Algorithmic sorting in education
Project team
Our team has four members who contribute to the success of the project in different roles. They all work at the Zurich University of Teacher Education.
Ken Horvath
Principal investigator
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Technological, educational, political and social aspects and developments come together in the design and use of digital learning environments. So far we know very little about the forms in which they do this and with what consequences. My overarching research interest in this project is to understand this interaction. This can be an important basis for opening up space for critical reflection and constructive discussion for all actors involved. This is an important prerequisite for realizing the egalitarian potential of new educational technologies and for preventing the risks of algorithmic discrimination.
Ken is professor of educational science at the Zurich University of Teacher Education, where he also heads the Research Division for Educational Sciences
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Andrea Isabel Frei
Doctoral Researcher
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Solutions for the most diverse challenges in the education sector are attributed to the use of digital education technologies. Edtech startups in particular are expected to bring about revolutionary innovations for "the education of the future". The "ecosystem" around the edtech startups themselves has numerous tests ready for them, in the form of organizations such as "incubators", "accelerators", or in "fundraising" looking for investors. I'm interested in what tests EdTech startups are subject to and how they deal with these conditions in practice in order to be able to pass. A special selection process seems to be taking place here, which should ultimately also have an impact on the development of digital educational technologies.
Andrea is a research associate at the Zurich University of Teacher Education and a PhD student in the Algorithmic Sorting in Education project.
Mario Steinberg
Doctoral researcher
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The sociologically proven finding that inequalities are created and legitimized every day through school practices of social sorting are contrasted with diverse promises of more educational justice through radical personalization and individualization of teaching and learning processes using digital technologies in the classroom. As part of my dissertation project, I investigate how teachers perceive digital educational technologies in the context of diverse organizational and professional requirements, how they embed them in everyday pedagogical situations, and which knowledge orders they draw on. Particular attention is paid to the associated (unwanted) sorting effects and potential for discrimination. The project aims to better understand tensions between sociologically well-documented practices of social classification and institutional discrimination and the promises of digital innovations in education.
Mario is a research associate at the Zurich University of Teacher Education and a PhD student in the project "Algorithmic Sorting in Education"
Sandra Schärli
Student assistant
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How society is changed and shaped by digital tools and environments is one of my main sociological interests. In the project "Algorithmic Sorting in Education" I will be able to practically apply the theoretical content I have learn during my studies. I am excited to get a first insight into empirical social research.
Sandra is a student assistant at the Department of Educational Sciences at Zurich University of Teacher Education. In her Master's programme, she studies Sociology and Law at the University of Zurich.
phone
+41 43 305 6863
Cooperations
In the project, we work together with project partners and other initiatives in order to bring the results of our research work into an active dialogue in technology, practice, administration and politics.
Swiss EdTech Collider
Cooperation with Swiss startups
The Swiss EdTech Collider, a non-profit organization founded in 2017 and based in Lausanne, is a hub for start-ups that want to transform education and learning through technology. It brings together Swiss EdTech start-ups that deal with the digitization of education at various levels, from kindergarten to adult education.
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In the "Algorithmic Sorting in Education" project, we work together with the EdTech Collider in a variety of ways. In addition to mutual support in organizing events etc., this also applies to research activities within the framework of the testbeds at Swiss schools organized by the EdTech Collider.
Educa
Algorithmic Sorting in Education – Vernetzung und Implikationen
"Algorithmic Sorting in Education - Networking and Implications" is a collaborative project between our SNSF project and Educa (the federal agency for the digital educational space in Switzerland).
In June 2021, Educa was commissioned by the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) to develop a data usage policy. Such a policy cannot be developed top-down. It is important to include the affected stakeholder groups and their concerns.
The programme for data usage projects, which was launched in July 2022, is designed to capture the various points of view and shine a light on some of the potential conflicts involved in handling data. “Algorithmic Sorting in Education – Networking and Implications” is one of these projects. It is geared towards identifying and analysing aspects that might require regulation. Possible regulatory strategies are to be drafted based on its findings and discussed with the actors involved.