Over recent years data science has become integral to many sectors across society. From learning analytics and public health to…
“It’s a particular version of the truth” … the difficulties of establishing school data systems as a ‘single source of truth’ (2/2)
We have written previously about the ideal of establishing a ‘single source of truth’ (SSOT) as part of a school’s…
“Finding the right fit” … the difficulties of establishing school data systems as a ‘single source of truth’ (1/2)
The idea of a ‘single source of truth’ (SSOT) is an important concept in data management. The SSOT is the…
“We can’t predict how a child’s life will turn out – even with a ton of data”
Despite the promises of the ‘data gaze‘ and ‘dataism‘ that surround the growth of digital data over the past decade…
‘Big Dick Data’
“Big Dick Data is a formal, academic term that we, the authors, have coined to denote big data projects that…
Data-driven schools – the end of teacher subjectivity?
Early on in his new book on automated media, Mark Andrejevic (2020) offers an interesting perspective on the promise of…
Digital data use in schools – remembering ‘the conditions of its history’
When talking of the datafied school, we need to remain mindful of ‘the conditions of its history’ (Foucault 1963/2003, p.xxii).…
Breaking-up is hard to do… exploring the limits of school data
One of the more fanciful claims surrounding the datafication of schools is the idea that (nearly) everything can be known…
“We’re an infrastructure black hole” – the technical challenges of maintaining a school’s data resiliency
The datafication of schooling relies on schools having robust, functioning computer and data infrastructures. In our investigations of the work involved in school data,…
The behind-the-scenes work of producing school data (part 1) … Brookdale’s ‘Student Attendance’ app
The flow of data around a school relies on considerable amounts of behind-the-scenes ‘invisible’ work. Following the lead of Susan…
