot has already been successfully completed in January 2026, with its corresponding research paper publicly available. Detailed information on each pilot can be found below:
This Lighthouse EdTech Research Pilot investigates a biology teaching scenario with Graasp where SketchNote 3D is embedded, specifically for the simulated dissection of animal organs. The field study is focused on the co-design process with teachers, the user experience of the pedagogical scenario, and the learning outcomes among the students.
- Startup:
- Academic Institution:
- EPFL LEARN – Center for Learning Sciences
- Involved Education Institution:
- Service École-Médias SEM, Genève
- Research Paper (published 01.2026):
