Big data and algorithmic bias in education: what is it and why does it matter?

This episode, Owen and Libby speak to Ryan Baker, a leading expert in using big data to study  learners and learning interactions with educational software. Ryan is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and is Director of the Penn Center for Learning Analytics. 

Ryan provides an overview of educational data mining (otherwise known as EDM) and explains how insights from EDM can help improve learner engagement and outcomes. Libby and Owen also explore the technical aspects of algorithmic bias with Ryan, discussing why it matters, how it is defined, and how it can be addressed from a technical perspective. 

Links:

• Ryan Baker biography 
• One of Ryan Baker’s research papers about algorithmic bias 
• Big Data and Education - Ryan Baker’s free massive online open textbook

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Credits: Sarah Myles for production support; Josie Hills for graphic design