Critical Ed Tech Studies and the University

The rapid evolution of educational technologies (edtech) has transformed the landscape of education, particularly through the use of digital networks, data, and AI. In response, a growing number of studies dedicated to the critical analysis, evaluation, and (re)design of educational technologies has emerged, examining the pedagogical, social, technical, political, economic and cultural dimensions of edtech. This Critical EdTech Studies (CES) has sought to uncover the underlying power dynamics, biases, and unintended consequences that often accompany the introduction of technology, as well as to contribute to the envisioning of alternative edtech futures, often oriented towards overcoming the harmful consequences of technocratic decision-making in education. In a first part, this seminar will address how this emerging field can contribute to higher education research and practice specifically.

The second part will present atmospheric analytics as one specific methodological framework that can be deployed in the field of CES. This framework explicitly challenges a view of technology as simply being a tool for augmenting human-computer interactions. Instead, it posits that technologies have atmospheric qualities, shaping experiences through a complex interplay of infrastructure and affect. Three analytical optics will be outlined: density, saturation, and viscosity. These concepts help us analyse the intensity, vitality, and resistance associated with edtech in our daily lives. By focusing on how technologies are woven into our practices, atmospheric analytics offers a nuanced perspective on the social, political, and ethical implications of edtech, opening up ongoing critical study of education technologies as they continue to unfold in higher education and beyond.

This event is co-hosted by the Critical Digital Education Research Group (CDER) at the Department and the Society for Research in Higher Education (SRHE).

Speaker bios:

Mathias Decuypere is Professor of School Development and Governance at the Zurich University of Teacher Education. His research adopts an international, macro-level perspective on educational policymaking and governance. It is interested in how distinct global developments in governance (e.g., behavioural governance; platform governance; synthetic governance) affect local educational practices. Over the last years, Mathias has become particularly interested in how schools operate in a condition of digitality nowadays, where digital technologies are embedded in just about every educational practice. In that respect, he investigates how educational technologies can be used to foster pedagogically meaningful digitization processes in education. Before working at PH Zurich, Mathias was Associate Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium), where he held a chair in qualitative research methods.

Carlo Perrotta is Associate Professor of Digital Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne. His research examines the impact of technology on multiple aspects of education, from pedagogy to policy. Carlo’s recent work focuses on automation and Artificial Intelligence. He has published in several leading journals at the intersection of education studies and the sociology of new media. They include Learning Media and Technology, the British Journal of Sociology of Education, New Media & Society and Critical Studies in Education. Carlo’s research has been funded by leading international bodies such as the European Commission, the UK’s ESRC and UNESCO. Before joining the Faculty of Education in 2023, he held research and teaching posts at Monash University, the University of Leeds, and the UCL-Institute of Education in London. Prior to Academia, Carlo worked at Futurelab, a UK-based, non-for-profit think-tank that explored the potential of digital technology in education.