Rahul Kumar

This paper provides a theoretical and conceptual analysis of educational technology (Ed-Tech) including its role in the administration and organization of schools, colleges, and universities; teachers' pedagogical practices; and students' learning. During and since the pandemic period, education has relied more heavily than ever on technological tools, products, and servicespedagogical innovations that require novel conceptual, theoretical, and critical perspectives for researchers to engage with. Thus, we employ the term Ed-Tech as a heuristic language to critically interrogate the ways by which the economic logic that underpins commercialized and commodified Ed-Tech continues to shape the sphere of education. This paper focuses on three interrelated concerns surrounding Ed-Tech: sales/privatization; solutions/pedagogy; and surveillance/privacy. A critical examination and discussion of each of these interconnected concepts and concerns reveal overt directions for where Ed-Tech is headed through the conceptualization of inertia, automation, and data. The paper concludes by drawing attention to the need for further empirical research and reflection that address current and future pedagogical practices in relation to the ethical dimensions of educational technologies.

This article explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on written compositions in education. Participants' accuracy in distinguishing between texts generated by humans and those produced by generative AI (GenAI) was examined. The study challenges the assumption that the listed author of a paper is the one who wrote it, which has implications for formal educational systems. If GenAI text becomes indistinguishable from human-generated text to a human instructor, marker, or grader, it raises concerns about the authenticity of the submitted work. This is particularly relevant in postsecondary education, where academic papers are crucial in assessing students' learning, application, and reflection. The study had 135 participants who were randomly presented with two passages in one session. The passages were on the topic of "How will technology change education?" and were placed into one of three pools based on the source of origin: written by researchers, generated by AI, and searched and copied from the Internet. The study found that participants were able to identify human-generated texts with an accuracy rate of 63% and with an accuracy of only 24% when the composition was AI-generated. Despite its limitations, such as limited sample size and an older predecessor of the current GenAI software, this study highlights the potential impact of AI on education and the need for further research to evaluate comparisons between AI-generated and human-generated text.

There are compelling arguments to advance and support third age learners (known generally as senior citizens). However, Statistics Canada data reveal low participation of third age learners in undergraduate and graduate studies in publicly funded universities in Ontario. Moreover, despite a general practice of tuition exemption for senior citizens in most of Ontario's publicly funded universities, enrolment for third age learners remains low. Such exemptions are offered even though universities increasingly rely on student tuition fees to generate revenue. Furthermore, this tuition exemption undermines or diminishes third age learners' influential power in universities. This chapter compares third age learners' participation in relation to international students in Ontario universities and questions the public's role in supporting third age learners in universities.

COVID-19 has changed how universities operate. The changes are in all spheres and caused by demands of social distancing rules predominantly mediated by various digital technologies. Applying Bauman's (1993) ethics of technology on newly initiated assessment practices, this article raises ethical concerns of relying on solutions solely manufactured by technology companies without professors' and students' input, various considerations of privacy, and overall ethical concerns that the use of any new technology raises. The article concludes by beseeching all stakeholders to collaborate to construct the tools for tomorrow that meet pedagogical needs without compromising Bauman's ethical concerns.

In "Silence within the Academy: A Symptom," Rahul Kumar explores the multifaceted role of silence in academic institutions, emphasizing its contradictory nature as both a protective mechanism for academic freedom and a tool for maintaining power hierarchies. Kumar critically examines how tenure, initially intended to safeguard intellectual freedom, has paradoxically fostered a culture of silence among faculty, limiting their engagement in public discourse and policy shaping. The chapter delves into various dimensions of silence, including its philosophical and artistic expressions, and its strategic use in educational institutions to marginalize dissenting voices and control discourse. Kumar highlights the problem of "authored silence," where the intentional choice not to speak conveys unarticulated meanings, affecting the faculty's societal role. Furthermore, the discussion extends to the silencing of educational disciplines within the academy, arguing that the field of education is often undervalued, which undermines the holistic mission of universities and the broader societal role of education in fostering democratic values and critical thinking. The chapter concludes by calling for a reevaluation of the role of silence in academia, advocating for a balance that recognizes the utility of silence in fostering innovation while critiquing its use as a means to maintain the status quo. Kumar urges for a renewed commitment to academic freedom, interdisciplinary dialogue, and elevating education's role within the academy to ensure universities fulfill their mandate as centers of critical inquiry and democratic discourse.