Tag Archives: higher education

Automating mistrust

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson Turnitin can now analyse students’ individual writing styles to tackle ‘contract cheating’. Image by Xavi The acquisition of plagiarism detection company Turnitin for US$1.75 billion, due to be completed later this year, demonstrates how higher education has become … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged algorithmic governance, algorithms, ed-tech, educational technology, higher education, software, Turnitin, universities | 1 Comment

The app store for higher education

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson A government competition aims to make choosing a degree as easy as swiping a smartphone. Image by Garry Knight App stores are among the most significant aspects of contemporary cultures. Commercial environments where consumers choose digital products, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged apps, data, Department for education, government, higher education, marketization, Office for Students, universities | 1 Comment

The mutating metric machinery of higher education

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson Higher education increasingly depends on complex data systems to process and visualize performance metrics. Image by Dennis van Zuijlekom Contemporary culture is increasingly defined by metrics. Measures of quantitative assessment, evaluation, performance, and comparison infuse public services, commercial … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged data, data analytics, data visualization, higher education, measurement, metrics | Leave a comment

Edu-business as usual—market-making in higher education

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson The Nido Spitalfields Tower, the world’s tallest student accommodation, sits on the boundary of the financial district of London. Image by UggBoyUggGirl The global education business Pearson has established itself as a major player in higher education around the world. With … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ed-tech, edu-business, educational technology, government, higher education, market reform, marketization, Office for Students, Pearson | 1 Comment

The Office for Students as the data scientist of the higher education sector

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson Data play a huge role in British higher education. The new regulator for the sector, the Office for Students, will escalate data collection and use in HE in years to come. Improving student information and data to ‘help … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged data, government, higher education, Office for Students | 1 Comment

Globalizing education standards with ISO 21001

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson Standards are everywhere but largely invisible. They define the production of things, from the size of a brick or the dimensions of a credit card to the programming languages used to code software, and act as rules for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged education policy, governance, higher education, standardization, standards | Leave a comment

Mapping the data infrastructure of market reform in higher education

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Ben Williamson

Ben Williamson A new regulator for Higher Education in England came into legal existence on 1st January 2018. Announced as part of the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act (HERA), the Office for Students was controversial before even formally opening for business. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged analytics, data, government, higher education, market reform | Leave a comment