Big Data, Algorithms and Education—On the Ethical Challenges of Educational Technology

Pak-Hang Wong (Universität Hamburg)

ABSTRACT: Technologies are increasingly interwoven with education, the use of information technology (e.g. (big) data analytics, automated decision-making systems, mobile technologies, etc.) offers various opportunities to enhance teaching and learning experience. For example, (big) data analytics and algorithms enable personalised experience tailored to teachers and students, mobile technologies make possible an (inter-)active and responsive environment for teaching and learning. These new technologies, however, also challenge our important ethical concepts, e.g. privacy, consent, responsibility, etc. This talk examines the major ethical challenges from the introduction of these new technology in the education context. Particularly, I shall focus on the limitation of traditional ethical frameworks in responding to these challenges, and the need to shift to the design of values in technology.

Speaker’s Biography: Wong Pak Hang is currently a research associate at the Department of Informatics, Universität Hamburg. Wong earned his PhD by a dissertation titled “Net Recommendation: Prudential Appraisals of Digital Media and the Good Life” in 2012. He then joined the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society (InSIS) and Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford as a Research Fellow on Climate Geoengineering Governance. Wong taught at the Department of Social Science, Hang Seng Management College before joining the Department of Informatics at Hamburg. Wong is one of the co-editors of Well-Being in Contemporary Society published by Springer in 2015. Wong has also published papers on significant journals on technology studies and practical philosophy, including Philosophy & Technology, Ethics, Policy & Environment and Journal of Responsible Innovation.

Please register with Ms. Calista Lam ([email protected]). Walk-in is also welcome!

This is an open-to-public event. All are welcome!