Ethics in EdTech: Consolidating Standards For Responsible Data Handling And Usercentric Design

Synopsis

This report proposes aspirational principles for EdTech providers, emphasizing ethical practices, robust data protection, ownership rights, transparent consent processes, and active user engagement, particularly with children. These measures aim to enhance transparency, accountability, and trust in EdTech platforms.

Focusing on the K12 sector, the report systematically reviews and integrates key academic, legal, and technical frameworks to propose ethical benchmarks for the EdTech industry. The benchmarks go beyond quality assurance, highlighting good practices and ethical leadership for the field. The report addresses the need for a new culture in EdTech ethics, one that is collaborative and views EdTech providers as partners in dialogue with researchers and policy-makers to identify constructive solutions and uphold social trust.

The outlined benchmarks are intended for national policymakers, international agencies, and certification bodies to consider when developing quality standards for EdTech used in schools. They include AI safeguards and stress the importance of meeting international data protection standards, establishing clear ownership rights, and implementing transparent consent processes to address data control issues, as well as active user engagement for improving data governance practices.

Published: June 26, 2024

Authors: Ayça Atabey, Cory Robinson, Anna Lindroos Cermakova, Andra Siibak, Natalia Ingebretsen Kucirkova