Our current use of AI in higher education involves automating parts (and at times the whole) of the human decision-making process. Where there is automation there is standardization. Where there are decisions, there are values. As a consequence, we can think of one of the functions of AI as the standardization of values. Depending on…
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It’s time to get over the accuracy of predictive models in higher education
How should we approach the evaluation of predictive models in higher education? It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the goal of a predictive algorithm is to be as accurate as possible. But, as I have explained previously, the desire to increase the accuracy of a model for its own sake…
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Predictive analytics are not social science: A common misunderstanding with major consequences for higher education
This is the second in my series on common misunderstandings about predictive analytics that hinder their adoption in higher education. Last week I talked about the language of predictive analytics. This week, I want to comment on another common misconception: that predictive analytics (and educational data mining more generally) is a social science.
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What are predictive analytics? And why does the idea create so much confusion?
The greatest barrier to the widespread impact of predictive analytics in higher education is adoption. No matter how great the technology is, if people don’t use it effectively, any potential value is lost. In the early stages of predictive analytics implementations at colleges and universities, a common obstacle comes in the form of questions that…
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Ethical AI in Higher Education: Are we doing it wrong?
In higher education, and in general, an increasing amount of attention is being paid to questions about the ethical use of data. People are working to produce principles, guidelines and ethical frameworks. This is a good thing. Despite being well-intentioned, however, most of these projects are doomed to failure. The reason is that, amidst talk…
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Liquid modernity & learning analytics: On educational data in the 21st century
I was recently interviewed for a (forthcoming) piece in eLearn Magazine. Below are my responses to a couple of key questions, reproduced here in their entirety. eLearn: You have a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Could you share with us a little about your history and your work with learning analytics? TH: What drives me in my…
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The difference between IT and Ed Tech
In a recent interview with John Jantsch for the Duct Tape Marketing podcast, Danny Iny argued that the difference between information and education essentially comes down to responsibility. Information is simply about presentation. Here are some things you might want to know. Whether and the extent to which you come to know them is entirely…
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