On Users, disrupters and how edtech aims to reshape education with Hemy Ramiel

Dr Hemy Ramiel is a postdoctoral researcher in the sociology, communication and political sciences department in the Open University in Israel. In this episode, Hemy talks about his research of an Israeli edtech R&D unit and a startup incubator. He discusses his choice of studying the edtech field through this organisation and the notion of disruption as the primary logic for the units’ activities. Also, the logic of disruption can be understood as a perspective for understanding the edtech industry agenda for educational change. Hemy presents his analysis on how students are framed as digital users in the edtech production; and the implications of this “userisation” framework on the education sector. Finally, Hemy touches on some fundamental traits of the edtech field, such as its technological solutionism and its universal cross-cultural ideas. The episode concludes with the ways we need to think critically about edtech products and policy agendas.

The two articles discussed in the episode are: “Edtech disruption logic and policy work: the case of an Israeli edtech unit” published in Learning, Media and Technology; and “User or student: constructing the subject in Edtech incubator” published in Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education.

Talking to Hemy, is Dr Janja Komljenovic, a Lecturer of Higher Education at Lancaster University and the Director of CHERE@LU.