The Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) brings together researchers from around the world aiming to capture the richness and diversity of child development and learning.
Only by conducting open-access, cutting-edge research can we enhance our knowledge on learning and developmental variability.
Delve into the science of learning variability, explore cutting-edge research, and discover practical insights to enhance learning for all.
Home » Universidad de los Andes
The LEVANTE pilot in Colombia, based at Universidad de los Andes, builds on an initial data collection effort focused on the translation and contextual adaptation of LEVANTE’s core measures into Spanish. This first phase involved children aged 5–12, their caregivers, and teachers, and combined individual applications with focus groups to assess task comprehension, instruction clarity, and overall suitability. It also helped identify practical considerations for implementation in Global South contexts, including infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and readiness for large-scale data collection.
A second pilot, led by Julián P. Mariño and Carolina Maldonado and involving the Early Childhood Education Research Group and the Evaluation Center, extends this work to younger children and a longitudinal design. Data collection is planned over two to four years in Bogotá and a second region in Colombia. This phase includes the qualitative adaptation and validation of LEVANTE tasks for children aged 2–4, followed by three annual waves of data collection with approximately 250 children in daycare settings, along with their caregivers and teachers. An additional component—classroom observations of teacher–child interactions—is planned, subject to further funding.
Together, these efforts strengthen the adaptation of LEVANTE measures across contexts and age groups, while building the foundations for longitudinal research on early learning and development in Colombia.
Read more about the LEVANTE Pilot Sites.
Julián P. Mariño
Julián P. Mariño is the Director of the Evaluation Center at the Universidad de los Andes. He and his team are specialized in the design, implementation, and analysis of educational evaluations. They focus on innovation and collaborate with professors from different faculties at Universidad de los Andes and other universities, as well as non-governmental organizations dedicated to improving education.
Carolina Maldonado
Full Professor and co-director of the Early Childhood Education research group. Carolina Maldonado holds a degree in Psychology from the University of the Andes, a doctorate from the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh (USA), and a Master’s degree in Psychology and Education and a specialization in Latin American Studies from the same institution. Her area of expertise is early childhood education. She has extensive experience documenting the quality of interactions and is recognized for her leadership in the processes of evaluating and measuring the quality of early childhood education and child development in Colombia and Latin America. She directed the national measurement of the quality of early childhood education in Colombia and has co-directed the evaluations of aeioTU’s professional development programs.