The UK government has made no signIt will also announce when it will regulate digital technology companies. Contrary to this, the US Federal Trade Commission will tomorrowTo address the growing risks posed by the power of digital tech companies, you might want to consider amending the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act. Many of these businesses play a significant role in the education and lives of children. This free rein has allowed many businesses to infiltrate the education system, slowly degrading the teaching profession, and spying upon children, argue LSE Visiting fellow Dr. Velislava HillmanMolly Esquivel is a junior high school teacher, and a Doctor of Education candidate. They take a look at the mess digitalized classrooms have become due to a lack of regulation and support for businesses that cause harm.
Any teacher can attest to the many years of specialized teaching and schooling. Code of ethicsAnd StandardsThey must be licensed to teach in order to get a teaching license. Higher education students also need a high level degree, published scholarship, and postgraduate certificates. PGCEMore. Businesses offering education technologies enter classrooms without the need to demonstrate any licensing or meet any standards.
The teaching profession is now an ironic joke. Teachers who once dreamed of inspiring their students in college are now faced with a new reality. They are required to manage all types of platforms and applications. Collect edtechCompetency badges(fig1) Monitor data; Navigate students through edtech products.
Edtech products are unlicensed and unregulated and do not require years of college education. They now override the roles and competencies of teachers.
Figure 1: Teachers race for edtech badges
Karma Points and Wellbeing Indexes
Your efforts are being recognized is how ThrivelyAn application that monitors students, and claims to be used in over 120,000 schools across the US, is called ‘The Friend’. The UK SymantoA similar purpose is served by, an AI-based program that analyzes texts to infer the psychological state of an individual. The ThrivelySoftware collects data on attendance, library usage, grades, online learning activities, and makes inferences about students’ engagement or feelings. SolutionpathMany universities in the UK offer support for students in trouble. ClassDojoIt is used by 85% of UK primary schools, and a global community that includes over 50 millionTeachers and their families. Classroom management software ImperoTeachers can remotely control children’s devices through the company. The company claims to have direct access to over 2,000,000 devices in more than 90 different countries. The software also includes a wellbeing keyword index index that identifies students who may need emotional support. This is a form of policing. Staff members can create a complete picture of the capture and intervene quickly if necessary.
These products and others use the algorithm-based monitoring of and profiling of students’ mental health. These products can guide not only student behavior, but also teachers’. One reviewer said that Impero: This is what my teachers do instead of teaching. When you are working in ThrivelyKarma Points are earned for every interaction with a student. The application lists teacher goals – immediately playing on an educator’s deep-seeded passion to be their best for their students (fig2). Failure to attain these points can be internalized as failure within the teaching profession. ThrivelysThe algorithms could also set off a battle for the most Points, where the teaching staff will be battling it out. Similarly, ClassDojo offers a mentorProgram for teachers and awards mentor badges.
Figure 2: Thrively nudges teachers to engage with it to earn badges and Karma points; its tutorial states: It’s OK to brag when you are elevating humanity.
The teacher becomes a line worker on a conveyor belt controlled by algorithms. The data accumulated triggers algorithmic diagnostics in each application. This allows for the creation of the curriculum and control over students and teachers. Software that is inferential ThrivelyTeachers are thrown into a rabbit hole by being asked to assess not only students’ personal interests but also their mental health. Its Wellbeing Index uses pulse checks to assess students’ feelings. This is to show teachers if they are unable to connect with students. The UK has lax laws in place regarding Collect biometric dataThis can lead to the development of advanced technologies that exploit such data to develop mental health prediction and psychometric analysis. These practices not just increase the dangers to students and children, but also dehumanize the educational process.
Other technology-infused and surveillance-based applications are also thrust into the classroom. ThrivelyThe data is used to suggest career paths and other information, including how the teens feel. They share the data with third parties like YouTube Kids, game-based and coding apps – outside vendors that Thrively curates. ImperoIntegration with platforms such as Clever,More than 20 million students and teachers use it. MicrosoftThis has allowed the tech giants to expand their reach to millions more people. Teachers are only second thoughts in the design and leadership of classrooms, as technology intersects with education.
Businesses must not take over the education of children, but teachers must be a central part of it.
The digitalization and hegemony of education has quickly led to a decline in the teaching profession. Edtech companies are assessing the learning habits of students, teachers and their feelings. Public-private partnerships are sharing experimental software with arbitrary algorithm warrantless of school official to untested Beta programme, undermining educators. Ironically, teachers remain responsible for what happens inside the classroom.
Parents should inquire about the software used to judge how their children behave in class. Students should ask universities what algorithms are used to draw inferences about their work and mental health. This means that parents, students, teachers, and children are now more responsible. At least two things must happen. First, edtech products or companies must be licensed to function in the same way as banks, teachers, and hospitals. Educational institutions should be transparent about how mental health and academic profiling are assessed. If software analytics plays a part in any way, educators (through enquiry and through law) must insist on transparency. They should also be critical about the data points collected as well as the algorithms that process them.
This article does not reflect the opinions of the London School of Economics and Political Science, nor the Media@LSE blog.
Featured image Photo by Arthur LambillotteOn Unsplash
