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Digitization, Disruption, and the “Society of Singularities”: The Transformative Power of the Global Education Industry

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Researching the Global Education Industry

Abstract

Digitization and algorithmization in education refer to a variety of phenomena spanning the whole range from the “nice to have” to a revolution in educational provision, a true disruption of how, where, and also by whom students are educated. The main narrative of digitization suggests improved, enhanced, or augmented learning experiences and rarely mentions a radical systems overhaul. However, as the global education industry (GEI) is closely linked to key players and stakeholders of technological development, who usually have a strong faith in disruptive innovation, the GEI may be said to pursue a specific agenda. This agenda is reinforced by overall societal trends that have been recently described by the German sociologist Andreas Reckwitz as the society of singularities. This chapter explores the implications of this analysis for GEI.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See: World Bank (2018). Technology & Innovation in Education. Retrieved from: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  2. 2.

    See: Open Learning Exchange. Retrieved from: http://ole.org [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  3. 3.

    See: EC (2018). Digital Learning & ICT in Education. Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/ict-education [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  4. 4.

    See: e-Estonia (2018a). We have built a digital society and so can you. Retrieved from: https://e-estonia.com [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  5. 5.

    See: e-Estonia (2018b). Education. Retrieved from: https://e-estonia.com/solutions/education [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  6. 6.

    For example, Capterra.com lists hundreds of school-related products covering all aspects of student data administration to fund raising, including the per student costs. See: Capterra (2018). School AdministrationSoftware. Retrieved from: https://www.capterra.com/school-administration-software [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  7. 7.

    See: Christensen, C. (2018). Disruptive Innovation. Retrieved from: http://www.claytonchristensen.com/key-concepts/ [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  8. 8.

    See: Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/16-startups-that-will-disrupt-the-education-market.html [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  9. 9.

    See: Retrieved from: https://eadvisor.asu.edu/students/tools [last Jul. 19, 2018].

  10. 10.

    ELIZA is the name of a computer program developed by Joseph Weizenbaum that simulates psychological counseling based on Carl Rogers. The name is an ironic quote of George Bernard Shaw’s main character in Pygmalion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    S. Karin Amos

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  1. S. Karin Amos
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Correspondence to S. Karin Amos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Education, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Marcelo Parreira do Amaral

  2. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Gita Steiner-Khamsi

  3. Theory and History of Education, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Christiane Thompson

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Amos, S.K. (2019). Digitization, Disruption, and the “Society of Singularities”: The Transformative Power of the Global Education Industry. In: Parreira do Amaral, M., Steiner-Khamsi, G., Thompson, C. (eds) Researching the Global Education Industry. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04236-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04236-3_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-04235-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-04236-3

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