Ethics and educational technologies
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Ethics and educational technologies Thomas D. Parsons1,2 Accepted: 7 October 2020 © Association for Educational Communications and Technology 2020
Abstract This paper is in response to the manuscript entitled “Ethical oversight of student data in learning analytics: a typology derived from a cross-continental, cross-institutional perspective” (Willis et al., Educ Technol Res Dev 64(5):881–901, 2016) from an ethical perspective. The impact of the article is that it offered a working typology of ethical approaches and aims to determine the ethical intersection of internal student data usage and application. Their review of ethical approaches included research institutions from three continents. Findings from this review have implications for applied research with student data. This is particularly interesting given the differences in ethical approaches in the United States (more utilitarian) and the European Union’s rather strict deontological approach. While learning analytics offer rich student data for personalizing educational technologies, there is associated potential for threats to autonomy and privacy. A limitation of the topology is that it did not include other people groups (e.g., Asia, South America, Australia). Future learning analytics, design, application, and research will need to consider both where the technologies were developed and where educational technologies are being applied. Keywords Ethics · Educational technology · Extended cognition · Algorithmic devices Most educational technologists are not philosophers. However, they often deal with moral issues and dilemmas that range from the imbalanced allocation of technologies in schools to discussing (and balancing) the complex issues involved in technology development and research. In addition to ethical codes from the Association for Education Communications and Technology, there are several examples of ethical approaches to educational technologies: a principlist Educratic Oath (Spector 2005); virtue ethics (Spector 2015, 2016; Spector et al. 2013); feminist ethics (Campbell 2015; Damarin 1994); topologies (Willis et al. 2016) and neuroethics (Parsons 2019a, b). The focus of this review is to first summarize the article by Willis et al. (2016) and then look at the most prevalent ethical issues found in the article. Emphasis will * Thomas D. Parsons [email protected] 1
Computational Neuropsychology and Simulation, University of North Texas, 3940 N. Elm, G150, Denton, TX 76207, USA
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Learning Technologies, College of Information, University of North Texas, Denton, USA
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be placed on discussing the ethical concerns of educators (e.g., teachers, educational technologists, and institutions) as learning analytics are incorporated into algorithmic devices and a shift to online learning. Young children have increasing access to interactive applications (apps) at home and at school. This is important as existing research suggests both promise (interactive apps may be enhance early learning) and poten
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