AERC Hosts: Dr. Samantha-Kaye Johnston "On Whose Terms? Engaging Teachers in Critical Evaluation of Data Policies in AI-Enabled EdTech"
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Abstract: Teachers increasingly rely on AI-enabled EdTech platforms, yet the data policies governing these tools often remain opaque, limiting teachers’ autonomy in shaping not only digital learning environments but also the data-driven decisions influencing assessment and instruction. This presentation examines how teachers’ expectations around data use evolve when critically engaging with the terms of use policies embedded in EdTech platforms such as Google and Microsoft. Drawing on an ongoing multi-phase participatory study, funded by the Oxford Martin School, with teachers across ten UK schools (England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland), the session will highlight how fostering teacher autonomy encourages the development of critical thinking essential for navigating how data is used in AI-driven educational systems. Through the co-design of an evaluative tool with participating teachers, the session will demonstrate how shifting teachers from passive users to active evaluators can contribute to more ethical, transparent, and evidence-informed instructional and decision-making practices.
RSVP: AERC-info@unimelb.edu.au
| Time | 12-1 pm AEDT |
| Date | 1 April 2025 |
| Location | Faculty of Education, Level 9 Conference Room (915), 100 Leicester Street, Carlton Victoria 3053 (or join via Zoom https://go.unimelb.edu.au/qr6p Password: 188289) |
Bio:
Dr. Samantha-Kaye Johnston is a McKenzie Research Fellow at the Assessment and Evaluation Research Centre (AERC), Faculty of Education, where her research explores how AI-enabled EdTech systems can foster learners’ autonomy and support the development of critical thinking. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, ethics, and education, informed by her previous experience as a Product Manager in the EdTech industry and through research, consultancy, and affiliate roles with the University of Oxford (Education and Computer Science departments), the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and USAID.
She led projects including the Digital Autonomy Machine Experiment and Project Amplify (funded by Jesus College, Oxford), a youth-driven initiative in Jamaica exploring the ethics of the Metaverse. Samantha continues to be a visiting researcher at Oxford’s Department of Computer Science and serves as co-editor of the Personhood Unit for Oxford University Press’s AI in Society Intersections series.