The social construction of time in contemporary education: implications for technology, equality and Bernstein's 'conditions for democracy'

This article discusses how the introduction of technology has led to a fundamental shift in the relationship between education and time. As a means of analysing the extent of such changes on pupils from different backgrounds, I use Bernstein's 'conditions for democracy' (Bernstein, 2000) as a framework for evaluating the impact new understandings of time in education are having on disadvantaged social groups in England. I conclude that Bernstein's framework presents a useful way of illuminating the complex interplay of personal agency and the external environment. Consequently, here we see that new definitions of time in education, specifically with regard to synchronous versus asynchronous learning, have resulted in new inequalities for those in deprived areas

Biometrics in Schools

Biometrics have always been part of the social world, but it is only recently that we have moved from an instinctive human model to a digital one. Anyone who has been a school student will be aware that, along with eyes in the back of their heads, teachers are supposed to have a mythical sixth sense that means they are able to smell potential trouble a mile off, or identify potential culprits by individual gaits as they attempt to escape. Teachers have also long been regarded as societal experts in identifying homework and examination cheating, in the form of informally analysing patterns of handwriting and pencil use, as those of us who have attended school ourselves may recall. However identification techniques in school are currently in a process of being corporatised and commoditised, with biometric technologies being at the forefront of these developments. This chapter discusses the social and theoretical context for such change

Biometrics in schools: the role of authentic and inauthentic social transactions

Biometrics have always been part of the social world, but it is only recently that we have moved from an instinctive human model of recognition to a digital one. Recent scientific developments in the field have been capitalised upon by the commercial sector and exploited in various respects by school administration systems, with biometrics becoming comparatively widespread in UK and US schools. This brings both advantages and disadvantages as biometrics begin to change the fundamental relationship between institutions and the children in their care. This paper discusses the current state of research in terms of biometrics and social identity, the impact of commercial pressures to adopt biometric systems, and the growing relationship with data privacy issues. It analyses potential problems surrounding unproblematic adoption, and discusses how this might inform future data privacy policies. Additionally, in the paper, I identify three key social issues relating to biometric use in schools, and offer a theory of social exchange, building on the work of Homans. This includes a classification of authentic versus inauthentic transations, in the democratic sense. Finally, the paper identifies biometrics as an area of social (and legal) risk for the future

Biometrics Institute 20th Anniversary Report

The purpose of this report is to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Biometrics Institute on the 11 October 2021. More importantly, however, this report celebrates the work of the Biometrics Institute over the past twenty years, which together with the support of its members, has provided a platform for a balanced discussion promoting the responsible and ethical use of biometrics and a deeper understanding of the biometrics industry

Unburnable Carbon 2013: Wasted Capital and Stranded Assets

This report examines CO2 budgets and the growing 'carbon bubble', as well as its effects on the economy and global warming. It includes chapters on the global CO2 budget, global listed coal oil and gas reserves and resources, evolving the regulation of markets for climate risk, implications for equity valuation and credit ratings, implications for investors, and suggestions for navigating the road ahead

Beyond Personalization: Embracing Democratic Learning Within Artificially Intelligent Systems

This essay explains how, from the theoretical perspective of Basil Bernstein's three “conditions for democracy,” the current pedagogy of artificially intelligent personalized learning seems inadequate. Building on Bernstein's comprehensive work and more recent research concerned with personalized education, Natalia Kucirkova and Sandra Leaton Gray suggest three principles for advancing personalized education and artificial intelligence (AI). They argue that if AI is to reach its full potential in terms of promoting children's identity as democratic citizens, its pedagogy must go beyond monitoring the technological progression of personalized provision of knowledge. It needs to pay more careful attention to the democratic impact of data‐driven systems. Kucirkova and Leaton Gray propose a framework to distinguish the value of personalized learning in relation to pluralization and to guide educational researchers and practitioners in its application to socially just classrooms