EdTech Engineers And the Making of Machine Learning in Education
Project dates (estimated):
October 2022 - June 2026
Name of the PhD student:
Meenakshi Mani
Supervisors:
Ben Williamson – Centre for Research in Digital Education, Moray House School of Education & Sport
Sian Bayne – Centre for Research in Digital Education, Moray House School of Education & Sport
Project aims:
The purpose of this study is to explore how Indian EdTech engineers incorporate ideas about teaching and learning into the development of AI education technologies for K-12 classrooms. The study also aims to understand how machine learning infrastructures interact with and influence engineering practices in AI EdTech development, and to contextualize these insights within the larger political and economic machinery of Indian EdTech.
Disciplines and subfields engaged:
Digital Education
Critical Data Studies
Software Studies
AI Ethics
Platform Studies
International Education
Research Themes:
Ethics of Algorithms
Bias and Discrimination in Machine Learning
Ethics of Algorithmic Decision-Making
Algorithmic Accountability and Responsibility
Ethics and Politics of Data
Ethical Data Science and Data Practice
Related outputs:
Publications:
Garforth, J., Catanzariti, B. & Mani, M. (2024). "Bridging the Gap: Reflections from teaching translational data and AI ethics." Centre for Technomoral Futures. 🔗
Mani, M (2024). "Indian EdTech's Double-Edged AI Sword". Insight, Technology. 🔗
Molnar, A., Boninger, F., Noble, A., & Mani, M. (2023). We need better education policy. Summit Public Schools shows why. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. 🔗
Conference Presentations:
ROYBI: Investigating how machine learning infrastructures influence what gets built in EdTech at the British Educational Research Association conference. University of Manchester. September 9, 2024.
Investigating the influence of Machine Learning infrastructures and processes on the building of EdTech at the Association of Internet Researchers conference. University of Sheffield. Nov 1, 2024.
Grants & Awards:
British Sociological Association PGR Regional Event Funding (Dec 2024, £1000). Awarded by the BSA to run a one-day workshop "Demystifying the Politics of Journal Publication" to be held at the University of Edinburgh in May 2025. Role: Co-organiser.
The Sociological Review Seminar Series Grant (November 2024, £1500). Awarded by The Sociological Review foundation to run the one-day symposium "Artificial Societies: Confronting Social Engineering after the Techlash" at the University of Warick on March 7, 2025. Role: Co-organiser. 🔗
EFI Student Research Awards (Feb 2024, £800, w/ Elif Doyuran): AI at (software) work: perils, promises, realities
Other Outputs:
Co-organiser of the ECR and PGR led research group, The Platform Social. 🔗
Organised and led the Autumn 2024 Reading Group Series for The Platform Social (Oct 2024 - Dec 2024)
Organised and conducted a half-day "Book Publishing Workshop" with Paul Stevens of Bristol University Press (November 2024)
Participant at the Digital Humanities Research Software Engineer summer school organized by the Edinburgh Centre for Data, Culture & Society, Cambridge Digital Humanities, King’s Digital Lab and The Alan Turing Institute. July 2024.
Funded participant at the summer school: Doing Qualitative Education Research in/of/through Algorithmic Environments held at Helmut Schmidt University. September 2022.