In 2023, a UNESCO report sounded the alarm on digital devices in schools, saying technology’s fast pace of change had put major strain on education systems to adapt, “forcing them to take quick decisions without evidence on the short and long-term costs.”
Now, a team of international researchers is urging a rethink of classroom tech, warning its hidden systems leave schools in the dark about how student data is collected, shared and used. They say the ‘black box’ nature of many edtech tools means teachers often have no idea what’s being harvested –or where that data ends up.
UniSA researcher and contributing author to the new book – Handbook of Children and Screens – Dr Jamie Manolev says many edtech tools have been adopted without understanding their long-term educational or ethical impacts.
“One of the factors contributing to this situation is the optimistic views held by many in education and government, of technologies to improve schooling and learning. Hence, there is a strong appetite to adopt their use in schools,” Dr Manolev told The Educator.
“However, despite this appetite the regulatory policy frameworks necessary for responsibly governing the use of education technologies has yet to be developed.”
Dr Manolev says while research is a time-consuming endeavour, so is always playing catch up with the uptake of technologies in schools and the effects they produce.
“The Safer Technologies 4 Schools initiative has produced a framework for evaluating digital technologies used by schools in Australia,” he said.
“However, participation is voluntary, and its focus is on safety and privacy and doesn’t include an assessment of the quality of education produced by technologies.”
Dr Manolev says safeguards must be in place to prevent students from being reduced to mere datapoints in an increasingly digital education system.
“One way to address this could be to support teachers to think more critically about the technologies they use, such as, considering how they work, for what purpose they’re being used, and whose interests are being served through their use,” he said.
“This would involve supporting teachers to enhance their data literacy so that they are equipped with the knowledge to make decisions about using data that’s in the best interest of children and their education.”
Lead author, LSE’s Dr Velislava Hillman says that teachers need greater support to understand how education technologies work, including how data is collected and used, so they can make informed decisions in the classroom.
“We need to move beyond the idea that more tech is always better,” Dr Hillman said. “The ed-tech sector is extremely fast, making it hard for teachers to keep up.”
Dr Hillman noted that while teachers may try to engage in ongoing professional development, they need the time and support to be able to do so.
“Stronger regulation is essential to protect students and ensure that technology supports their learning without compromising their privacy or wellbeing,” she said. “We must prioritise children’s interests to safeguard their future in a safe and ethical way, in an increasingly digitised school environment.”
Published in a landmark international volume on childhood studies, the chapter is part of growing calls for reform in how digital tools are used and understood in Australian classrooms.