New Books in Science, Technology, and Society

Lindsay Weinberg, "Smart University: Student Surveillance in the Digital Age" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2024)

Dec 21, 2024

Lindsay Weinberg, Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Tech Justice Lab at Purdue University, discusses her book on student surveillance in higher education. She examines how modern digital tools can hinder students' autonomy while potentially reinforcing systemic inequalities. The conversation delves into the ethical dilemmas of consent, the impact of predictive models on underrepresented students, and the growing influence of corporate interests in academia. Weinberg emphasizes the need for critical awareness and reform to protect student privacy and academic integrity.

48:12

Episode guests

Lindsay Weinberg

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Lindsay Weinberg highlights how predictive analytics in recruitment can reinforce biases and harm students from marginalized backgrounds.

The podcast emphasizes the urgent need for student awareness and advocacy regarding their data privacy rights in smart universities.

Deep dives

Impact of Technology on Higher Education

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into college campuses, creating what is referred to as a 'smart university.' This concept encompasses various innovations, including predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, which are used to optimize student recruitment, retention, and overall educational experiences. However, this reliance on tech solutions raises concerns about the potential exploitation of student data and the quality of education being compromised in favor of efficiency and cost savings. Moreover, the integration of these technologies often reflects broader ideologies about the future of higher education that may not align with the needs of all students and faculty.

Intro

2min

The Double-Edged Sword of EdTech

15min

Surveillance and Choice: The Consequences of Predictive Models in Education

5min

Navigating Student Privacy in the Digital Age

13min

The Corporate Influence on Academic Freedom and Control

2min

AI and Its Impact on Higher Education

9min

In Smart University: Student Surveillance in the Digital Age (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024), Lindsay Weinberg evaluates how this latest era of tech solutions and systems in our schools impacts students' abilities to access opportunities and exercise autonomy on their campuses. Using historical and textual analysis of administrative discourses, university policies, conference proceedings, grant solicitations, news reports, tech industry marketing materials, and product demonstrations, Weinberg argues that these more recent transformations are best understood as part of a longer history of universities supporting the development of technologies that reproduce racial and economic injustice on their campuses and in their communities.

Mentioned in this episode is this piece that Dr. Weinberg wrote in Inside Higher Ed:

Lindsay Weinberg is a clinical assistant professor and the Director of the Tech Justice Lab in the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University.

Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more