Tag Archives: artificial intelligence
Enclouding education
Cloud computing underpins the contemporary digital landscape of online services and platforms. In education, cloud systems make it possible for many educational technologies to function and scale, and are increasingly present in institutions as back-end infrastructure for running digital services … Continue reading
Google magic
Google has announced the latest in a sequence of upgrades to its popular online learning platform Google Classroom, and it’s all about injecting more artificial intelligence into schools. Classroom was popular with teachers all around the world before Covid-19, but … Continue reading
PISA for machine learners
The common narrative of the future of education is that artificial intelligence and robotization will transform how people work, with changing labour markets requiring schools to focus on developing new skills. This version of the future is reflected in influential … Continue reading
Pandemic privatization and digitalization in higher education
Ben Williamson and Anna Hogan The state of emergency in higher education systems around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic has opened up the sector to an expanding range of education technologies, commercial companies, and private sector ambitions. In our … Continue reading
Digital data and the post-pandemic university
Ben Williamson Prepared for the QAA Scotland Enhancement Themes 2020 conference on 3 November 2020 Digital data technologies are at the centre of many current controversies. From Airbnb driving up over-tourism and property prices, to Twitter taking measures to reduce … Continue reading
The social life of Artificial Intelligence in education
Ben Williamson Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the subject of both hype and horror in education. During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, AI in education (AIed) attracted serious investor interest, market speculation, and enthusiastic technofuturist predictions. At the same time, algorithms … Continue reading
Learning from surveillance capitalism
Ben Williamson Surveillance capitalism combines data analytics, business strategy, and human behavioural experimentation. Image: “Fraction collector” by proteinbiochemist ‘Surveillance capitalism’ has become a defining concept for the current era of smart machines and Silicon Valley expansionism. With educational institutions and practices increasingly … Continue reading
Learning machines
Ben Williamson When educators talk about theories of learning they are normally referring to psychological conceptions of human cognition and thinking. Current trends in machine learning, data analytics, deep learning, and artificial intelligence, however, complicate human-centred psychological accounts about learning. Today’s … Continue reading
Brain data, neurotechnology and education
Ben Williamson Image by Neil Conway The brain sciences are playing an increasingly powerful role in the development of the digital technologies that may augment everyday life in future years. ‘Neurotechnology’ is a broad field of brain-centred technical R&D. It includes … Continue reading
Imaginaries and materialities of education data science
Image: The .edu Ocunet, by Tim Beckhardt Ben Williamson This is a talk I presented at the Nordic Educational Research Association conference at Aalborg University, Copenhagen, on 23 March 2017. Education is currently being reimagined for the future. In 2016, the online … Continue reading